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Embedded fiber optic sensors are considered a promising technology that can unlock the black box within a battery and understand the fundamental internal chemical and physical states during operation. However, the interfacial compatibility between the implanted fiber sensor and electrode materials has not yet been investigated. In this study, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor is incorporated into a solid-state lithium-metal coin cell at different interfaces to explore the resulting variations in electrochemical property. The presence of the fiber sensor accelerates the capacity fade compared with that of a pristine cell. To address this issue, a new method is employed to reduce the sensor diameter from 250 μm to 30 μm while preserving its sensing function. The reduction in the sensor diameter enhances its compatibility with the size of the electrode materials. Integrating a micro-FBG (MFBG) sensor into the solid-state cell also alleviates the defects related to interface stratification and void growth, leading to the improved capacity retention. Moreover, the feasibility of utilizing MFBG for in-situ monitoring of internal stress within a lithium-metal cell is demonstrated. This technique offers a scalable solution for the noninvasive monitoring of battery state, thereby improving the reliability and safety of cells. • Embedded optical fiber sensor affected solid-state lithium-metal cell performance. • Microfiber sensor improves the contact between embedded sensor and electrodes. • Operando monitoring of stress inside lithium-metal batteries by microfiber sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a reasonable structure and component regulation are valid methods for enhancing the electrochemical properties of TiO 2 , which serves as prominent anode in sodium-ion batteries with exceptional structural stability. Herein, the carbon-coated anatase TiO 2 doped with S (S-TiO 2 @C) was synthesized via a facile metal-organic framework-assisted approach. The S atoms partially substitute oxygen atoms in the lattice, thereby enhancing the capacitive behavior, facilitating charge transfer kinetics, and augmenting the diffusion coefficient of Na+. With exceptionally high porosity and substantial carbon content, the caky S-TiO 2 @C electrode manifests superior rate capability of 167.7 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1 and long-cycle life of 239.0 mAh g−1 at 2.0 A g−1 over 4000 cycles. It is foreseeable that the strategy of anionic doping and carbon coating on the metal oxide with porous structure to optimize the sodium storage capability of the electrode will be applied in the future. • Metal-organic framework derived S-doped TiO 2 with carbon coating was synthesized for the first time. • The high level of porosity facilitates electrolyte infiltration and offers more active sites for sodium storage. • The S atoms partially substitute oxygen atoms in the lattice, thereby enhancing the kinetics of sodium storage. • The S-TiO 2 @C electrode exhibits superior rate capability and long-term cycle stability over 4000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the effects of sintering temperature ranging from 1200 °C to 1300 °C at intervals of 20 °C on the crystal structure, ferroelectric properties, and electrocaloric effect (ECE) of Pb 0.8 Ba 0.2 ZrO 3. Samples sintered at 1240 °C, 1260 °C, and 1280 °C have large remanent polarization and small coercive field. Meanwhile, samples sintered at 1260 °C, 1280 °C, and 1300 °C possess large breakdown field strength. Samples sintered at 1260 °C for 4 h exhibit the optimal ferroelectric properties. Antiferroelectricity-ferroelectricity (AFE-FE) phase transition occurs at room temperature T 1 (279 K). Directly examining ECE at this temperature is meaningful, and the temperature change is 0.068 K at approximately 60 °C and 30 kV/cm. Results laid the foundation for studying the performance of ferroelectric and ECE within this phase-transition temperature range and provide a reference for new solid-state refrigeration technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), V 2 O 5 , possessing a large-spaced and open layered crystal structure, have attracted considerable attention due to their distinct advantages of high specific capacity, abundant raw materials and low cost. Although low-dimensional nanostructured V 2 O 5 can increase the discharge capacity of LIBs, it still suffers from poor cycling and rate performance due to serious self-aggregation and pulverization. Building micro/nano-structures is a highly promising method to address the above issues. Herein, we propose a facile oxidation strategy to successfully synthesize the unique 3D hierarchical porous sponge-like V 2 O 5 micro/nano-structures (V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs) by using the structure-similar sponge-like VO 2 (B)@C micro/nano-structures as a precursor. Importantly, as-synthesized V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs possess the distinct structural advantages of a robust structure with large surface area and abundant meso/micropores, which are beneficial for achieving a better electrochemical performance. Specific capacity during the second discharge for V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs is 232 mAh/g at 100 mA/g, with 87% of the capacity being maintained after 50 cycles, which is considerably higher than the discharge capacity (190 mAh/g) in the second cycle and the value for the capacity retention (69%) of 1D V 2 O 5 nanoribbons. Thus, as-synthesized V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs are promising cathode materials for the next-generation LIBs. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Unique 3D sponge-like V 2 O 5 micro/nano-structures (V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs) are synthesized. • V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs possess robust structure, large surface area and conductive frameworks. • V 2 O 5 -SLMNSs exhibit the greatly improved electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium cobalt oxides (Na x CoO 2 , denoted as NCO) have attracted considerable attentions as the promising candidate of high-temperature thermoelectric materials because of their high thermoelectric power, high thermal stability and non-toxicity. The performances of NCO materials are dependent on their crystal structure. In this paper, the crystal structure and thermoelectric properties for NCO samples prepared by the solid state method under different sintering temperatures are discussed. Importantly, a phase transformation is discovered in NCO ceramics by TG-DTA analysis. The structural transformation is probably caused by Na volatilization at high temperature. With increasing sintering temperature, the Na ion concentration decreases, and the valence state of the Co ions increases, which can influence the carriers transport properties. In addition, a large number of grain boundaries generated by the fine grain prepared under low sintering temperature can effectively decrease the thermal conductivity. Thus, the figure-of-merit ZT value can be enhanced by the large Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity in the low-temperature phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we demonstrated the co-modification of oxygen vacancies and heterojunctions in VO 2 (B) (V O –VO 2 /MXene) as a cathode material for zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). VO 2 nanobelts are uniformly distributed on MXene nanosheets, which providing complete electron transport channels during the insertion or de-insertion of Zn2+. The formation of oxygen vacancies provides additional active sites and enhances the conductivity of VO 2. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the oxygen vacancies effectively facilitate reversible intercalation/deintercalation process, which results in rapid intra-crystal zinc ion diffusion. The combination of V O –VO 2 with MXene introduces an interfacial electric field, ultimately leading to synergistic enhancement in electrochemical activity. The V O –VO 2 /MXene composite exhibits the highest specific capacity (287 mAh g−1) at 10 A g−1 and excellent cycling lifespan (253 mAh g−1 after 3000 cycles) for ZIBs. This work provides a reliable strategy for the co-modification of metal oxide electrodes with oxygen vacancies and heterostructures. [Display omitted] • VO 2 /MXene heterojunctions with oxygen vacancies were synthesized via HTMM. • Oxygen vacancy and heterointerfaces lead to the superior zinc ion diffusion kinetic. • The synergistic effect of oxygen vacancy and heterointerfaces was demonstrated. • ZIBs shows high specific capacity, excellent rate capability and good cycle lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for high-energy-density portable electronics and electric vehicles is sparking an intensive research interest in lithium-ion batteries. Transition metal oxides/carbonaceous matrix hybrids have attracted tremendous attention to produce the next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This paper initially reports that the tree-like Li 2 MnO 3 @carbon nanotube (CNT) hierarchical architecture can achieve the long-life lithium storage performance. Li 2 MnO 3 nanoparticles of the hybrid with lattice Li + , as the anode material for LIBs, exhibits a reversible capacity of over 740 mAh/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g after 350 cycles, indicative of superior cyclic stability and excellent rate performance. XPS and XRD patterns reveal that LiOH in the anode material, which originates from the conversion reaction, is further discovered to be available and reversible for surface-enhanced lithium storage. Surface-enhanced lithium storage contributes to the over-compensation and increased capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, monocrystalline bundles and polycrystalline nanowires were synthesized using α-MnO 2 and MnOOH as precursors via an in-situ reaction. The electrochemical properties of the resulting nanocrystals were investigated. Results reveal that the polycrystalline nanowires are more activated than the monocrystalline nanowires. The polycrystalline nanowires also deliver a maximum discharge capacity of 226 mA h/g at 10 mA/g. Compared with the linear charging plateau at >4.3 V in the monocrystalline bundles, the charging platues of (100) and (001) domains in the polycrystalline nanowires are 4.3–4.55 and 4.55–4.6 V, respectively. The high capacity and rate performance of the polycrystalline nanowires are attributed to their good electroconductivity and rapid Li + diffusion, which originate from defects and small domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple low-temperature solid-state reaction in the presence of the surfactant PEG400 was developed to obtain ZnO/CdS nanocomposites. The effects of synthesis temperature and reaction time on crystal structure and optical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by several technologies. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) characterizations showed that the products consisted of the nanoparticles, and the grain growth kinetics of the cubic CdS and the hexagonal ZnO phase in the nanocomposites was described. The mechanism analysis suggested that sufficient grinding and heating treatment was a key to form the ZnO/CdS nanocomposites, and the surfactant PEG400 was proved not to involve the reaction and prevent the nanoparticles from aggregating to larger in whole grinding and heat-treatment process. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra revealed that the band gaps of the nanocomposites could be tuned by the reaction temperature and reaction time. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed that the changing position and the intensity of the emission peaks resulted from the rate of electron transfer and recombination probability under the different conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Li/Ta/Sb co-doped lead-free (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375)(Nb0.93−x Ta x Sb0.07)O3 (abbreviated KNLNST x ) piezoelectric ceramics, with Ta-doping ratio of x ranging from 0.0275 to 0.0675, were synthesized using the conventional solid-state reaction method at the sintering temperature of 1130°C. The effects of Ta content on the microstructure, dielectric properties, and phase transition behavior of the prepared ceramics were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction results show that all KNLNST x ceramics formed a secondary phase, which is assigned to the tetragonal tungsten-bronze type (TTB) structure phase, and showed a phase transition from an orthorhombic symmetry to a tetragonal symmetry across a composition region of 0.0375

Abstract: A facile hydrothermal route via high temperature mixing method was used to synthesize (K, Na) (Nb, Ta)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramic powders. The influence of Ta doping and K+/(K+ +Na+) molar ratios in the starting solution on the resultant powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The Ta element was successfully doped into the alkaline niobate structure to form crystalline (K, Na) (Nb, Ta)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics powder. The microstructure, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and dielectric properties of the sintered (K, Na) (Nb, Ta)O3 ceramics from the obtained powders were investigated. The piezoelectric coefficient (d 33), electromechanical coupling coefficient (k p), dielectric constant (ɛ r), and remnant polarization (P r) of the sample sintered at 1180°C show optimal values of 210pC/N, 34.0%, 2302, and 19.01μC/cm2, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: (K, Na)(Nb, Sb)O3 (KNNS) lead-free peizoceramic powders were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal treatment at 240°C for 8h using the KOH, NaOH, Nb2O5 and Sb2O3 as raw materials. Effects of Sb-doping on the crystal structure and morphology of the as-prepared powders were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra (Raman), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The Sb element was successfully doped into the alkaline niobate perovskite structure to form crystalline (K0.7Na0.3)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramic powder, which has a hexagonal morphology due to the aggregation growth of small grains. Phase and morphology evolutions with the reaction time were also studied, and a possible formation mechanism was proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: BaTiO3 (BT) powders were synthesized by the hydrothermal method for fabricating lead-free barium titanate piezoelectric ceramics. The obtained powders were washed by distilled water and 0.01N acetic acid solutions separately, and utilized to obtain piezoelectric ceramics by traditional sintering. BT ceramics with the highest piezoelectric properties (d 33 value is over 190 pC/N) was obtained from the BT powder synthesized at 250°C and washed by acetic acid solution. The influence of washing method and sintering temperature on the piezoelectric properties of BT ceramics were studied. The reasons were investigated by comparing the properties of BT powders and their compacts sintered at different temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• 2D V 6 O 13 nanosheets were one-step synthesized using URH for the first time. • URH is a simple, low–energy consumption, time-saving, and efficient synthesis technology. • The as-synthesized material has a superior rate/cycle performance and enhanced reversible capacity. The ever-growing demands of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for high-energy and long-life applications, such as smart grids and electrical vehicles, have drawn great research interest. Herein, 2D V 6 O 13 nanosheets with good crystallinity and robust configuration are in situ synthesized by applying an interesting one-step uniform rotate hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were carried out to characterize the crystal structure and micromorphology of the samples. In addition, the lithium storage performance of the sample was investigated through cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and charge/discharge tests. Their capacity is up to 240 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1, corresponding to an initial Coulombic efficiency as high as 98.41%. Moreover, the capacity of 199 mAh g-1 can be delivered at a large current density of 500 mA g-1, and 87% of the capacity can be retained after 100 cycles. Even at a larger current density of 1000 mA g-1, they can still deliver a high capacity of 155.7 mAh g-1, and nearly 80% of the initial capacity can be kept after 300 cycles. This result is much higher than that of V 6 O 13 prepared by traditional hydrothermal method under the same test conditions. These results demonstrate that the as-synthesized 2D V 6 O 13 nanosheets by uniform rotate hydrothermal method have a promising future for high-rate and long-life cathode materials of next-generation LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cadmium hydroxyapatite (Cd-Hap) crystals were synthesized by hydrothermal method at 200°C using the solutions of Cd(NO3)2·4H2O and (NH4)2HPO4. Influences of pH values and reaction time on the crystalline phases and morphology of the products were investigated. In low pH reaction media, Cd5H2(PO4)4·4H2O was formed and a relatively high pH reaction media was necessary to obtain Cd-Hap. Morphology of the Cd-Hap crystals changed from stubby hexagonal prismatic to rod-like in shape with the increase in the pH value. This morphological change was explained by the difference in growth mechanism through intermediate phases, Cd5H2(PO4)4·4H2O in the low pH reaction media and Cd2P2O7·5H2O in the high pH reaction media. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A one-step surfactant-free hydrothermal route is developed to prepare platelike NaNbO3 template powders. At optimal KOH concentration, pure platelike NaNbO3 with rhombohedral structure (width and thickness of 20 and 2 μm, respectively) is obtained at 200°C for 16 h. After calcination at 600°C for 4 h, the structure of the hydrothermally synthesized NaNbO3 changes from rhombohedral to orthorhombic, whereas the initial platelike morphology is maintained. Such characteristics in terms of phase structure, elemental composition, and morphology render our hydrothermally synthesized NaNbO3 suitable for textured ceramic fabrications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu(OH)3 with various shape-controlled morphologies and size, such as plate, rod, tube, prism and nanoparticles was successfully synthesized through simple hydrothermal reactions. The products were characterized by XRD (X-Ray Powder Diffraction), FE-SEM (Field Emission- Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TG (Thermogravimetry). The influence of the initial pH value of the starting solution and reaction temperature on the crystalline phase and morphology of the hydrothermal products was investigated. A possible formation process to control morphologies and size of europium products by changing the hydrothermal temperature and initial pH value of the starting solution was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered promising energy storage devices owing to the abundant reserve and low-cost accessibility of Na resources. However, such batteries suffer from poor electrochemical performance due to the larger diameter of Na ions (0.106 nm). In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon-coating interlayer-expanded MoS 2 porous nanosheets (MoS 2 @N–C) were synthesized, and their structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties were characterized. The XPS and EDS indicated the successful introduction of carbon into the MoS 2 nanosheets. The interlayer spacing for (002) plane was increased from 0.62 nm to 0.78 nm corresponding to the shift toward lower angles shown in XRD. The MoS 2 @N–C exhibited an impressively high reversible capacity of 352 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g after 200 cycles; this capacity is five times higher than that of bare MoS 2. Moreover, MoS 2 @N–C showed excellent rate performance due to the boosted diffusion of Na ions. The observed improvement in the electrochemical performance of MoS 2 @N–C demonstrates that the combination of suitable composite materials and interlayer expansion are effective strategies for battery technologies based on the storage of large ions. Image 1 • A high-temperature mixing method under hydrothermal conditions was utilized. • CTAB acts as intercalating reagent to perform interlayer engineering for MoS 2 @N–C. • The porous, flower-like few-layered MoS 2 @N–C nanosheets were obtained. • The interlayer spacing of (002) planes of MoS 2 @N–C increased from 0.62 nm to 0.78 nm. • The physical mechanisms for the enhanced electrochemical properties were addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique antiferroelectric behavior of AgNbO 3 ceramics has great potential for energy storage applications, which have attracted increasing attention. However, the relatively low recoverable energy storage density, energy efficiency and breakdown strength of AgNbO 3 ceramics severely limit their application in practice. In the present work, (Bi 0.2 Sr 0.7)TiO 3 was introduced to improve the relaxation behavior in AgNbO 3 ceramics via two-step sintering, which contributed to a high breakdown strength of 580 kV/cm. A recoverable energy storage density of 7.8 J/cm3 and an energy efficiency of 56 % were obtained in 0.90AgNbO 3 -0.10(Bi 0.2 Sr 0.7)TiO 3 ceramics. Moreover, the benign energy storage performance could be maintained at elevated temperatures, variable frequencies and cyclings up to 105. These results demonstrate the great potential of AgNbO 3 -based ceramics for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure TiO2 and 3% Y-doped TiO2 (3% Y-TiO2) were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. Reduced TiO2 (TiO2-H2) and 3% Y-TiO2 (3% Y-TiO2-H2) were obtained through the thermal conversion treatment of Ar-H2 atmosphere at 500 °C for 3 h. By systematically comparing the crystalline phase, structure, morphological features, and photocatalytic properties of 3% Y-TiO2-H2 with pure TiO2, 3% Y-TiO2, and TiO2-H2, the synergistic effect of Y doping and reduction of TiO2 was obtained. All samples show the single anatase phase, and no diffraction peak shift is observed. Compared with single-doped TiO2 and single-reduced TiO2, 3% Y-TiO2-H2 exhibits the best photocatalytic performance for the degradation of RhB, which can be totally degraded in 20 min. The improvement of photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of Y doping and reduction treatment. Y doping broadened the range of light absorption and reduced the charge recombination rates, and the reduction treatment caused TiO2 to be enveloped by disordered shells. The remarkable feature of reduced TiO2 by H2 is its disordered shell filled with a limited amount of oxygen vacancies (OVs) or Ti3+, which significantly reduces the Eg of TiO2 and remarkably increases the absorption of visible light. The synergistic effect of Y doping, Ti3+ species, and OVs play an important role in the improvement of photocatalytic performances. The discovery of this work provides a new perspective for the improvement of other photocatalysts by combining doping and reduction to modify traditional photocatalytic materials and further improve their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of binary transition metal oxides, NiCo 2 O 4 (NCO) suffers from several problems like self–agglomeration and drastic volume change when used as an anode for lithium–ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we propose a facile one–step hydrothermal method combined with heat treatment to prepare a hierarchical micro–nano hydrangea–like NiCo 2 O 4 /V 2 O 3 composite array (denoted as NCO/VO) on a nickel foam substrate as a free–standing anode for LIBs. The V 2 O 3 is introduced to form a composite structure with NCO, improving the electronic and ionic conductivity of the electrode. The synergistic effect of porosity, composite structure and micro–nano architecture offers the electrode excellent electrochemical performance. The specific capacity of the as–prepared electrode is 1155.6 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles under the current density of 100 mA g−1, with a retention ratio of 91.02 %. When the current density rises to 1000 mA g−1, it delivers a specific capacity of 750 mA h g−1, showing excellent rate performance. This work demonstrates that NCO/VO–NF is a promising candidate anode for next–generation LIBs. [Display omitted] • A first–time synthesis of NiCo 2 O 4 –V 2 O 3 composite arrays on nickel foam by a facile method. • The unique hierarchical micro–nano hydrangea–like morphology. • Improved electrochemical performances as an anode for LIBs by introducing V 2 O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designed component of 0.95Al 2 O 3 –0.015Yb 2 O 3 –0.01MgO–0.025SiO 2 (95Al 2 O 3 –Yb/Mg/Si) ceramics were prepared by the traditional mixed-oxide method in the sintering temperature range of 1450–1700 °C. The influence of sintering temperature on the crystal structure, densification, microstructure, mechanical, friction and wear properties of 95Al 2 O 3 -YbMgSi ceramics were systematically investigated. XRD and SEM analysis results revealed that the increase in sintering temperature was very beneficial to eliminate the pores, increase the density and grain size, which obeys the common grain growth law. Both the flexural strength and hardness of obtained samples were increased almost linearly when the sintering temperature increased from 1450 °C to 1700 °C. The ceramics sintered at 1650 °C showed the optimum properties: H v = 1812.3, σ = 151.3 MPa, μ = 0.41, ρ = 3.72 g/cm3 and K c = 8.06e−5 mm3/N·m, respectively. Furthermore, the results of friction and wear experiments suggested that the 95Al 2 O 3 –Yb/Mg/Si ceramic prepared at the optimizing sintering process exhibited more stable friction state and lower wear degree under non-lubricated conditions. The enhanced mechanical properties could be attributed to their structure densification, pore elimination and gain growth with the increase of sintering temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium niobate nanopowders (N-NaNbO 3 ) and submicron powders (M-NaNbO 3 ) were synthesized by the solvothermal and hydrothermal route, respectively. Subsequently, their sintering activities were comparably investigated through a modified solid-state sintering process. It's found that N-NaNbO 3 green bodies presented an apparent shrinkage after the calcination at 650 °C, and dense N-NaNbO 3 ceramics can be obtained at 950 °C. Besides, the optimized sintering temperature of N-NaNbO 3 ceramics was 100 °C lower, yet the shrinkage was four times larger when compared with M-NaNbO 3 samples. Importantly, N-NaNbO 3 samples showed improved dielectric properties in the whole frequency range, and the room temperature relative dielectric constant (ε r ) of N-NaNbO 3 samples sintered at 950 °C was as high as ~8000. The improved permittivity of N-NaNbO 3 samples was attributed to the compact microstructure, unique crystalline structure and less oxygen vacancies. At the same time, the effect of abnormal phase transition behavior originated from the metastable structure was considered to explain the enhanced room temperature permittivity. It's believed that the solvothermal route has great potentials in the synthesis of alkali niobate ceramics powders with high activity for low-temperature sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu 2 S thin films were successfully grown in situ on Cu foil by an easy hydrothermal method. The effects of surfactant and reaction time on the formation of the Cu 2 S films were studied by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and ABIOS profilometry. Results showed that the thin films consisted of nanoparticles, and their crystallization and surface roughness depended on the structures of surfactants and reaction time. Photocatalytic studies indicated that the film obtained at 1 h by the EDTA-2Na surfactant exhibited a good methylene blue degradation rate of 83.7%, and higher values of 89.2% and 90% were obtained with increased reaction time to 3 and 4 h. Even the decomposition rate remained at high (82%) after reuse. This good catalytic performance can be attributed to the heterojunction formed between Cu and Cu 2 S, the special surface from the reaction between [Cu-EDTA] - ion and S 2− , and the further crystal orientation with prolonged reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr x Ti 1− x )O 3 films with various Zr/Ti ratios of 20/80, 40/60, 52/48, 60/40 and 80/20 are deposited on highly dense CoFe 2 O 4 ceramics using a simple chemical solution deposition. All Pb(Zr x Ti 1− x )O 3 films are polycrystalline and have no preferential orientations. The dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and magnetoelectric properties strongly depend on the Zr/Ti ratio. And the Pb(Zr x Ti 1− x )O 3 films with a Zr/Ti ratio close to morphotropic phase boundary exhibit best properties, whose magnetoelectric coefficient is over 1.5 times larger than those of other Zr/Ti ratios. The introduction of a PbO seeding layer between the Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 films and CoFe 2 O 4 substrates facilitates the (100)-texture. Therefore, the magnetoelectric coefficient was enhanced by 1.5 times. The further improvement of the magnetoelectric coupling could be anticipated by fabricating Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 films with more or absolute (100)-texture and using conductive interfacial layer between two phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the effect of PFN content on the microstructure and electrical properties of x Pb(Fe 0.5 Nb 0.5)O 3 –(0.57− x)Pb(Ni 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 –0.43Pb(Zr 0.3 Ti 0.7)O 3 , the doping of x PFN–PNN–PZT) were systematically studied with 0.015 ≤ x ≤ 0.075. XRD patterns and Raman spectra analysis reveal that PFN diffuses into PNN–PZT perovskite lattice and forms new quaternary solid solution. With the increase of PFN content x , the proportion of rhombohedral (R) phase decreases gradually, whereas the proportion of tetragonal (T) phase displays a contrary trend. In particular, R – T coexistence near MPB was observed at x = 0.045. Meanwhile, optimized electrical properties of d 33 = 961 pC/N, k p = 0.716, ε r = 6298, and tan δ = 3.1% are achieved for the 0.045PFN–PNN–PZT ceramics. Moreover, the ceramics at MPB showed larger remnant polarization P r = 24.55 μC/cm2, smaller coercive field E c = 0.36 kV/mm, and lower dielectric relaxor degree γ = 1.813. All these results reveal that the enhanced electrical properties could be attributed to synergistic phase boundary motion, dielectric relaxor behavior and ferroelectric hysteresis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composites comprising TiO 2 @MWCNTs (shell@core) nanoparticles and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) were prepared through a two-step method, including solution cast and mechanical rolling, inducing a highly oriented structure with both PVDF lamellar and TiO 2 @MWCNTs. A systematic study was performed to investigate the crystalline structure and piezoelectric properties of composites. The obtained results reveal that greatly enhanced breakdown strength and piezoelectric properties can be achieved in composites by the incorporation of highly aligned TiO 2 @MWCNTs. A maximum piezoelectric coefficient d 33 of ∼41 pC/N can be achieved in composites at a loading level of 0.3wt.%, which is nearly double that of the pure PVDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse Dy-doped BaTiO 3 nanopowders ( x DBT) with x =0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mol% has been synthesized via a modified sol-hydrothermal method. And the influence of Dy 3+ on the crystal structure, micromorphology and dielectric properties of x DBT ceramics has been investigated. It’s found that Dy 3+ slightly affects the shape of the x DBT nanopowders, whereas excess Dy 3+ would cause the formation of the Dy(OH) 3 impurity. In addition, the grain growth during a sintering process is suppressed with the Dy 3+ incorporation. Further, the possible occupation of the Dy 3+ has been extrapolated based on the variation of lattice volume and phase composition. A self-compensation mode involving the simultaneously occupation at Ba-site and Ti-site is observed in the samples with 4 mol% Dy. Importantly, stabilized temperature-dependent dielectric properties has been achieved at x =4 mol%, resulting from the diffuse phase transition behaviors (the calculated diffuse factor γ =1.952) induced by chemical inhomogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The MPFs’ piezoelectric properties are lower than those of bulk ceramic counterpart. [•] The effect of geometrical shape is a main cause of the low-properties. [•] The effect of polarization also is the cause of the low-properties of the MPFs. [•] There is excellent agreement between the expected and experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary piezoelectric ceramics Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3–Pb(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3–xZnO (PNN–PFN–PZT–xZ, x=0.0–0.08 in molar ratio) were prepared by the conventional mixed-oxide method. The effects of ZnO content on the microstructure and piezoelectric properties were systematically investigated. Increasing ZnO additive promotes the phase structure transformation from rhombohedral to tetragonal, indicating the presence of the morphotropic phase boundary in the ZnO-modified PNN–PFN–PZT system. The results show that ZnO doping significantly improves the coercive field (E c ), Curie temperature (T c ), and temperature stability (Δf r /f r 30°C, Δd 31/d 31 30 °C) of the PNN–PFN–PZT–xZ ceramics, although the piezoelectric constant (d 33, d 31) decreases slightly with increasing ZnO content. Taking into consideration the piezoelectric property and temperature stability, the obtained ceramic sample with x=0.04 exhibited favorable properties, which are listed as follows: d 33=810pC/N, k p =0.647, ε r =6243, tan δ=2.74%, E c =4.7kV/cm, and T c =136°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis has gradually attracted the interest of researchers owing to their excellent ability to improve the separation and migration of photoelectrons and holes. The alternating built-in electric field generated by the piezoelectric effect of traditional piezoelectric materials, such as BaTiO 3 , ZnO, provides a strong driving force for the separation and migration of carriers. In addition to traditional piezoelectric materials, certain unique materials, such as layered transition metal dichalcogenides, bismuth-layered structure materials, wurtzite-based semiconductors, graphene, g-C 3 N 4 , and metal-organic frameworks, have piezoelectric properties and are considered novel piezocatalysts. This review summarizes the recent advancements in the use of these novel piezoelectric materials for piezocatalytic and piezo-photocatalytic applications. Their discovery, the verification of piezoelectric features, the current research status, challenges, and perspectives for developing novel piezocatalysts are summarized. This review is expected to provide comprehensive guidance for the in-depth understanding and development of more novel piezocatalysts in emerging energy and environmental applications. [Display omitted] • Recent advancements in the use of novel piezoelectric materials were summarized. • The discovery and the verification of their piezoelectric features were determined. • The current research status and challenges of novel piezocatalysts were summarized. • This review provided a guidance for the development of more novel piezocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric ceramics have attracted ever-increasing interest in energy storage applications due to their high-power density and fast charge–discharge speed. In particular, AgNbO3-based antiferroelectric ceramics are considered potential substitutes for lead-based ceramics. AgNbO3 ceramics sintered with fine hydrothermal-synthesized powders show the advantage of high breakdown strength. However, the fine grains lead to the decreased polarization, which harms the recoverable energy density. In this work, a little amount over-stoichiometrical WO3 and MnO2 were introduced to synergistically improve the polarization and dielectric breakdown strength of obtained AgNbO3 ceramics. The dependences of structures and dielectric properties on WO3 doping were explored. A maximum polarization of 49.4 μC/cm2 and Eb as large as 285 kV/cm were achieved in 0.1 wt % WO3 and MnO2 co-doped AgNbO3 ceramic. The corresponding Wrec reached 2.75 J/cm3, which was 1.3 times larger than that of pristine AgNbO3 ceramics. Moreover, benign thermal stability with Wrec = 2.2–2.7 J/cm3 over 30–150 °C at 240 kV cm−1 was also achieved in 0.1 wt.% WO3 and MnO2 co-doped AgNbO3 ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: (K, Na)NbO3-based lead free materials have been found to exhibit good piezoelectric properties due to the orthorhombic–tetragonal polymorphic phase transition (PPT) temperature compositionally shifted downward to near room temperature. However, this transition correspondingly results in a strong temperature dependence of the dielectric and piezoelectric properties. In this work, new quaternary (1−x) (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375)(Nb0.8925Sb0.07Ta0.0375)O3 (KNLNST)–xSrTiO3 (ST) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were fabricated by a conventional ceramic technique and their structure and piezoelectric properties were also studied. The results of X-ray diffraction reveal that SrTiO3 diffuses into the KNLNST lattices to form a new solid solution with a perovskite structure. After the addition of SrTiO3, tetragonal–orthorhombic phase transition shifts to lower temperatures. The good piezoelectric properties of 0.995 KNLNST–0.005 ST material were found to be d 33∼295pC/N, k p∼42%, and ε r∼1902, with greatly improved temperature stability over the temperature range of 0–100°C, demonstrating practical potential for actuator and ultrasonic transducer applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two-step sintering was applied to manufacture a typical Li- and Ta/Sb-modified alkaline niobate-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The sintering condition dependences of dielectric constants and piezoelectric properties were investigated. Under the optimal condition, dense specimens have an average grain size of approximately 5μm, and show good dielectric and piezoelectric properties. Significantly, the (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375) (Nb0.8925Sb0.07Ta0.0375)O3 ceramics sintered under the condition “1130/10/1020/15” show the peak values of the piezoelectric coefficient (d 33), electromechanical coupling coefficient (k p), and dielectric constant (ɛ), which are 281pC/N, 50% and 1500, respectively, owing to the densest microstructure of typical bimodal grain size distributions. Furthermore, the KNLNST ceramics maintain relatively low dielectric loss over wide temperature ranges. The result indicates that the KNLNST ceramics sintered by two-step sintering exhibit good temperature stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lead-free (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375) (Nb0.9625−x Sb x Ta0.0375)O3 piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the conventional sintering method. The effects of the Sb content on the phase structure, microstructure, dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of the (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375) (Nb0.9625−x Sb x Ta0.0375)O3 ceramics were investigated. The much higher Pauling electronegativity of Sb compared with Nb makes the ceramics more covalent. By increasing x from 0.05 to 0.09, all samples exhibit a single perovskite structure with an orthorhombic phase over the whole compositional range, and the bands in the Raman scattering spectra shifted to lower frequency numbers. The grain growth of the ceramics was improved by substituting Sb5+ for Nb5+. Significantly, the (K0.4425Na0.52Li0.0375) (Nb0.8925Sb0.07Ta0.0375)O3 ceramics show the peak values of the piezoelectric coefficient (d 33), electromechanical coupling coefficient (k p ), and dielectric constant (ɛ), which are 304pC/N, 48% and 1909, respectively, owing to the densest microstructure of typical bimodal grain size distributions. Besides, the underlying mechanism for variations of the electrical properties due to Sb5+ substitution was explained in this work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

AgNbO 3 -based ceramics have been the spotlight for the lead-free dielectric capacitors due to its unique antiferroelectric feature and the ever-increasing environmental concerns. Herein, synergic modulation on the energy storage properties of AgNbO 3 -based ceramics was reported, in which the over-stoichiometrical introduction of only 0.10 wt% MnO 2 at the atomic-scale leads to reduced leakage current, P r and enhanced antiferroelectric stability while the SiO 2 coating on the AgNbO 3 particles at the micro-scale greatly inhibits the grain growth, increases the breakdown strength and the electric filed inducing the AFE-FE transitions. As a result, a large recoverable energy density up to 3.34 J/cm3 with efficiency of 60.0% was obtained in 0.10 wt% MnO 2 -doped AgNbO 3 @SiO 2 ceramic, which is 2.3 times larger than that of the pristine AgNbO 3. This work provides a rational approach to synergically modulate the energy storage properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of magnetic and dielectric materials is an effective and efficient approach to enhance microwave absorption performance. In this work, rGO/Zr4+-Ni2+ gradient-doped BaM composites were fabricated for broad microwave absorption bandwidth. The results show that the permittivity increases while the permeability reduces gradually with the rising of rGO content. With the mass ratio of rGO increasing up to 15%, the relatively high attenuation constant and good impedance matching condition lead to an outstanding microwave absorption performance with a broad bandwidth of 8.16 GHz and a minimum reflection loss of −57.07 dB at a thin matching thickness of 2.0 mm. Compared with the pure gradient-doped BaM sample, the bandwidth has been widened by 37.37% and the minimum reflection loss has been improved by 220.43%. The performance is also superior to most of the existing state-of-art absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the phase structure evolution is important for developing high performance lead-free piezoelectric materials. In this work, the effects of A-site ionic size of monovalent ions on the phase transition behaviors for the lead-free niobate ceramics ANbO 3 (A = Li, Na, Ag, and K) are investigated using XRD analysis and dielectric measurement. The iso-valent ionic doping restrains the relaxation behavior that usually appears in the hetero-valent ionic-doped niobate ceramics. The A-site average ionic size of R A and its ionic radius differences of ΔR A are found to be crucial influence factors on the phase transition behaviors of the ANbO 3 ceramics. Small Li+ doping stabilize tetragonal phase of the ANbO 3 ceramics with R A > 1.47 Å, but stabilize rhombohedral phase of the ones with R A < 1.47 Å. On the other hand, The ANbO 3 ceramics without Li+ doping prefer to orthorhombic phase due to indistinctive ionic size differences (ΔR A < 0.25 Å). Our results suggest that a certain phase and phase transition boundary could be designed by appropriate ionic doping for developing the niobate-based lead free piezoelectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric aging is a phenomenon that is generally observed in acceptor‐doped ferroelectrics and usually produces a large recoverable electrostrain. In this work, using an oxide ionic conducting material, a Gd‐modified ceria solution (GDC), as a dopant, we find that GDC‐doped BaTiO3 ceramics exhibit ferroelectric aging behaviors at room temperature. These ceramics show double polarization hysteresis (P‐E) loops and sprout‐shaped recoverable strain vs electric field (S‐E) curves. GDC‐doped BT ceramic (3 mol%) produces a large recoverable electrostrain of 0.12% at 3 kV/cm. The large ions of Ce3+ and Gd3+, which have small electronegativity, lead to the high mobility of oxygen vacancies and a rapid symmetry conformation for short range ordering (SC‐SRO) of points defects, which appear as fast aging effects and a large electrostrain in GDC‐doped BT ceramics at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the good piezoelectric properties among polymers, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) has been extensively applied in constructing flexible sensors and energy harvesters. Recent progress towards high performance sensors and energy harvesters has trigged significant interest in the fabrication of PVDF materials with superior piezoelectricity and good thermal piezoelectric stablility. Herein, we reported a flexible PVDF based nanocomposite that maintained high and stable piezoelectricity over a wide temperature range from 10 to 100 °C through the strong multi-interface effect. In this work, PVDF was firstly blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), and then dopamine modified BaTiO 3 hollow nanoparticles were introduced into the blend polymer matrix. Through optimizing the fabrication process and modulating the mass ratio of PVDF-HFP and BaTiO 3 , notably strenghthened ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity was achieved in the final composites, wherein the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 reached a peak of 40 pC/N and showed good retention with increasing temperatures up to 100 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 (MFG-E8) has been demonstrated to be associated with the progression and metastasis of breast cancer, although the underlying mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of MFG-E8 in human breast cancer and examine the underlying molecular mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels of MFG-E8 in human breast carcinoma cell lines. An MFG-E8 small interfering RNA lentiviral vector was constructed and transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells. The results indicated that the in vitro silencing of MFG-E8 significantly inhibited the viability, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. By using a flow cytometric approach, the knockdown of MFG-E8 was revealed to significantly induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of MFG-E8 induced the activation of apoptosis-associated proteins, and inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated proteins. Collectively, the results of the present study emphasize the importance of MFG-E8 deregulation in mammary carcinogenesis and its potential use as a biomarker for the diagnosis of breast carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles with different sizes were successfully synthesized by a simple SDS-assisted grinding reaction and subsequent heating treatment process. Effects of calcination temperatures on crystal structure, optical and photocatalytic properties of the products were investigated by TG-DSC, FTIR, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, and UV–Vis techniques. Results showed that growth of the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles was very slow, and the average crystallite size gradually increased with increasing calcination temperatures. Optical measure and calculation showed that there is an increasing trend for the band gap with increase of calcination temperature. The α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles obtained at 500 °C revealed higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency for MB than the other samples, attributing to the optimal value between transiting electrons and recombination of electron-hole pairs. Radical scavengers experiments implied that ·OH and e− played important roles in the photocatalytic process. The photodegradation time was greatly shortened, and the photocatalytic efficiency was further enhanced and raised to over 90% after adding H 2 O 2 , which is due to generation of a large number of the highly oxidative ·OH by photo-Fenton reaction. Highlights • α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by decomposing precursor. • Precursor was obtained by a simple SDS-assisted grinding reaction. • High photocatalytic efficiency of 99.6% was obtained for α-Fe 2 O 3 within 40 min. • It is due to generation of a large number of the ·OH by Photo-Fenton reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr x Ti 1- x )O 3 (PZT) films with a composition x  = 0.52 near the morphotropic phase boundary were deposited on dense CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) ceramic substrates using a chemical solution deposition. The PbO seeding layer was introduced to induce the (100) texture of PZT films. PZT film-on-CFO ceramic (PZT-CFO) composites with 2-layered PbO exhibits a (100) orientation degree of 0.62, while that for PZT-CFO composites without the PbO is only about 0.37. Accordingly, the ferroelectricity, dielectricity and magnetoelectric coupling in the PZT-CFO composites dramatically changes and the maximum ME coefficient exhibits great enhancement from 21.4 to 50.8 mV/cm · Oe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaV 2 O 5 , possessing robust, open and large-space layered crystal structure, was recently found as one novel promising intercalation-type high-capacity anode material for Na-ion batteries. To address its difficult issue of morphology control for conventional solid-state method, our group proposed previously a two-step hydrothermal method to controllably synthesize a well-crystallized NaV 2 O 5 mesocrystal. However, this two-step method was still time-costing and a bit complex. In order to further promote its further research development and industrial application, it remains a huge and attractive challenge to explore a simple and time-saving method to synthesize promising NaV 2 O 5 . Herein, we propose a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy to realize the short-time synthesis of 3D bundle-like NaV 2 O 5 mesocrystal. In this simple one-step method, sodium oxalate (Na 2 C 2 O 4 ) is tactfully designed as simultaneously reducing reagent and Na resource, so that its synthesis time is greatly shortened more than 5 times. Furthermore, the crystal growth mechanism of NaV 2 O 5 mesocrystal is also revealed. Amazingly, the ex-situ XRD measurement reveals that the electrochemical intercalation/deintercalations are reversible and the crystal structure of NaV 2 O 5 is stable. So, NaV 2 O 5 mesocrystal prepared by one-step method exhibit the promising electrochemical performance, and its reversible capacity is up to 360 mAh/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-scale synergistic design was proposed in AgNbO 3 -based ceramics. • High E b up to 702 kV/cm was obtained in Bi & Sr doped AgNbO 3 ceramics. • Both antiferroelectric stability and polarization were improved via Bi & Sr doping. • W rec and η reached 7.9 J/cm3 and 75.5 % in Bi & Sr doped AgNbO 3 ceramics. • W rec and η in present work are among the top values of AgNbO 3 -based ceramics. Dielectric capacitors with large power densities are indispensable components in advanced electric and electronic devices. However, the limited energy density and efficiency are challenging and badly restrict their utilization in practice. Here, fine-grains, increased resistivity and activation energy, optimized maximum polarization, and benign relaxation features are simultaneously achieved in AgNbO 3 -based ceramics via a multi-scale synergistic design, combining hydrothermal methods with Bi and Sr doping. As a result, we synergistically realized high breakdown strength of 702 kV/cm, large recoverable energy storage density of 7.9 J/cm3 and benign energy efficiency of 75.5 % in (Ag 0.80 Bi 0.04 Sr 0.04)NbO 3 ceramics. Furthermore, excellent temperature-, frequency-, cycling-stability and ultrahigh discharge energy density of 5.6 J/cm3 were simultaneously achieved in (Ag 0.80 Bi 0.04 Sr 0.04)NbO 3 ceramics, indicating a promising candidate for competitiveness and development in advanced high-power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric materials with high permittivity are strongly demanded for various technological applications. While polarization inherently exists in ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3), its high permittivity can only be achieved by chemical and/or structural modification. Here, we report the room-temperature colossal permittivity (~760,000) obtained in xNd: BaTiO3 (x = 0.5 mol%) ceramics derived from the counterpart nanoparticles followed by conventional pressureless sintering process. Through the systematic analysis of chemical composition, crystalline structure and defect chemistry, the substitution mechanism involving the occupation of Nd3+ in Ba2+ -site associated with the generation of Ba vacancies and oxygen vacancies for charge compensation has been firstly demonstrated. The present study serves as a precedent and fundamental step toward further improvement of the permittivity of BaTiO3-based ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the natural photosynthesis in green plants, artificial heterogeneous Z-scheme photocatalytic systems are widely used to settle environmental concerns and energy crises, and their excellent characteristics come from long-term stability, wide absorption range, high charge-separation efficiency, and strong redox ability. However, the contribution of the surface-adsorbed dyes antenna molecule is seldom considered in the process of Z-scheme photocatalysis. In this study, we construct AgBr quantum dots decorated MoO 3 nanobelts as a novel Z-scheme photocatalyst by an oriented diffusing and charge induced deposition. For the first time, we find the synergistic effect caused by the suitable energy band match among RhB dyes, AgBr nanoparticles, and MoO 3 nanobelts, leading to the ultrafast dye-sensitized-assisted electron transfer process. This is responsible for excellent photocatalytic activities of the achieved AgBr/MoO 3 monolithic catalyst for degrading RhB under visible light irradiation. Simultaneously, changing of the band gaps and detailed mechanism for high efficiency degradation is analyzed and explored by theoretical calculations and designing further experiments. It is proposed that ultrafast degradation of the RhB on the AgBr/MoO 3 nanocomposites is due to both the photocatalytic process and the dye sensitization; the superoxide radical O 2 − , which is produced by accumulated dye-sensitization-induced abundant electrons with powerful potential in the CB of AgBr accompanying by quick combination of electrons in the CB of MoO 3 with photogenerated holes in the VB of AgBr, is a dominant reactive species for the degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetoelectric composite of Pb(ZrTi)O film-on-CoFeO ceramic was prepared by spin-coating Pb(ZrTi)O films of 300 nm in thickness on the LaNiO-buffered highly dense CoFeO ceramics. The X-ray diffraction, ferroelectric loops, piezoelectric curves, and magnetoelectric coupling effects were all measured at room temperature to investigate the effect of LaNiO thickness on the magnetoelectric response of the composites. The introduction of the metallic oxide LaNiO efficiently enhanced the magnetoelectric coefficient α by improving the electric-related outputs. However, too thick LaNiO layer would also hinder the strain (stress) transferring across the interface between the Pb(ZrTi)O and CoFeO phases. A peak α value was obtained in the sample with a LaNiO thickness of about 60 nm, which was 2.5 times larger than that in the composite of Pb(ZrTi)O film on the CoFeO ceramic without the LaNiO layer. Further enhancement could be anticipated by optimizing the LaNiO layer and/or Pb(ZrTi)O films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]