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Background/purpose: The efficient rapid sintering technique has employed to dental zirconia ceramics for shortening the fabrication time of zirconia restorations. The purpose was to compare the optical properties of two generations of rapid sintered translucent zirconia using two dental colorimeters. Materials and methods: Two generations of translucent zirconia ceramics, 3 mol% yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP): Copran Zr-i Ultra-T (UT) and Cercon HT (HT), and 5 mol% yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (5Y-TZP): Cercon xt (XT), of different thicknesses (0.5, 0.8, and 1.2 mm; n = 5) underwent rapid sintering (RS) or conventional sintering (CS). The CIELAB values were measured on the white and black backgrounds, respectively, by digital colorimeters, shadepilot, DeguDent (DD) and Easyshade V, Vita (Vita). Translucency parameter (TP), color difference (ΔE), surface morphology, and surface roughness were evaluated. Results: RS resulted in reduced lightness, except in the XT group. The chromaticity increased slightly after RS. Translucency decreased with increasing material thickness. ΔE values differed between both sintering processes but were clinically acceptable (ΔE

Stoichiometric Cr2Se3 single crystals are particular layer-structured antiferromagnets, which possess a noncollinear spin configuration, weak ferromagnetic moments, moderate magnetoresistance (MR ∼14.3%), and poor metallic conductivity below the antiferromagnetic phase transition. Here, we report an interesting >16 000% colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect in Ti (1.5 atomic percent) lightly doped Cr2Se3 single crystals. Such a CMR is approximately 1143 times larger than that of the stoichiometric Cr2Se3 crystals and is rarely observed in layered antiferromagnets and is attributed to the frustrated spin configuration. Moreover, the Ti doping not only dramatically changes the electronic conductivity of the Cr2Se3 crystal from a bad metal to a semiconductor with a gap of ∼15 meV but also induces a change in the magnetic anisotropy of the Cr2Se3 crystal from strong out-of-plane to weak in-plane. Further, magnetotransport measurements reveal that the low-field MR scales with the square of the reduced magnetization, which is a signature of CMR materials. The layered Ti:Cr2Se3 with the CMR effect could be used as two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure building blocks to provide colossal negative MR in spintronic devices.

Heat energy retention and dissipation have become key points of global smart textiles in recent years. This study describes the designing of silicon resin by using a sol–gel process, which acts as the modifying agent for siloxane substrate. The modifying agent was effectively blocked by silicon resin mixed with the ethylene or aluminum bond group, to control the molecular weight. Advanced polymer chromatography confirmed that the number average molecular weight (Mn) of silicon resin is 41,301 g mol−1, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is 47,982 g mol−1, and the molecular weight distribution is 1.1617, which is relatively narrow. When the addition of vinyl groups is 5%, the silicone resin Mn decreases to 18,906 g mol−1 and Mw decreases to 28,641 g mol−1. When the addition of aluminum bond groups is 5%, the silicone resin Mn decreases to 17,497 g mol−1 and Mw decreases to 27,114 g mol−1. The result of thermogravimetric analysis shows that the pyrolysis temperature rises from 265.43°C to 266.17°C after the ethylene is added to the silicon resin, and the index of heat tolerance increases from 179.14°C to 191.38°C. After the addition of aluminum bond groups, the pyrolysis temperature rises from 265.43°C to 309.37°C, and the index of heat tolerance increases from 179.14°C to 193.09°C, meaning the silicone resin has higher thermal stability.

The upgrade of the BESIII end cap time-of-flight (TOF) detector needs to achieve a ~40-ps time resolution level to provide high-performance reference time for beam testing. Fast silicon photomultiplier tubes (SiPMs) have excellent time characteristics and the transition time spread (TTS) can reach tens of picoseconds. Therefore, SiPMs are selected to replace the PMTs in T0 detectors. In this article, we describe that the time characteristics of a fast SiPM and T0 system were studied using a high-speed real-time oscilloscope. In order to obtain the optimal time resolution, coupling techniques of the plastic scintillators and SiPMs were studied. Single-ended coupling between a SiPM and a plastic scintillator can obtain the best time resolution.

This study investigates a kind of masonry consisting of clay-fired brick (fc = 10 MPa; ρ = 1 . 38 g / cm 3 ) and mortar (fc = 10 MPa; ρ = 1 . 8 g / cm 3 ). Clay-fired brick masonry connotes a traditional construction material of old architecture and public buildings. We carried out penetration experiments in which four clay-fired brick walls employing two different patterns were subjected to impact from small high-speed projectile, i.e. 12.7 mm armor-piercing explosive incendiary projectile and material tests in which the static and dynamic compressive strengths of clay-fired brick and mortar were determined by quasi-static and SHPB (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar) tests. The experimental data include hit and exit velocities, damage configuration of clay brick masonry and mechanical properties of material at low and high strain rates, though which influence of thickness and bonding patterns of wall on kinetic loss of bullet, the damage patterns of masonry observed experimentally and dynamic increase of material strengths are analyzed. To keep minimum boundary inconsistency with reality, full 3D detailed finite element model consisting of two different material is established. Sharing common nodes and employing automatic tiebreak contact are combined to reduce computational time usage of large-scale model. For description of clay-fired brick and mortar Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma (RHT) material model is employed. Material parameter set is derived based on experimental data, available literature and engineering assumptions. The numerical simulations study the mesh resolution dependency of material model, reproduce the crucial phenomena of masonry in experiment acceptably and offer more time-resolved insight into motion of bullet in the process of penetration. The feasibility of means of constructing finite element model and applying RHT model to the masonry herein and analogous constructions is explored through numerical investigation.

Background/purpose The design of the connectors and implant abutments could affect the stress distribution of the tooth-implant supported prosthesis (TISP) entire system after loading. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the stress distribution of the TISP in different connectors and different implant abutments after loading. Materials and methods The TISP design used in this study was divided into six models. R1, R2 and R3 represented the tooth and the one-piece, two-piece and three-piece abutment implant system connected by a rigid connector, respectively, while NR1, NR2 and NR3 were the corresponding tooth-abutment implant systems connected by a non-rigid connector. A vertical occlusal load of 50 N was applied at a right angle on the 6 occlusal points of the occlusal surface. Results As a result, regarding the maximum average stress distribution, R1 and NR1 appeared on the implant fixture, and the other four models were on the implant abutment. On the other hand, regardless of the abutment implant system, the maximum von Mises stress generated by the rigid connector was greater than the corresponding non-rigid connector in the cortical bone around implant. In addition, the three-piece abutment implant system had lower von Mises stress than the one-piece and two-piece implant systems in the cortical bone. Conclusion It is concluded that by adding a flexible non-rigid connector and three-piece abutment device design to TISP, the occlusal load of the implant was dispersed, and the stress could be gradually introduced into the relatively strong implant abutment.

Composite electrolytes composed of a nanoceramic and polymer have been widely studied because of their high ionic conductivity, good Li-ion transference number, and excellent machinability, whereas the intrinsic reason for the improvement of performance is ambiguous. Herein, we have designed a functional polymer skeleton with different types of nanofiller to reveal the superiority of fast ion conductors in composite electrolyte. Three types of ceramics with different dielectric constants and Li-ion transfer ability were selected to prepare composite electrolytes, the composition, structure, and electrochemical performances of which were systematically investigated. It was found that the addition of fast ion conductive ceramics could provide a high Li-ion transference ability and decreased diffusion barrier because the additional pathways existed in the ceramic, which are revealed by experiment and density functional theory calculations. Benefiting from the superiority of fast ion conductor, Li-metal batteries with this advanced composite electrolyte exhibit an impressive cycling stability and enable a dendrite-free Li surface after cycling. Our work enriches the understanding of the function of fast ion conductors in composite electrolyte and guides the design for other high-performance composite electrolytes in rechargeable solid batteries.

Hydrogen storage is one of the key challenges for hydrogen economy. Among various storage candidates, magnesium hydride (MgH2) offers excellent storage capacity and cost performance, but its sluggi...

The most stable structures of Ge6M (M = Ge, Al) clusters and reactions of Ge6M clusters with a single water molecule are investigated theoretically by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and reaction pathway search method at the same level. The calculated binding energies of Ge7 and Ge6Al clusters show that the stabilities of two clusters are close. The most stable geometric structures and electronic structures of Ge6M@H2O complex and reaction pathways of Ge6M with a single H2O molecule are predicted. All geometric structures of reactants, intermediate products, final products and transition states are confirmed by frequency analysis. Our results show that both of Ge7 and Ge6Al clusters can completely release H2 from water after a three steps reaction and both reactions are endothermic. The calculated adsorption energies and energy barriers indicate that the dopant Al atom will improve the reactivity between Ge7 cluster and water. The NPA charge of Ge7O and Ge6AlO means both of them can react with another H2O molecule.

Formic acid (HCOOH) is one of the most promising chemical fuels that can be produced through CO2 electroreduction. However, most of the catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to HCOOH in aqueous solution often suffer from low current density and limited production rate. Herein, we provide a bismuth/cerium oxide (Bi/CeOx ) catalyst, which exhibits not only high current density (149 mA cm-2 ), but also unprecedented production rate (2600 μmol h-1 cm-2 ) with high Faradaic efficiency (FE, 92 %) for HCOOH generation in aqueous media. Furthermore, Bi/CeOx also shows favorable stability over 34 h. We hope this work could offer an attractive and promising strategy to develop efficient catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with superior activity and desirable stability.

Conversion-type NiO material is attractive due to its high theoretical capacity, and yet it displays inadequate reaction sites, a huge volume expansion, and a sluggish ions/electrons’ transport rat...

The adsorption kinetic characteristics of CH4, CO2, and N2 in coal provide crucial information for increasing coal seam gas recovery. In this study, isothermal adsorption kinetics experiments were conducted using automatic high-pressure gas adsorption analyzer to reveal differences in adsorption kinetic characteristics of CH4, CO2, and N2 in coal. The research shows that, before reaching adsorption equilibrium, the adsorption ratio of CO2 was higher than that of N2 while that of CH4 was the smallest. The initial adsorption rates of CO2, CH4, and N2 were 1998, 205, and 76 cm3 g−1 h−1, respectively. The order of decreasing gas adsorption rate with respect to the fluctuation zone was CO2 → N2 → CH4. Before reaching adsorption equilibrium, the gas adsorption ratio at high temperature was higher than that at low temperature. The adsorption rates (Rt) of gas were divided into a rapid decay zone (Rt > 0.1 Qe/h), slow decay zone (0.01 Qe/h

Cross-ply unidirectional laminates made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers are widely used as components of bullet-proof vests. To simulate the delamination process of the material under penetration, we constructed a numerical mechanical model, which was validated by tests using 7.62 × 39 mm rifle bullets penetrating laminates of different thicknesses. The results show that the delamination region is essentially diamond-shaped. The simulated delamination region is in good agreement with the experimental data. It is found that the delamination region increases with the compression modulus along the fiber direction. The delamination region increases when the shear strength between the fabric layers decreases; However, it is little influenced by the normal strength. The delamination region of the front face of the laminate is little influenced by the failure strain of the material and the initial velocity of the bullet. The delamination region of the back face increases with the failure strain and decreases with the initial velocity.

Ferroelectrics are appealing candidates for photovoltaic applications. In this study, Bi5FeTi3O15 (BFTO) single layer and ZnO/BFTO bilayer films were deposited onto 0.7 wt% Nb-doped SrTiO3 (NSTO) electrically conducting single-crystal substrates to form Ag/BFTO/NSTO and Ag/ZnO/BFTO/NSTO photovoltaic devices. It was found that the insertion of an n-type semiconducting ZnO layer eliminates the built-in electric field between the Ag electrode and the BFTO film and results in the formation of a BFTO/ZnO p–n junction with a built-in electric field whose direction points to the BFTO film. These effects, together with the depolarization field within the BFTO film, provide a favorable energy level alignment for efficient electron extraction. As a result, the short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) was improved by nearly 50 fold to 2.2 mA cm−2 and the output power density was increased by 15 fold to 0.09 mW cm−2 under ultraviolet light (λ = 405 nm) illumination. Upon the reversal of the ferroelectric polarization direction from downward to upward, the Jsc and the open circuit voltage (Voc) were increased by 2.5 and 4 fold for the Ag/BFTO/NSTO device and by 2.83 and 8.5 fold for the Ag/ZnO/BFTO/NSTO device, respectively. This work provides an effective way for developing efficient ferroelectric and semiconductor based photovoltaic devices.

The responses of materials properties to multi-field stimulation are often exploited to construct new type multi-functional devices. Here, we demonstrate electric-optical-thermal modulation of the electronic properties of optothermal ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) which are fabricated by growing Bi2Te3 films on (111)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) ferroelectric single-crystal substrates. Utilizing the electric field to switch the polarization direction of PMN-PT, the carrier density and resistance of Bi2Te3 films are in situ, reversibly, and nonvolatilely modulated via the ferroelectric field effect. Moreover, through the infrared light illumination on the bottom of PMN-PT substrates, the resistance of Bi2Te3 films under two polarization states could be further modulated, which is ascribed to the decreased polarization intensity under higher temperature due to the pyroelectric effect. Taking advantage of these two effects, the Bi2Te3/PMN-PT optothermal FeFETs exhibit multiresponsive to optical and electric field stimulation at room temperature. Our work provides a new strategy to design optoelectronic devices with both photodetector and memory functionalities.

A novel luminescent Cu(II)–organic framework, {[Cu(asba)(3bpmo)0.5(H2O)]·H2O}n (1), was obtained through the assembly between copper(II) and 2-amino-5-sulfobenzoic acid (H2asba) in the presence of an auxiliary flexible ligand, N,N′-bis(3-pyridylmethyl)oxalamide (3bpmo). 1 is a 2D (6, 3) topological network, which further extends into a 3D supramolecular network via hydrogen and chalcogen bonds. An indirect bandgap exists in 1. 1 shows high framework stability in common solvents and reversible dehydration–rehydration behaviour. Remarkably, 1 is an especially rare example that exhibits novel solvent-dependent luminescence sensing properties. In DMF, 1 shows selective and sensitive fluorescence “turn-off” sensing of Fe3+ over a number of coexistent metal cations. 1 could also be used as a potential selective and sensitive probe for HCO3− among a variety of interfering anions. Furthermore, 1 shows discriminative sensing of HCO3− over CO32−. In water, 1 shows a quite different fluorescence sensing behaviour from that in DMF. 1 cannot sense Fe3+ and HCO3− in aqueous medium. It is fascinating that 1 shows selective and efficient fluorescence “turn-on” sensing of Al3+ accompanied by a bathochromic shift of the emission peak in water. The limit of detection (LOD) for Al3+ reaches the 0.80 μM (0.02 ppm) level.

Chemical hydrogen storage materials such as hydrazine borane (HB) have aroused great interest when the tricky hydrogen storage is still a barrier on the way to sustainable hydrogen energy development. Many efforts have been dedicated to the dehydrogenation of HB, but the catalytic performance is still not sufficient enough. Herein, we develop the synthesis of NiPt–MoOx nanoparticles supported on NH2 functionalized N doped rGO (NiPt–MoOx/NH2–N-rGO) via a green and facile method. Unexpectedly, the supported Ni0.9Pt0.1–MoOx ultrafine nanoparticles (UPs, ∼1.5 nm) show the highest activity by far with 100% selective conversion and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 4412 h−1 at 323 K.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of conventional sintering (CS) and rapid sintering (RS) on the mechanical and optical properties of different generations of dental zirconia ceramics. Five commercial zirconia ceramics were used for the CS and RS processes. The microstructure, phase composition, biaxial strength, 3-point bending strength, and Vickers microhardness of the zirconia after different sintering processes were studied. Weibull analysis was also used to check the structural reliability of the zirconia. The translucency parameter (TP) and the color difference (ΔE) were determined from the L*, a*, and b* values. The surface morphology of each specimen was dense, with no obvious pores or microcracks. The grain size of the RS group was smaller than that of the CS group. Between the two sintering processes, the same characteristic peaks were detected in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the biaxial strength, 3-point bending strength, or Vickers microhardness in terms of the sintering process. After RS, the Weibull modulus of the materials ranged from 9.3 to 19.3. It seems that the RS process affected the TP and ΔE values to some degree and depended on the zirconia generation. The RS process had no impact on the mechanical properties and produced smaller grain sizes than the CS process. The effect of the RS process on the optical properties depended on the type of material used. These findings should assist the production of dental zirconia restorations through the RS process, which saves time and energy.

This study synthesized the water-permeable and hydrophobic property of water-based polyurethane (WPU) and applied it to nylon fiber-based functional textiles. Specifically, poly-stearyl acrylate (PSA) homopolymers with different molecular weights were used as end-capping agents in the WPU to form water-based polyurethane with acrylate terminal (WPUA). In the WPUA process, dimethylacetamide was adopted as a neutralizing agent to form a stable WPUA emulsion. The effects of the design parameters, such as the hydrophilic ionic group dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA), the PSA molecular weight and content, were set as the control factors and are analyzed by the Taguchi method and gray relational analysis (GRA). The water-repellent characteristic, water vapor permeability (WVP) and fabric flexural rigidity were considered as performance parameters as multi-qualities. The Taguchi method was based on the analysis of variance and implemented orthogonal arrays for experimental design. Each performance parameter was optimized independently. Then, the performance parameters were optimized together with GRA. According to the experimental results, the most important factor for the water-repellent characteristic, WVP and fabric flexural rigidity is the DMPA content, followed by the PSA molecular weight and content. The corresponding results showed that in the optimal parameter combination, the content of DMPA was 30.8 phm (parts per hundred monomer by weight), the PSA molecular weight was 3000 g/mol and the PSA content was 4 phm. After WPUA padding, the water contact angle of the water-repellent nylon was 135.3°, the WVP was 2271.7 g/m2/day and the flexural rigidity was 2.7 cm.

Nafion based proton exchange membrane (PEM) has long been used as conventional PEM in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) industry. However, the high cost of Nafion membrane and other drawbacks like high methanol crossover hinder the advancement of this industry. This study aims to develop a low cost membrane using sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) polymer. Silica and silicotungstic acid (SiWA) were incorporated into the membrane matrix using solution casting method. The optimum loading of the additives was tuned and it is discovered that the SPEEK membrane containing 10 wt% of silica and 5 wt% of SiWA has the best performance due to its high proton conductivity and moderately low methanol permeability. The performance of the membrane can further be enhanced by adding (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as coupling agents. Inclusion of APTES and CDI in SPEEK could not only improve the compatibility between organic SPEEK and inorganic additives, but also improve the homogeneity and dispersity of the additives. As a result, the resultant membrane with a better dimensional stability achieves high selectivity (10.60 × 104 S.s/cm3) up to 6.5 times more than pristine SPEEK membrane and 1.3 times higher than the commercial Nafion 117 membrane.

Active crystal facets can generate special properties for various applications. Herein, we report a (001) faceted nanosheet-constructed hierarchically porous TiO2/rGO hybrid architecture with unprecedented and highly stable lithium storage performance. Density functional theory calculations show that the (001) faceted TiO2 nanosheets enable enhanced reaction kinetics by reinforcing their contact with the electrolyte and shortening the path length of Li+ diffusion and insertion-extraction. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets in this TiO2/rGO hybrid largely improve charge transport, while the porous hierarchy at different length scales favors continuous electrolyte permeation and accommodates volume change. This hierarchically porous TiO2/rGO hybrid anode material demonstrates an excellent reversible capacity of 250 mAh g–1 at 1 C (1 C = 335 mA g–1) at a voltage window of 1.0–3.0 V. Even after 1000 cycles at 5 C and 500 cycles at 10 C, the anode retains exceptional and stable capacities of 176 and 160 mAh g–1, respectively. Moreover, the formed Li2Ti2O4 nanodots facilitate reversed Li+ insertion-extraction during the cycling process. The above results indicate the best performance of TiO2-based materials as anodes for lithium-ion batteries reported in the literature.

We report the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of (1-x)BiFe0.95Ga0.03Mn0.02O3−xBaTiO3 (BFGMO−xBTO) lead-free ceramics. Structural characterizations demonstrate that the BFGMO forms single-phase solid solutions with the BTO within the doping level of x = 0.3–0.65. With increasing the content of BTO the dielectric constant and ferroelectric Curie temperature shift towards lower temperatures, exhibiting relaxor-like ferroelectric behaviors. Moreover, the remnant polarization reaches the maximum value of 2Pr ~27.67 μC/cm2 at x = 0.35 near the morphotropic phase boundary. At room temperature, remnant magnetization increases - to the maximal value of 2Mr ~0.584 emu/g at x = 0.45, which is attributed to local lattice distortion and destruction of the spiral antiferromagnetic spin structure upon the doping of BTO. The coexistence of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic performance at room temperature makes the environment-friendly BFGMO−xBTO ceramics potential candidate for multiferroic device applications.

The purpose of the study was to explore the microscopic and mesoscopic damage mechanisms of water‐bearing coal mass in the freeze‐thaw process with liquid nitrogen. For this purpose, by using a Zeiss microscope, a nonmetal ultrasonic velocity detector and a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, the changes in the structures of surface fractures and pores before and after coal masses with different moisture contents when subjected to freeze‐thaw treatment with liquid nitrogen (FTTLN) were tested. The result showed that under the freeze‐thaw effect of liquid nitrogen, the structures of surface fractures and internal pores of coal mass were both changed. Upon increasing the moisture content of the coal, the width of surface fractures increased; the surface fractures showed significant fractal characteristics: The higher the moisture content of the coal, the greater the rate of change of fractal dimension after FTTLN; the ultrasonic wave velocity in the coal mass gradually decreased after FTTLN, and the greater the moisture content, the more significant the decrease in ultrasonic wave velocity; under the freeze‐thaw effect of liquid nitrogen, the pore structure in the coal mass was transformed from micropores and small pores to mesopores and macropores and certain new micropores and small pores were generated. Upon increasing the moisture content of the coal mass, the peak area of micropores and small pores and their proportion decreased at first and then increased (reaching the minimum at 9.12% of moisture content); the peak area, peak area proportion, and porosity of mesopores and macropores always increased. The damage factor attained based on the width of fractures, longitudinal wave velocity, fractal dimension of surface fractures, and porosity was favorably correlated with the moisture content: With increasing moisture content, the coal mass became more severely damaged.

A hybrid solid/liquid electrolyte with superior security facilitates the implementation of high-energy-density storage devices, but it suffers from inferior chemical compatibility with cathodes. Herein, an optimal lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate salt was introduced to build in situ an amorphous cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) between Ni-rich cathodes and hybrid electrolyte. The CEI preserves the surface structure with high compatibility, leading to enhanced interfacial stability. Meanwhile, the space-charge layer can be prominently mitigated at the solid/solid interface via harmonized chemical potentials, acquiring promoted interfacial dynamics as revealed by COMSOL simulation. Consequently, the amorphous CEI integrates the bifunctionality to provide an excellent cycling stability, high Coulombic efficiency, and favorable rate capability in high-voltage Li-metal batteries, innovating the design philosophy of functional CEI strategy for future high-energy-density batteries.

Bi thin films were grown on (111)-oriented 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.3PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) single-crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Resistance of Bi/PMN–PT could be modulated by asymmetrical bipolar electric field in a reversible and nonvolatile manner at 300 K. By tuning asymmetrical bipolar electric field, different nonvolatile strain states could be generated in PMN–PT and transferred to Bi thin film, which leads to different nonvolatile resistance states. Furthermore, different resistance states of the Bi films could be achieved under different magnetic field at 300 K. The ferroelastic strain- and magnetic-field-modulated resistive properties in Bi/PMN–PT suggest a promising approach for multistate resistive memories.

The urgent demands for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries promote a flourishing development of Li metal anode. However, the uncontrollable dendrites growth and serious side reactions severely limit its commercial application. Herein, an artificial LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is constructed at molecular-level using one-step photopolymerization of hexafluorobutyl acrylate based solution, where the LiF is in situ generated during photopolymerization process (denoted as PHALF). The LiF-rich layer comprised flexible polymer matrix and inorganic LiF filler not only ensures intimate contact with Li anode and adapts volume fluctuations during cycling but also regulates Li deposition behavior, enabling it to suppress the dendrite growth and block side reactions between the electrolyte and Li metal. Accordingly, the PHALF-Li anode presents superior stable cycling performance over 500 h at 1 mA·cm−2 for 1 mA·h·cm−2 without dendrites growth in carbonate electrolyte. The work provides a novel approach to design and build in situ artificial SEI layer for high-safety and stable Li metal anodes.

A collector with high perveance, efficient recuperation, and low secondary emissions is required for the 450-keV electron cooler in the HIAF accelerator complex. To optimize the collection efficiency of the collector, a simulation program, based on the Monte Carlo simulations, was developed in the world’s first attempt to calculate the electron collection efficiency. In this program, the backscattering electrons and secondary electrons generated on the collector surface are calculated using a Monte Carlo approach, and all electron trajectories in the collector region are tracked by the Runge–Kutta method. In this paper, the features and structure of our program are described. The backscattering electron yields, with various collector surface materials, are calculated using our program. Moreover, the collector efficiencies for various collector structures and electromagnetic fields are simulated and optimized. The measurement results of the collection efficiency of the HIAF collector prototype and the CSRm synchrotron are also reported. These experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation results of our program.

A TiO2 nanosheets constructed yolk-shell architecture with tunable inner voids is designed and prepared as sulfur host for high-performance and ultralong-life Li-S battery. With the integration of TiO2 nanosheets to form yolk-shell sulfur-TiO2 (S@void@TiO2) architecture with controllable inner voids, the S@void@TiO2 composite with optimized inner voids provides sufficient contacting sites to improve the utilization of insulating sulfur and allows sulfur to freely expand without destroying the electrode. In particular, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations from molecular level reveal that the hybridization of Li 1s, S 2p and O 2p orbitals ensures the effective chemisorption between polysulfides and TiO2 with long-term cycling stability. Consequently, the optimized S@void@TiO2 electrode maintains a capacity of 766 mAhg−1 after 1000 cycles at 0.2C. Even at 2C for 400 cycles, the capacity still retains at 511 mAhg−1, representing the best results of TiO2-based nanostructures for Li-S batteries. This work illustrates that carefully design novel yolk-shell structure is important to address the shortages of sulfur-based cathodes for advanced Li-S battery.

We presented in this article an in situ electromigration behavior in a novel Cu tall pillar/Cu via interconnect. A Cu tall pillar connecting to a single Cu via for joining the fan-out Cu redistribution lines (RDLs) was introduced for high-power device applications. The novelty of this study was to design a special ladder-shaped Cu tall pillar for the purpose of the fan-out effect of high-density electric current. The in situ SEM (scanning electron microscope) microstructure investigation during the electromigration experiment provided interesting information for the reliability evaluation and in-depth mechanism exploration of the electromigration behavior in the novel Cu interconnect. A stepwise electromigration experiment was conducted at an initial 2.5 A electric current, approximately 105 to 106 A/cm2 current density for the components in the Cu interconnect, followed by a larger current input of 3 A. Electrons flowed from the fan-out Cu RDL (cathode) through the Cu via to the Cu tall pillar and the connecting Cu line (anode). The investigations revealed the dynamic void nucleation and coalescence phenomena in the cathodic Cu via during the early stage electromigration. Cu consumption due to the surface diffusion mechanism also occurred on the sidewall of the Cu via. Grain rotation within the Cu interconnect as a result of the electromigration-induced toque was also observed. The considerable mass loss in the Cu via upon electromigration caused a near-collapse microstructure of the Cu interconnect, leading to a potential reliability concern. Electromigration also induced the formation of Cu hillocks on the anodic Cu line, revealing a typical polarity effect. The Cu hillocks were derived from the predominant consumption of the Cu tall pillar rather than the Cu via or the Cu RDL due to the critical mass transport. The voids formed within the Cu tall pillar mostly appeared with a triple junction grain boundary morphology for the Cu consumption, suggesting a grain-boundary-related Cu migration mechanism. The grain boundary diffusion phenomenon was proposed to be the predominant mechanism for explaining the electromigration-induced void and hillock formation in the novel Cu tall pillar/Cu via interconnect.

The efficient cleavage of the N≡N bond is vital to N2 fixation but remains challenging. In this issue of Chem, Zhang and co-workers report that the interfacial polarization fields triggered by protrusion-shaped Fe single atoms on monolayer MoS2 can promote N≡N splitting via electron injection, resulting in a praiseworthy nitrogen electroreduction.

Density-driven free convection in porous media is highly affected by large-scale heterogeneity, typical of which are low- or high-permeability inclusions imbedded in homogeneous porous media. In this research, we applied the modified Elder problem to investigate the impact of low- or high-permeability inclusions on the migration of a dense, unstable salt plume. Sensitivity analyses were conducted in terms of the permeability contrast, the effective area (the area of the inclusion beneath the source zone), and the distance of the inclusion from the source zone, all of which were found to play a significant role in controlling the total mass flux released from the source into the media. Results show that (1) a high-permeability inclusion has stronger effects than low-permeability inclusion, due to significantly unbalanced solute distributions caused by accelerated solute transport, (2) the inclusion with a larger effective area has more potential to influence free convection, (3) free convection is more sensitive to the low-/high-permeability inclusion vertically closer to the source zone, and (4) free convection is more susceptible to the low-permeability inclusion horizontally closer to the source zone. For high-permeability inclusions, the inclusion horizontally closer to the source zone influences the transport process more significantly at the early stage, and conversely, the inclusion far from the source zone has a later impact. The results obtained could offer significant implications for understanding unstable density-driven flow and solute transport in porous media with structured heterogeneity.

This study took nano-silica particles mixed in low-density polyethylene to implement the optimum processing parameters and make abnormal parameter identification for the twin-screw co-rotating extruder used in the manufacturing process. The mixing quality was divided into distribution and dispersion, where distribution was tested by an energy dispersive spectrometer and evaluated using the coefficient of variation. Dispersion was assessed by the surface effect and specific surface equations, as based on the spectrum of scanning electron microscopy. By using the Taguchi method in planning the experiment coupled with an analysis of variance, we conducted the single-quality characteristic analysis of the experimental results of the two quality characteristics, namely the distribution and dispersion. Then, by using the hierarchical architecture of analytic level process, we can obtain the optimized parameter factors and levels and the calculation of the total weighting of various parameter levels, as well as the ranking of the parameter levels. According to the confirmation experimental results, the signal-to-noise ratios of distribution and dispersion fell within 95% confidence intervals, indicating that the experiment can be represented and reliable. The optimum parameters combination is SiO2 addition level 1%, screw speed 60 rpm, mixing time 5 min, temperature (upper) 150℃, temperature (middle), 175℃ and temperature (lower) 190℃. After that, by using the optimal parameters and operation processing parameters for support vector machine classification, the abnormality of the processing parameters can be identified for 100%. The good quality of the production can be guaranteed during the extrusion.

This study developed a nano-size filler as a thermally conductive filler for a silicone thermal pad (STP) by exfoliating hexagonal-boron nitride ( h-BN) with the chemical exfoliation-free radical polymerization method to produce boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs). We used N,N-dimethylacrylamide as the intercalation agent. After polymerization, it became poly( N,N-dimethylacrylamide) to exfoliate the h-BN layer. BNNSs were taken as a single-filler and hybrid-fillers with Al2O3 and then compared with h-BN to investigate their effect on the silicone composite properties. As the free radical polymerization reaction time increased, the interlayer distance of BNNSs lengthened to 0.35 nm, while the thickness of h-BN sheets decreased. The X-ray diffractometer results showed how the h-BN (002) crystal plane was enhanced and displaced. The Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that the characteristic peaks of 1372 and 812 cm−1 were enhanced, and the Raman results showed that the E2 g displacement and full width at half maximum increased, thus validating the successful preparation of BNNSs. Based on the scanning electron microscope-transmission electron microscope results, BNNSs with 24-hour reaction time offered the best results with a thickness of 5 nm. The highest thermal conductivity reached 3.66 W m−1 K−1 with the addition of 50 wt% BNNSs, and tensile strength of up to 11.30 kg/cm2. Hybrid-fillers showed enhancement of thermal conductivity to 5.28 W m−1 K−1 and tensile strength to 7.32 kg cm−2. Finally, the STP showed that the volume resistance (>1010 Ω cm), withstand voltage (>10 kV mm−1), and flame resistance (V-0) of the STP prepared by this study comply with the industrial application specifications.

The flexible Li-O2 battery is suitable to satisfy the requirements of a self-powered energy system, thanks to environmental friendliness, low cost, and high theoretical energy density. Herein, a flexible porous bifunctional electrode with both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activity was synthesized and introduced as a cathode to assemble a high-performance Li-O2 battery that achieved an overpotential of 0.19 V by charging with the aid of solar energy. As a proof-of-concept application, a flexible Li-O2 battery was constructed and integrated with a solar cell via a scalable encapsulate method to fabricate a flexible self-powered energy system with excellent flexibility and mechanical stability. Moreover, by exploring the evolution of the electrode morphology and discharge products (Li2 O2 ), the charging process of the Li-O2 battery powered by solar energy and solar cell was demonstrated.

Objective: To evaluate the carotid viscoelasticity using ultrasound shear wave dispersion imaging (USWD) and determine its feasibility.Methods: Fifty-three volunteers were recruited and divided into the group1 (≥50 years old) and group 2 (

Using density functional theory (DFT), we discuss the structures of neutral, anionic, cationic d10 configuration clusters (Ga, Ge, In, Sn and Sb) and Al doping neutral, anionic, cationic d10 configuration clusters that contain 13 atoms. By calculating, the lowest energy geometries of M13(0, ±1) and M12Al(0, ±1) clusters (M = Ga, Ge, In, Sn and Sb) are determined. It is found that the most stable structures of the M12Al(0, ±1) clusters are similar to the M13(0, ±1) clusters, except for Ga13+ and Ga12Al+, In13 and In12Al, Sn13 and Sn12Al, and Sb13− and Sb12Al−. The binding energies, electronic properties including electron affinity (VDE and AEA), ionization energies (VIP and AIP), and HOMO-LUMO gaps, natural population analysis, and magnetic moments are calculated. The calculated binding energy shows that the doping of Al atom in M13(0, ±1) clusters can enhance the stability. For electronic properties, the VDEs of M13 and M12Al clusters are similar to the AEAs of them. The AIPs of M13 clusters are higher than those of M12Al. Local peaks of HOMO-LUMO gaps are found at Ga13(0, ±1), In13+, Sn13, Ga12Al, Sb12Al, Ge12Al+, and Sn12Al+ clusters. The magnetic moments of M12Al clusters are larger than M12Al±1 clusters.

A series of Cr-doped In2-xCrxO3 (ICO) semiconductor thin films were epitaxially grown on (111)-oriented 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-0.29PT) single-crystal substrates by the pulsed laser deposition. Upon the application of an electric field to the PMN-0.29PT substrate along the thickness direction, we realized in situ, reversible, and nonvolatile control of the electronic properties and Fermi level of the films, which are manifested by abundant physical phenomena such as the n-type to p-type transformation, metal-semiconductor transition, metal-insulator transition, crossover of the magnetoresistance (MR) from negative to positive, and a large nonvolatile on-and-off ratio of 5.5 × 104% at room temperature. We also strictly disclose that both the sign and the magnitude of MR are determined by the electron carrier density of ICO films, which could modify the s-d exchange interaction and weak localization effect. Our results demonstrate that the ferroelectric gating approach using PMN-PT can be utilized to gain deeper insight into the carrier-density-related electronic properties of In2O3-based semiconductors and provide a simple and energy efficient way to construct multifunctional devices which can utilize the unique properties of composite materials.

The preparation processes of efficient photocatalyst containing defect regulation and heterostructure construction are usually complicated and difficult to control at present, besides, the catalyst agglomeration in solution further limits their application. There is an urgent need for designing a potentially cheap, efficient, sustainable and easy-prepared nanocomposite to improve photocatalytic performance. In present study, the facile synthesized porous graphitic carbon with microtubular structure, high graphitization degree and abundant porosity demonstrates an outstanding advantage of excellent conductivity and facilitated mass transport. Such porous graphite biochar (PGBC) self-assembled with g-MoS2 nanosheets is observed by the optimized band gap, enhanced visible light harvesting, accelerated charge transfer and efficient photo-generated carrier’s separation. Considering the favorable specific surface area and pore distribution of PGBC for avoiding nanosheet agglomeration, the as-prepared composites display quite high efficiency for tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) removal based on the synergistic action of the desirable absorption and photocatalytic capability. Mechanism exploration indicates that surface adsorption is mainly dominated by electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and pore-filling, and hole (h+) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) are the predominant active species responsible for TC degradation. Furthermore, the nanocomposites possess advisable stability performance for TC removal in contaminated river water, further providing an underlying insight for establishing high-efficient and easy-prepared photocatalysts in practical contaminated water remediation.

Cocrystal modification strategy has been applied to 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid (DCA) through the addition of various liquid pyrazine derivatives: 2,3-dimethylpyrazine (2,3-DMP); 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (2,5-DMP); and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (TMP). Three new cocrystals (2,3-DMP-DCA = 1:2 for 1; 2,5-DMP-DCA = 1:2 for 2; and TMP-DCA = 1:1 for 3) have been obtained, all of which were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The Hirshfeld surface analysis has been performed to illustrate the intermolecular interactions. The results revealed that hydrogen bonding and other weaker interactions such as halogen bonding contacts and π···π stacking participated in a cooperative way to stabilize the supramolecular structures and different methyl substitutions changed the bonding mode and intermolecular force of pyrazine derivative cocrystals. Thermodynamic results showed that the stability of liquid pyrazine spices can be improved and the decomposition temperature for cocrystal 3 is higher than the other cocrystals. This work provides an approach to solidification of liquid pyrazine spices for more applications.

The A-site sublattice order of the Na0.5Bi0.46K0.04TiO2.96 (NBT-K4) compound was changed by the isovalent Na+ ions partly substituting K+ ions. The Na0.5+xBi0.46K0.04−xTiO2.96 (x = 0, 0.01 and 0.02) samples were prepared. By the AC impedance test, the grain conductivity of the Na0.52Bi0.46K0.02TiO2.96 (x = 0.02) samples is 8.23 × 10−4 S/cm at 623 K, which is around 1.65 times higher than that of NBT-K4 sample at the same tested temperature. By anatomizing relaxation spectroscopy, when the Na-doped content x in the NBT-K4 compound increases from 0 to 2 mol%, the activation energy E decreases from 0.64 to 0.57 eV. Accompany with the rise of the Na-doped content in the NBT-K4 compound, although the mobile oxygen vacancy content decreases, the oxygen vacancy diffusivity are strengthened. The higher oxygen vacancy jumping rates and lower oxygen relaxation activation energies were found in the Na-doped NBT-K4 samples, which causes the higher grain conductivity in the Na0.5+xBi0.46K0.04−xTiO2.96 (x = 0.01 and 0.02) samples. There is the higher oxygen-ion conductivity and lower activation energy in the relative A-site order of Na-doped NBT-K4 compound, which is consistent with the first principle simulation results. The investigation provides a new way to design a high oxygen-ion conductivity NBT-based oxide ion conductors and related materials.

The electrochemical N2 fixation, which is far from practical application in aqueous solution under ambient conditions, is extremely challenging and requires a rational design of electrocatalytic centers. We observed that bismuth (Bi) might be a promising candidate for this task because of its weak binding with H adatoms, which increases the selectivity and production rate. Furthermore, we successfully synthesized defect-rich Bi nanoplates as an efficient noble-metal-free N2 reduction electrocatalyst via a low-temperature plasma bombardment approach. When exclusively using 1 H NMR measurements with N2 gas as a quantitative testing method, the defect-rich Bi(110) nanoplates achieved a 15 NH3 production rate of 5.453 μg mgBi -1 h-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 11.68 % at -0.6 V vs. RHE in aqueous solution at ambient conditions.

Low-temperature nitrogen and isothermal adsorption experiments were conducted on six typical low-rank coal samples from the Fukang mining area, Xinjiang, PR China. Using different temperatures, the effects of the coal’s pore structure on gas adsorption and other thermodynamic characteristics were analyzed. The Clausius–Clapeyron equation was used to calculate the isosteric heat of adsorption, and the standard adsorption equilibrium constant was derived to calculate the adsorption free-energy and entropy. The relationships between pore structure characteristics and gas adsorption thermodynamic parameters were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption free-energy and enthalpy of the coal samples decreased with an increase in temperature. Adsorption heat and adsorption entropy were affected by an increase in pore volume and specific surface area. The specific surface area and transition pore volume exhibited quadratic relationships with the free-energy and total pore volume, whereas the mesopore volume exhibited a positive linear relationship with the adsorption free-energy. No prominent relationships among average pore diameter, adsorption heat, adsorption free-energy, and adsorption entropy were observed. No correlation was identified between micropore volume and adsorption free-energy. Fractal dimension was linearly and positively related to the adsorption heat and entropy but had no effect on the free-energy.

We report the nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) in-situ modifying MnO nanoparticles (MnO/NG) to improve the electrochemistry performance for lithium storage. The NG in-situ modification not only improves the electrical conductivity but also alleviates the agglomeration and accommodates the volume change of MnO nanoparticles during the cycling process. More importantly, the non-heat treatment is beneficial to maintain the original structure and crystal shape of MnO. As a results, the MnO/NG exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1005 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 100 mA/g, four times that of pure MnO nanoparticles (209 mAh/g) and almost twice that of in-situ carbonization of MnO nanoparticles (MnO/C) (490 mAh/g). Particularly, the MnO/NG demonstrates a stable cycling capacity of 549 mAh/g after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA/g without pulverization. This work confirms that nitrogen-doped graphene in-situ modification is a more efficient strategy comparing to carbon modification for transition metal oxides as anode materials for highly improved lithium storage.

Enhanced green and red upconversion emissions under 980 nm excitation are observed in Ba0.85−xCa0.15TiO3:0.75%Er3+/xIn3+ lead-free ferroelectric ceramics which were synthesized by solid state reaction method. With increasing In3+ ions doping level from x = 0% mol the green and red emission intensities increase and reach the maximum at x = 1.75% mol. The maximum intensity of green emission at 550 nm is 20 times larger than In3+ ions undoped samples, which is unprecedented for Er3+-doped perovskite ferroelectric materials. Based on the ultraviolet-visible-near infrared absorption spectra, the enhancement of the luminescence intensity of the A-site In3+ doped Ba0.85−xCa0.15TiO3:0.75%Er/xIn ceramics is attributed to In3+-doping-induced relative increase in isolate Er3+ and decrease in the clustered-Er3+. The effects of In3+ doping on the crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric properties of the ceramics were also studied and discussed.

Single-phase (00 l)-oriented Bi2Te3 topological insulator thin films have been deposited on (111)-oriented ferroelectric 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrates. Taking advantage of the nonvolatile polarization charges induced by the polarization direction switching of PMN-PT substrates at room temperature, the carrier density, Fermi level, magnetoconductance, conductance channel, phase coherence length, and quantum corrections to the conductance can be in situ modulated in a reversible and nonvolatile manner. Specifically, upon the polarization switching from the positively poled Pr+ state (i.e., polarization direction points to the film) to the negatively poled Pr- (i.e., polarization direction points to the bottom electrode) state, both the electron carrier density and the Fermi wave vector decrease significantly, reflecting a shift of the Fermi level toward the Dirac point. The polarization switching from Pr+ to Pr- also results in significant increase of the conductance channel α from -0.15 to -0.3 and a decrease of the phase coherence length from 200 to 80 nm at T = 2 K as well as a reduction of the electron-electron interaction. All these results demonstrate that electric-voltage control of physical properties using PMN-PT as both substrates and gating materials provides a simple and a straightforward approach to realize reversible and nonvolatile tuning of electronic properties of topological thin films and may be further extended to study carrier density-related quantum transport properties of other quantum matter.

Summary Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries because of the abundance, low cost, and redox potential of K; however, the significantly larger radius of K+ inevitably destabilizes the crystal structure of the cathode material, impeding the diffusion of K+. Here, to lower the insertion energetics and diffusion barriers of K+, we synthesizedδ-K0.51V2O5 nanobelts (KVOs) with a large interlayered structure and optimized growth orientation by reconstructing the V–O polyhedra of orthorhombic V2O5; these exhibited a high average voltage (3.2 V), high capacity (131 mAh g−1), and superior rate capability even at 10 A g−1. By coupling the electrochemical experiments with theoretical calculations, we found that the excellent K-ion storage performance of KVO is attributed to its large interlayered structure and unique 1D morphology. Additionally, we assembled a full KIB composed of KVO and graphite with high energy and power densities, proving its feasibility as a promising new battery.

We prepared 300-nm GeTe thin films on (111)-oriented and piezoelectrically active 0.71 Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-0.29 PT) single-crystal substrates by the pulsed laser deposition and investigated the effects of in situ electric-field-controllable non-180° ferroelastic domain switching of the PMN-0.29 PT on the electronic properties of the GeTe films. The in-plane strain of the PMN-0.29 PT could be modulated continuously and reversibly by electric fields in a nonvolatile manner and could be effectively transferred to the GeTe films. Based on this, we realized reversible and nonvolatile resistance switching and obtained multilevel stable nonvolatile resistance states with good stability and endurance at T = 300 K by applying appropriate asymmetrical bipolar electric fields to the PMN-0.29 PT(111) substrates along the thickness direction. Such heterostructures may be used for multilevel data storage that allows each unit to store multiple bits of information and thus improve the memory density. Our investigation would be beneficial for the fabrication of nonvolatile memory devices using PMN-xPT-based heterostructures. Keywords: Ferroelastic strain, Electronic transport, PMN-PT, Heterostructure, Strain effect

In a typical multi-kW industrial fiber laser, the influence of the main amplifier to master oscillator power ratio on laser performance has been fully demonstrated. An optimized output power ratio is obtained to be ~5, which can provide the maximum main amplifier slope efficiency of ~78.2% at multi-kW laser output. In this case, the laser setup was kept at ∼2.6kW for 1h and the output power presented a relatively small power degradation of 0.36%. It was found the injected seed power has no remarkable effect on the optimal slope efficiency for industry fiber laser. The present results indicated that a suitable power ratio between the main amplifier and the oscillator is of great importance for the power scaling up and high stability of industry fiber laser.

This thesis focuses on the design, synthesis and development of dynamic multivalent nanostructures such as supramolecular dendrimers, liposomes and gold-functionalized nanostructures. These structures can be used for drug delivery and molecular sensing applications. This thesis is divided into three parts:In part one, a general introduction to self-assembly, dynamic systems, metalligand exchange, nanostructured dendritic scaffolds, liposomes and gold nanostructures is given.In part two, a microwave approach is presented as an efficient method for the regioselective deuteration of bipyridine scaffolds. Dynamic systems based on transition metal-bipyridine coordination complexes were investigated. The compositional self-adaptation and kinetics of these dynamic systems were successfully assessed by ESI-MS. Based on this amphiphilic dendrimers/metallodendrimers were also designed and synthesized via a convergent strategy. Their ability to self-assemble into supramolecular assemblies and their controlled disassembly was effectively demonstrated.In part three, two types of drug delivery systems based on dynamic multivalent nanostructures of glycodendrimers/metalloglycodendrimers and drugpresenting liposomes were developed. The dynamic self-assembly of these architectures into supramolecular nanostructures with site-specific functionality through interacting carbohydrate or cholesterol moieties was assessed. The host-guest interaction/encapsulation and controlled release with external stimuli were studied using a fluorescent probe, as well as selected drug molecules. The antibacterial property of the drug delivery systems was also evaluated, demonstrating an enhanced bactericidal activity. A new, rapid and simple approach for the functionalization of plasmonic gold nanostructured surfaces was also developed. The optical performance and light-specific sensitivity of the fluorescent probe on the resulting nanostructures were also presented.