Ionic liquids (ILs) are regarded as a new generation of green solvents in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, because of their fascinating properties such as negligible vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and successful use in the extraction of metal ions. However, the full realization of their potential requires a comprehensive knowledge of radiation effects on ILs, as they would be exposed to high radiation dose during extraction of high-level radioactive nuclides. This review presents research on the radiation effects on ILs, including radiation effects on the structures and properties of ILs, pulse radiolysis and laser photolysis of ILs, identification of radiolytic products of ILs and their influence on the extraction of metal ions. Our vision for the further development of this field is also proposed.

Attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, two- dimensional correlation spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations were used to elucidate the hydrogen-bonding interactions between an ionic liquid (IL), namely 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([emim][OTf]), and water over a wide concentration range. It was found that water molecules are isolated from each other and embedded in the IL environment at low water concentrations (0.1<x(D₂O)< 0.3). The water molecules occupy the IL interstices, and one water molecule forms two hydrogen bonds, with two [OTf]^- anions."[OTf]^-…HOH… [OTf]^-"hydrogen-bonded complexes exist in the [emim][OTf]^- water system. In this concentration range, the hydrogen-bonding interaction sites between the cation and water is the alkyl C―H rather than the aromatic C―H. At higher water concentrations, the water molecules form hydrogen bonds with themselves, producing water clusters in the mixture. The hydrogen-bonding interaction site between the cation and water is the aromatic C―H rather than the alkyl C―H.

Ba_1-xK_xBiO₃ (BKBO) was synthesized using a topotactic reaction, which involves a conventional solidstate synthesis of pure BaBiO₃, using BaCO₃ and Bi₂O₃ as the raw materials, and subsequent treatment of BaBiO₃ in a KOH flux at low temperature. All samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The XRD patterns show that there is no apparent impurity in the obtained Ba_1-xK_xBiO₃ samples, and all the diffraction data can be indexed using a pseudo-cubic cell. All the samples showed superconductivity, and the highest superconducting transition temperature (T_c) was 30.6 K. The influences of the reaction time and the ratio of the precursor to the molten salts on the transition temperature were investigated. The best reaction conditions were treatment at 450 ℃ for 4 h, with BaBiO₃:KOH:KF mass ratio of 1:5:2.5.

Ab initio calculations have been performed for a group of 59 aromatic compounds at the HF/6-31G^* level of theory. Electrostatic potentials (ESPs) and the statistically based structural descriptors derived from ESPs on the molecular surface have been obtained. The linear relationships between the adsorption equilibrium constants of organic contaminants by carbon nanotubes and the theoretical descriptors have been established by multiple linear regression. It is shown that the quantities derived from electrostatic potentials, V_min, σ₊² and ΣV_ind⁺ together with the molecular surface area (S) and the energy level of lowest occupied molecular orbital (ε_LUMO) can be used to express the quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) of this sample set. All of the descriptors introduced in the QSPR models have definite physical meanings and their reasonability can be explained in terms of intermolecular interactions between the aromatic pollutants and carbon nanotubes or water. The stabilities and predictive powers of the models have been validated by "leave-one-out" and Monte Carlo cross-validation methods. Three nonlinear modeling techniques, namely supported vector machine (SVM), least-square supported vector machine (LSSVM), as well as Gaussian process (GP), have also been used to construct the predictive models. Though the SVM and LSSVM models exhibit strong fitting abilities, their predictive powers are inferior to the other models tested. The GP model yields the best fit and predictive ability among all of the models. Its advantage over the linear model, however, is not as remarkable as expected, which means that the relationship between the molecular structure and the adsorption property for the present system is primarily linear.

Molecular dynamics simulations of a methanol-water mixture (molar ratio 1:1) were performed to determine the differences among the structural and transport properties in three carbon nanotube (CNT) systems: an equilibrium system, a system with an external pressure, and a system with a gradient electric field. The simulations showed that in both the equilibrium system and the system with an external pressure, the methanol-water mixture is clearly immiscible in the CNTs, with the water molecules distributed mainly around the tube axis, and the methanol molecules located near the tube wall; however, in the system with a gradient electric field, the hydrophobic CNTs become hydrophilic, and the phenomenon of methanol-water separation disappears. In contrast, unlike the unidirectional transport observed in the system with an external pressure, the particles move in two directions in the system with a gradient electric field, with a flow one order of magnitude larger than that in the corresponding external pressure system. However, in the system with a gradient electric field, the net flux is small, because the flows for the two directions are similar. There is thus a small flux difference between the system with an external pressure and the system with a gradient electric field.

Pyrazolyl magnesium halide/tetrahydrofuran (THF) solutions were obtained by the simple reaction of pyrazole compounds with Grignard reagents in THF. Their electrochemical performances as rechargeable magnesium battery electrolytes are reported. The pyrazolyl magnesium halide/THF solutions were characterized in term of anodic stability and reversibility of magnesium deposition-dissolution using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. The composition and morphology of the deposit were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is concluded that the substituents on the pyrazole compound and the molar ratio of the pyrazole to the Grignard both affect the electrochemical performance. An electrolyte consisting of 1 mol·L^-1 1-methylpyrazole-PhMgCl (1:1 molar ratio)/THF has an anodic oxidation decomposition potential of 2.4 V (vs Mg/Mg²⁺) on stainless steel (SS), a low potential for magnesium deposition-dissolution, and a high cycling reversibility, and can be prepared easily, making it a promising candidate for rechargeable battery electrolytes.

To improve the cycling performance of lithium-rich cathode materials, Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ and Li_1.2Mn_0.54-xNi_0.13Co_0.13Zr_xO₂ (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, and 0.06) were synthesized by a combustion method. The structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical performances were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical AC impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling. The results indicate that all of the doped samples have a layer of α-NaFeO₂. When charged and discharged at 0.1C and 1.0C (1.0C=180 mA·g^-1) in the voltage range of 2.0-4.8 V, the initial discharge capacities of Li_1.2Mn_0.52Ni_0.13Co_0.13Zr_0.02O₂ were 280.3 and 206.4 mAh·g^-1, respectively. Moreover, the capacity retention after 50 cycles improved from 73.2% to 88.9% at 1.0C at room temperature. Meanwhile, this system delivered a higher discharge capacity of 76.5 mAh·g^-1 than that of the bare materials (15 mAh·g^-1) at 5.0C after 50 cycles. Electrochemical performances of the doped samples were improved at a 2.0C rate at different temperatures (50, 25, and -10 ℃). Furthermore, compared with the undoped material, the specific discharge capacity increased by 61.1% at -10 ℃ after 50 cycles.

Fe₃O₄/graphene composites with a conductive, porous three-dimensional (3D) graphene network were synthesized through a facile method. In the preparation process, Fe(OH)₃ colloid was formed in situ by adding FeCl₃ solution to a boiling graphene oxide ( ) suspension, with Fe(OH)₃/ precipitated because of the electrostatic interaction between the two components. The precipitate was separated and added to a second suspension to achieve additional encapsulation. This self-assembled Fe(OH)₃/ precursor was then hydrothermally and heat treated, resulting in the formation of Fe₃O₄/graphene composites. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Raman spectroscopy results revealed that the Fe₃O₄/graphene composites possess a favorable 3D porous graphene network embedding 50- to 100-nm-sized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The Fe₃O₄/graphene composites exhibit od electrochemical performance as an anode material for Li-ion batteries. The electrode composed of the Fe₃O₄/graphene composite delivered a capacity of 1390 mAh·g^-1 for the first lithiation and retained a capacity of 819 mAh·g^-1 after 50 cycles. The electrodes also exhibited od rate capability. The present results demonstrate that the electrochemical performance of the Fe₃O₄/graphene composite is highly sensitive to its preparation procedure and to the resulting nanostructure. Each of the four preparation procedures was experimentally shown to be important for achieving the final nanostructure and od electrochemical performance. A formation mechanism for the Fe₃O₄/graphene composite is also proposed.

Octadecylamine functionalized graphene (ODA-G) was synthesized by the grafting of graphene oxide ( ) with ODA followed by reduction with hydrazine hydrate. Subsequently, ODA-G/polyaniline (PANI) composites were prepared using a facile solvent-blending procedure. ODA-G and ODA-G/PANI composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical properties of the composites were measured based on cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge, and ac impedance spectroscopy. The results show that ODA-G as a support material provides additional electron transfer paths, as well as active sites, for the electrochemical redox reaction of PANI, which helps to increase its pseudocapacitance. A specific capacitance of 782 F·g^-1 is obtained for 2%(w)ODA-G/PANI at a current density of 1.0 A·g^-1, compared with 426 F·g^-1 for PANI. Furthermore, ODA-G/PANI exhibits better stability than PANI.

A lithium-rich solid-solution layered cathode material, Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂, was synthesized using a fast co-precipitation method, and surface modified withAg/C via chemical deposition. The electrochemical properties, structures, and morphologies of the prepared samples were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The XRD results showed that the pristine and Ag/Ccoated cathode materials both have hexa nal α-NaFeO₂ layered structures with the R3m space group. Microscopic morphological observations and EDS elemental mapping showed that a uniform Ag/C coating layer of thickness 25 nm was deposited on the surfaces of Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂ particles. The Ag/C-coated Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂ material gave an excellent electrochemical performance. The initial discharge capacity (0.05C) of the Ag/C- coated sample was 272.4 mAh ·g^-1, with an initial coulombic efficiency of 77.4%, corresponding to 242.6 mAh·g^-1 for the pristine sample, with an initial coulombic efficiency of 67.6%, in the potential range 2.0-4.8 V (vs Li/Li⁺). After 30 cycles (0.2C), the Ag/C-coated Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂ retained a capacity of 222.6 mAh·g^-1, which was 14.45% higher than that of Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂. We also found that the Ag/C coating improved the rate capability of the solid-solution material Li[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]O₂. The capacity retention (1C) of the Ag/C-coated sample was 81.3%, compared with the capacity at 0.05C. CV and EIS results showed that the Ag/C coating layer suppressed the oxygen release in the initial charge progress and lowered the surface film resistance and electrochemical reaction resistance of the pristine sample.

This work focused on the electrochemical behavior of Nd(Ⅲ) and the formation of Zn-Nd alloys on Mo electrodes in LiCl-KCl-ZnCl₂ molten salt system at 773 K. Cyclic voltammetry, open-circuit chronopotentiometry, and square-wave voltammetry were used. The results showed that the underpotential deposition of Nd on a predeposited Zn cathode gave three types of Zn-Nd intermetallic compounds in LiCl-KCl-ZnCl₂ solutions. Based on the electrochemical results, square-wave voltammetry was used to determine the concentration changes of Nd during potentiostatic electrolysis. The extraction efficiency of Nd was evaluated based on the concentration changes after electrolysis. The results indicated that the concentration of Nd(Ⅲ) was close to zero, and the extraction efficiency was 99.67% after potentiostatic electrolysis at -1.84 V for 50 h. The extraction of Nd and preparation of Zn-Nd alloys were performed by galvanostatic electrolysis at 973 K. The phase compositions and microstructures of the alloys were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). XRD showed that Nd₂Zn₁₇, LiZn, and Zn phases were present in the alloys. The EDS results indicated that the concentration of Nd in the alloys reached 14.99%.

Monodispersed PtNi nanoparticles were synthesized by galvanic displacement reaction and chemical reduction. The monodispersed PtNi nanoparticles demonstrate, by cyclic voltammetry, enhanced electrocatalytic properties for CO oxidation in 0.1 mol·L^-1 H₂SO₄ solution compared with bulk Pt electrode. In situ electrochemical Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using CO as the probe molecule was studied. The CO adsorbed on either the PtNi/GC (glassy carbon) electrode or PtNi/Au electrode exhibits characteristics of a symmetric bipolar IR feature with a strong enhancement factor. The results of this paper contribute to the understanding of the special properties and origin of the anomalous IR properties of lowdimensional nanomaterials.

A series of monochain L-phenylalanine derivatives were synthesized. L-Phenylalanine derivatives have no gelation abilities, but two-component systems consisting of L-phenylalanine derivatives and aliphatic amines can gelate various organic liquids. The structures of the aggregates in the organogels were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, smallangle X-ray scattering (SAXS), rheological methods, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The rheological measurements showed that the steady-state value of the storage elastic modulus (G') was about 10 times larger than that of the loss elastic modulus (G"), indicating that the organogels have od mechanical properties and gel-like characteristics. The SEM, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR results showed that two-component organogels can self-assemble into fibrous or lamellar aggregates in organic liquids through acid-base interactions, intermolecular hydrogen bonding of amide groups, and van der Waals interactions of long alkyl chains. The FT-IR and NMR spectra showed that the hydrogen-bonding and acid-base interactions were the main driving forces for the formation of self-assembled gels. The SAXS results indicated that the gelator molecules assembled into ordered lamellar structures in organic liquids. The ordered lamellar aggregates are juxtaposed and interlocked by van der Waals interactions to form a fibrous superstructure and are finally immobilized in the organic liquid.

The nickel atoms in a metal ferrite lattice inhibit photocatalytic activity with hydrogen peroxide. However, activated carbon bonded on nickel ferrite (AC-NiFe₂O₄) induces photocatalytic activity of nickel ferrite with hydrogen peroxide, enabling photo-Fenton catalytic oxidation of ammonia under visible-light irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The AC-NiFe₂O₄ catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. The photocatalytic tests showed that the ammonia degradation efficiency approached 91.0% in the presence of the AC-NiFe₂O₄ catalyst, whereas the efficiency was only 24.0% without the catalyst under similar conditions over 10 h. Another test showed that the single NiFe₂O₄ catalyst achieved a degradation efficiency of only 30.0% under similar conditions, indicating that activated carbon can accelerate the rate of ammonia oxidation. Exploration of the oxidation mechanism showed that the oxidation pathway involves an HONH₂ intermediate, forming nitrite ions. Kinetic studies showed that the oxidation of ammonia follows a pseudo-first order kinetic law, with a rate constant of 3.538×10^-3 min^-1. The catalyst was used in eight runs, and shown to be stable, recoverable, separable, and reusable, suggesting that it has potential applications in the disposal of ammonia.

A series of Fe-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) photocatalysts were prepared using ferric nitrate and melamine as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fouriertransform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to identify changes in the characteristics caused by coordination of N atoms in the structural units of g-C₃N₄. The results indicate that embedded Fe³⁺ changed the optical properties, affected the energy band structure, and increased the electron/hole separation rate. The activities of the Fe³⁺-doped g-C₃N₄ catalysts were tested in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. The degradation rate of RhB over Fe³⁺-doped g-C₃N₄ was 99.7% in 120 min. The rate constant for Fe³⁺-doped g-C₃N₄ was 3.2 times as high as that of pure g-C₃N₄. Disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate, tert-butyl alcohol, and 1,4-benzoquinone were used as hole (h_VB⁺), hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide radical (O₂^-·) scavengers, respectively, to investigate the possible mechanism.

Single-crystalline Cu₃B₂O₆/CuB₂O₄ was successfully prepared by a sol-gel method fromcupric nitrate/ cupric acetate and boric acid, using citric acid as a foaming agent. The obtained materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) solution was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of Cu₃B₂O₆/CuB₂O₄ under visiblelight irradiation (400 nm<λ<1100 nm). The results indicated that both Cu₃B₂O₆ and CuB₂O₄ displayed od photocatalytic activity. Under visible-light irradiation for 6 h, the photocatalytic activities of CuB₂O₄ and Cu₃B₂O₆ reached 63.36% and 99.52%, respectively, in MB aqueous solution (50 mg·L^-1) containing 1 g·L^-1 catalyst. Ultraviolet-visible analysis showed that the width of the midgap state for Cu₃B₂O₆ is 1.78 eV, which is much narrower than that of CuB₂O₄ (1.95 eV), and the band gap of Cu₃B₂O₆ is narrow (E_g=2.34 eV). These results indicated that electron transitions can occur in both the midgap state and forbidden band for Cu₃B₂O₆; this is why Cu₃B₂O₆ has higher visible-light photocatalytic activity than CuB₂O₄.

In this study, a cobalt hydroxide-reduced graphene oxide (Co(OH)₂/r ) composite was synthesized by one-step self-assembly, and used as a catalyst in dye degradation. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalyst had well-distributed Co(OH)₂ nanoparticles on the reduced graphene oxide surface. The catalytic performance of this hybrid material was investigated for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and used to degrade acid orange 7 (AO7) dye in aqueous solution. The experimental results showed that the composite had high catalytic activity in the degradation of AO7, and 100% decomposition was achieved in less than 12 min. Total organic carbon (TOC) experiments indicated a high degree of mineralization, suggesting excellent catalytic activity. Stability tests showed that the catalyst was stable in the degradation of AO7 over several runs. AO7 was completely degraded in 16 min in the third run.

Hierarchical micro-sized zeolite aggregates with the MEL structure were prepared hydrothermally froma tetrabutylammoniumhydroxide (TBAOH)-tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)-H₂O system. The obtained microsized silicalite-2 microspheres had sizes larger than 10 μm, high BET surface area (460 m²·g^-1), and large pore volume (0.74 cm³·g^-1). The formation of micro-sized spheres alleviates preparation and application difficulties. The presence of inter-crystalline mesopores originating from the spontaneous assembly of nano-sized primary particles during hydrothermal synthesis gives the advantages of nanoparticles, reducing diffusion limitations. The introduction of titanium does not strongly affect the morphology and textural properties of the MEL-type zeolite, which are quite similar to those of silicalite-2 aggregates. The micro-sized titanium silicalite-2 (TS-2) microspheres showed comparable catalytic activity in phenol hydroxylation to that of titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) of size 100-200 nm, and were easily recovered by traditional filtration, simplifying the separation and recovery compared with nano-sized TS-1.

Potassium-modified SBA-15-supported molybdenum oxide catalysts were prepared using a twostep impregnation method. The physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were characterized using N2- adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD), CO₂ temperatureprogrammed desorption (CO₂-TPD), and H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). The results showed that potassium addition resulted in the formation of new potassium molybdates, and the states of molybdenum species varied with changes in the K/Mo molar ratio. The addition of potassium to Mo_0.75/SBA-15 effectively improved the activity of catalysts and the selectivity to the total aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein), especially for acetaldehyde in the selective oxidation of ethane. The turn-over frequency (TOF) and product selectivity depended strongly on the potassium content. The maximum selectivity and yield of aldehydes were obtained by varying the K/Mo molar ratio. At 575 ℃, the maximum yield of aldehydes reached 8.5%(molar fraction) over K_0.25-Mo_0.75/SBA-15 catalyst. The formation of new potassium-molybdates promoted the activities and selectivities of the catalysts.

15Co_xLi/AC catalysts promoted by different trace amounts of Li doping were prepared by incipientwetness impregnation. The catalysts were investigated by means of CO hydrogenation and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), and temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) techniques. The results show that CO conversion, selectivity towards C₅₊ hydrocarbons, selectivity towards mixed linear α-alcohols and the distribution of higher alcohols (C₆₊OH) in the alcohol products were improved by adding trace amounts of Li to the 15Co/AC catalysts. XRD, H₂-TPR, and TPSR results indicate that the existence of trace amounts of Li promotes weak interaction between Li and Co species, disperses the Co species of the catalysts, decreases the size of metallic Co particles, and promotes the formation of Co₂C species.

LiLuF₄ single crystals doped with molar fractions of 0.45%, 0.90%, 1.63%, and 3.25% (x, molar fraction) Tm³⁺ ions were fabricated by an improved Bridgman method. Absorption spectra in the 400-2000 nm region of the crystals were measured. The emissions from 1400 to 2000 nm under excitation of an 808-nm laser diode (LD) were carried out and compared. Two emission bands at 1470 and 1800 nm were observed. First, the emission intensity at 1800 nm increased with the increase in Tm³⁺ concentration, reaching a maximum value when the Tm³⁺ concentration was ca 0.90%. Thereafter, it decreased considerably as the Tm³⁺ doping levels further increased to 3.25%. However, the emission intensity at 1470 nm showed the contrary tendency to that at 1800 nm. It was found that the 1800-nm emission lifetime of the Tm³⁺:³F₄ manifold systematically decreased with an increase in Tm³⁺ concentration. The trend in the fluorescent intensity change can be explained by the cross-relaxation (³H₆, ³H₄→³F₄, ³F₄) between the Tm³⁺ ions and the concentration quenching effect of Tm³⁺. Meanwhile, the emission cross-section was calculated, providing a maximum of 0.392×10^-20 cm² at 1890 nm for the 0.90% doped sample. Based on the measured lifetime and calculated radiative lifetime, the largest quantum efficiency between Tm³⁺ ions reached ~120%.

Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells consisting of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) film deposited on a crystalline silicon wafer have attracted considerable attention from the photovoltaic industry, because of their high efficiencies, high stabilities, low cost, and low-temperature fabrication. Texturing of silicon surfaces is an effective method for improving the efficiency of silicon solar cells. In this work, textured silicon substrates consisting of three different pyramidal structures were obtained using tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution, and used to fabricate SHJ solar cells. We investigated the influence of different pyramidal structural morphologies on the optical properties and electronic performances, to identify the optimum structure for SHJ solar cells. We obtained a standard silicon substrate with four-sided pyramidal structures using 2% (w) TMAH and 10% (w) isopropyl alcohol (IPA). In comparison with other pyramidal structures, the standard four-sided pyramidal-structured silicon substrate had the lowest reflectance, leading to an increased short-circuit current density (J_sc), and its morphology is suitable for surface passivation and SHJ solar cells.

We used gel-column chromatography to show the effects of the pore-size range and chemical composition of porous polysaccharide gels on the flow characteristics and metal/semiconductor (m/s) separation of dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Comparative studies of the flow behaviors of dispersed SWCNTs in a series of Sephacryl gels with different pore sizes showed that a small pore-size range increased the interaction strength of SWCNTs with gels, leading to rapid flow of thicker metallic (m-)SWCNTs through gel beads, and the selective entrapment of thinner semiconducting (s-)SWCNTs. We also found that the effect of the gel composition was more important than that of the gel porosity on the sorting of SWCNTs. When the amine group in the dextran-based Sephacryl gel was replaced by agarose, e.g., Superdex 200 or Sepharose 2B gel, the interaction with the dispersed SWCNTs was enhanced, resulting in slowing down of both the m- and s- SWCNTs throughout the gel, and obvious deterioration in the selectivity for, and purity of, the s-SWCNTs. In contrast, Sephadex G100 gel, which has one dextran group functionalized by hydrophobic epoxypropane, yielded very weak interactions with SWCNTs, leading to direct drainage of both types of SWCNT, despite its fine pore size, similar to that of Sephacryl S100. We therefore propose that the gel pore size and composition exerted a synergistic effect in verning the m/s sorting of SWCNTs with high selectivity, purity, and efficiency.

An Au-Ag alloy film surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor was studied experimentally and theoretically. SPR chips were prepared by sputtering a glass surface with a 50-nm-thick Au-Ag alloy film, and experiments were carried out with the wavelength-interrogated SPR sensor using the Kretschmann configuration. Aqueous sodium chloride and bovine serum albumin solutions were used to study the refractive index and adsorption sensitivities of the sensor. The results were compared with those obtained using Au film and Ag film SPR sensors. The refractive index sensitivity of the Au-Ag alloy film SPR sensor is higher than that of the Au film SPR sensor, but lower than that of the Ag film SPR sensor. The adsorption sensitivity of the Au- Ag alloy film SPR sensor is similar to that of the Ag film SPR, and three times of the Au film SPR sensor. Theoretical studies showed that that the sensitivity of the Au-Ag alloy film SPR is close to that of the Ag film SPR sensor, and 2.31 times of the Au film SPR sensor. The full width at half maximum of the Au-Ag film sensor is only 0.36 times of the Au or Ag film SPR sensors. The Au-Ag alloy film and Au film SPR sensors are chemically stable, but the Ag film SPR sensor is easily oxidized, so it is not often used. These results show that an Au-Ag alloy film can improve the sensitivity of the sensor, while retaining the accuracy. Au-Ag films could therefore be used as high-sensitivity, low cost, and stable SPR-sensitive materials.

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) was prepared by chemical reduction of graphene oxide ( ) using dimethyl ketoxime (DMKO) as reducing and doping agents. The morphologies, structures, compositions, and electrocatalytic activities of the as-prepared materials were investigated using field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM), ultraviolet- visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta potential and nanoparticle analyses, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and the rotating disk electrode (RDE) method. The results showed that sheets were effectively reduced by DMKO. NG samples with different nitrogen contents were obtained by adjusting the mass ratio of to DMKO; the nitrogen contents were in the range 4.40%-5.89% (atomic fraction). NG-1, obtained using a /DMKO mass ratio of 1:0.7, showed excellent electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an O₂-saturated 0.1 mol·L^-1 KOH solution. The peak current was 0.93 mA·cm^-2, and the number of electrons transferred per O₂ was 3.6; this was attributed to the increase in the number of ORR active sites in the presence of pyridinic-N. In addition, the electrocatalytic activity of NG was found to be dependent on the graphitic-N content, which determined the limiting current density, because of its higher electronic conductivity. The pyridinic-N content improved the onset potential, because of its lower overpotential for the ORR. NG therefore exhibited a high selectivity in the ORR, with od tolerance of methanol cross-over effects. It is therefore superior to commercial Pt/C catalysts.