The Voronoi entropy is a mathematical tool for quantitative characterization of the orderliness of points distributed on a surface. The tool is useful to study various surface self-assembly processes. We provide the historical background, from Kepler and Descartes to our days, and discuss topological properties of the Voronoi tessellation, upon which the entropy concept is based, and its scaling properties, known as the Lewis and Aboav–Weaire laws. The Voronoi entropy has been successfully applied to recently discovered self-assembled structures, such as patterned microporous polymer surfaces obtained by the breath figure method and levitating ordered water microdroplet clusters.

The mini-generator of electrical energy exploiting Marangoni soluto-capillary flows is reported. The interfacial flows are created by molecules of camphor emitted by the “camphor engines” placed on floating polymer rotors bearing permanent magnets. Camphor molecules adsorbed by the water/vapor interface decrease its surface tension and create the stresses resulting in the rotation of the system. The alternative magnetic flux in turn creates the current in the stationary coil. The long-lasting nature of rotation (approximately 10–20 h) should be emphasized. The brake-specific fuel consumption of the reported generator is better than that reported for the best reported electrical generators. Various engineering implementations of the mini-generator are reported.

Powder x-ray diffractometry was used to study the effect of intercalating C60 fullerite with helium and argon atoms on the fullerite structure. The samples were saturated at room temperature and normal pressure. The dependences obtained for the lattice parameter and half-width of certain reflections on the intercalation time with helium atoms showed that the voids in the C60 lattice were filled in two stages. Helium filled the octahedral voids relatively rapidly first and then the tetrahedral subsystem, but much more slowly. Both intercalants affected the half-width and intensity of the reflections, the matrix lattice parameters, the phase transition temperature, the volume jump at the transition, and the thermal expansion coefficients of C60 fullerite.