MOFs Derived Hetero-ZnO/Fe2O3 Nanoflowers with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance towards Efficient Degradation of Organic Dyes

It is still a challenge for wastewater treatment to develop efficient yet low-cost photocatalysts on a large scale. Herein, a facile yet efficient method was devised to successfully synthesize ZnO/Fe₂O₃ nanoflowers (NFs) by using metal organic framework ZIF-8 as the precursor. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared hetero-ZnO/Fe₂O₃ NFs are purposefully evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under UV light irradiation. The resulting ZnO/Fe₂O₃ NFs display even higher photocatalytic activities than those of single-phase ZnO and Fe₂O₃ as a photocatalyst for the degradation of both MB ad MO. Particularly, nearly 100% MB can be photocatalytically degraded in 90 min under UV light irradiation using the hetero-NFs photocatalyst. The enhanced photocatalytic properties are probably ascribed to the synergistic contributions from the suitable band alignment of ZnO and Fe₂O₃, large surface area, and strong light absorption property. Radical scavenger experiments prove that the photogenerated holes, ·OH and ·O₂-, play key roles in photocatalytic degradation process of organic dyes. Accordingly, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of hetero-ZnO/Fe₂O₃ NFs towards dyes is tentatively proposed. The work contributes an effective way to rationally design and fabricate advanced photocatalysts with heterojunction structures for photocatalytic applications.

Electrostatic fabrication of RGO-g-SSS/CdTe graphene/quantum dot nanocomposites with enhanced optoelectronic properties

We prepare sodium p-styrenesulfonate (SSS)-protected reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with better dispersion and stability via free radical polymerization, and synthesize RGO-g-SSS/CdTe nanocomposites via electrostatic interactions.

New insights into the phosphine-free synthesis of ultrasmall Cu2−xSe nanocrystals at the liquid–liquid interface

A liquid–liquid interfacial strategy to prepare ultra small (<5 nm) colloidal Cu_2−​xSe NCs with blue-fluorescence, noncaustic and environmentally friendly NH₄SCN replaces the long-chain organic ligands for fabrication of NC-sensitized solar.

Hair-inspired crystal growth of HOA in cavities of cellulose matrix via hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface interaction

As one of the most ordinary phenomena in nature, numerous pores on animal skins induce the growth of abundant hairs. In this study, cavities of a cellulose matrix were used as hard templates to lead the hair-inspired crystal growth of 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (HOA) through hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface interaction, and short hair-like HOA crystals with a smooth surface were formed on cellulose films. In our findings, by using solvent evaporation induced crystallization, hydrophobic HOA grew along the hydrophilic cellulose pore wall to form regular vertical worm-like and pillar-like crystals with an average diameter of about 200 nm, depending on the experimental conditions and HOA concentration. The formation mechanism of the short hair-like HOA crystals as well as the structure and properties of the cellulose/HOA submicrometer composite films were studied. The pores of the cellulose matrix supplied not only cavities for the HOA crystals fixation but also hydrophilic shells to favor the vertical growth of the relatively hydrophobic HOA crystals. The cellulose/HOA submicrometer composite films exhibited high hydrophobicity, as a result of the formation of the solid/air composite surface. Furthermore, 4-(1,2,2-triphenylethenyl) benzoic acid, an aggregation-induced emission luminogen, was used to aggregate on the cellulose surface with HOA to emit and monitor the HOA crystal growth, showing bifunctional photoluminscence and self-cleaning properties. This work opens up a novel one-step pathway to design bio-inspired submicrometer materials by utilizing natural products, showing potential applications in self-cleaning optical devices.

Liu J, Dr. Yu M, Prof., Dr. Zheng J. One-step interfacial synthesis and assembly of ultrathin luminescent AuNPs/silica membranes

A facile one-step strategy is explored to achieve uniform luminescent Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) in a two-dimensional ultrathin silica matrix based on simultaneous reaction and assembly at the liquid-liquid interface. The as-prepared AuNPs/silica nanocomposites can be further employed to fabricate micrometer-thick films with bifunctional luminescent and superhydrophobic properties. Such a versatile concept is ideal for the development of multifunctional devices.

Superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane films with transparent/fluorescent performance

In this paper, we report a simple and versatile route for the fabrication of superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films. The approach is based on octadecanamide (ODAA)-directed assembly of nanosilica/TPU/ODAA hybrid with a well-defined sheetlike microstructure. The superhydrophobic hybrid film shows a transparent property, and its water contact angle reaches as high as 163.5° without any further low surface energy treatment. In addition, the superhydrophobic TPU hybrid film with fluorescent properties is achieved by smartly introducing CdTe quantum dots, which will extend potential application of the film to optoelectronic areas. The resulting fluorescent surface produced in this system is stable and has a water contact angle of 172.3°. This assembly method to control surface structures represents an intriguing and valuable route to tune the surface properties of organic-inorganic hybrid films.