Solid acid materials (A-K) were prepared via calcination of kaolinite (K) and successive acid treatment. The structure of products was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). A-K was then introduced into polypropylene (PP) composites to further enhance the flame retardancy. The flammability and mechanical properties were evaluated by limiting oxygen index, vertical burning test, cone calorimetry and universal test. The results show that the peak heat release rate for PP composite with a loading A-K (0.5%-3.0%, in mass fraction] can reduce from 1 474 kW/m² of neat PP to 177 kW/m².

TiO₂ nanosheets (TNS) were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass via hydrothermal reaction, and triphenylamine complex D2 was used to modify the TNS array. The microstructure and photoelectric conversion performance of hybrid solar cells were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transient photocurrent spectroscopy, photoluminnescence spectroscopy, contact angle measurement, current density-voltage (J-V) test, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that triphenylamine complex D2 improves the chemical compatibility between organic polymers and inorganic materials. According to the results by contact angle measurement, the surface of TiO₂ particles changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic after modification. The results by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicate that the recombination resistance and electronic lifetime of the cell device after modified on the surface of TiO₂ particles increase from 866.8 Ω·cm² and 48.1 μs to 932.2 Ω·cm² and 127.1 μs, respectively. In the TNS-based hybrid solar cell, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the modified cell improves from 0.20% to 1.52%, compared to that of the unmodified device.

Based on the hexagonal-close-packed polystyrene (PS) template, a monoclinic vanadium dioxide composite film (Ag NPAs/VO₂(M)) embedded with Ag nanoparticle arrays was prepared on a quartz substrate via electronic beam evaporation. The microstructure, phase transition characteristics and light transmittance of composite film were investigated. The results show that VO₂(M) and Ag phases both coexist in the composite film. The phase transition temperature of the composite film is as low as 55 ℃. Based on the analysis by the band model, the embedding of Ag nanoparticles increases the free electron concentration in the composite film and induces the phase transition to occur at a lower temperature. Compared to pure VO₂ film, the transmittance of the composite film in the 590-750 nm band is weakened, which is attributed to the visible absorption of visible light in the 590-750 nm band by Ag NPAs in the composite film, thus weakening the inherent brownish yellow of the VO₂ film.

Hexagonal ZnO with different average particle sizes and crystallinities were synthesized via pyrolysis of metal-organic framework-5 (MOF-5) at various temperatures. ZnO pastes were prepared, and then ZnO photoanodes were obtained by a doctor blade method, thus assembling into dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The phase composition and morphology of MOF-5, ZnO nanoparticles, and ZnO photoanode were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy, and the effects of ZnO nanoparticle morphology and photoanode thickness on the properties of DSSC were investigated. The average particle size and crystallinity of ZnO nanoparticles increase with increasing the calcination temperature for MOF-5. ZnO nanoparticles with a small particle size have a great specific surface area, and the prepared photoanode has a large amount of dye adsorption, which is conducive to obtaining DSSC with a high photoelectric conversion efficiency. However, the crystallinity is low as ZnO nanoparticles are rather small, thus decreasing the efficiency of DSSC. The optimum efficiency of DSSC is obtained at the average size of ZnO nanoparticles of 65.5 nm. The optimum efficiency of DSSC is 3.86% at the optimal thickness of photoanode of 48 μm.

A copper-metalloporphy in metal-organic framework material (Cu-TCPP) was synthesized via a liquid-phase epitaxy approach. Afterward, a transparent Cu₂S@N-doped carbon film was in situ fabricated using Cu-TCPP as a template, and was directly used as a counter electrode for bifacial CdS/CdSe quantum-dot sensitive solar cells (QDSSC). The morphology, construction, and performance of Cu₂S@N-doped carbon film were also investigated. During the sulfidation process, the cupric ions in Cu-TCPP thin film were transformed into Cu₂S nanoparticles, while the nitrogen-rich ligand (TCPP) was in situ carbonized, generating N-doped carbon and leading to the formation of a uniform Cu₂S@N-doped carbon film. After the sulfidation of Cu-TCPP, the original nanosheet morphology is maintained and uniform Cu₂S nanoparticles are embedded on the nanosheet surface. As a result, the transparent Cu₂S@N-doped carbon film exhibits greater power conversion efficiencies (i.e., 4.16% and 3.72%) rather than Pt (i.e., 2.39% and 1.73%) from the front and rear irradiations, respectively. Based on the analysis of the systematic electrochemical data by cyclic voltammetry test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel test, a transparent Cu₂S@N-doped carbon film with a low charge-transfer resistance, a fast ion diffusion rate, and an excellent catalytic ability is obtained for S_n^2-/S^2- redox reaction. As a result, the superior photovoltaic performance of bifacial CdS/CdSe QDSSC can be achieved.

Silica fume (SF, containing SiO₂>85%, in mass fraction) collected from emitting soot of silicon-metallurgical workshop was used as a raw material for preparation of pure crystalline silicon. Silicon was prepared via refining pretreatment of pristine SF and ball-milling mixing to make magnesium and SF powder reactant, subsequent magnesiothermic reduction reaction (MRR) process and final purification by two-step acid-etching treatment of HCl-HF acids. The experimental results show that a core-shell structure Mg@SiO₂, i.e., Mg particles coated uniformly by a dense layer of submicron-sized primary particles of silica fume in a desired stoichiometric ratio of reactants Mg:SiO₂ of 0.85∶1.00, is formed via micron-scale diffusion reaction after mixing for 12 h at a rotational speed of 150 r/min. A high-performance route of MRR was proposed based on the wrapping-micron-reactor model. The extent of MRR is as high as 96% and Si species of HCl-etched sample are more than 90% (in mass fraction), and the final prepared product of crystalline silicon achieves a purity of 99.88% (in mass fraction) after HF+CH₃COOH acid-etching.

A nano-sphere material of BiOCl with a high photocatalytic efficiency was prepared by a simple coprecipitation method at room temperature. The addition of organic carboxylic acid can cause BiOCl to form a seriously agglomerated nanosheet structure, and then gradually transform into an irregular nanomicrosphere structure assembled from nanosheets. Also, the micro-mesoporous structures are formed on the surface of BiOCl nanosheets due to the corrosive effect of organic acids, thus increasing the specific surface area of BiOCl materials and providing the more active sites for the adsorption of pollutants and photocatalysis. Among them, the specific surface area of BiOCl modified with tartaric acid (TA) and citric acid (CA) are 469.93 m²/g (BiOCl-TA) and 646.82 m²/g (BiOCl-CA), respectively, compared to that of pure BiOCl (106.90 m²/g). The photocatalytic degradation performance of the materials modified by organic carboxylic acid (i.e., BiOCl-TA and BiOCl-CA) enhances, and the degradation percentage of rhodamine B (RhB) (20 mg/L) in 30 min is 99.74%, which is greater than that of pure BiOCl (i.e., 14.83%).

P₂O₅ was added into (K,Na)₂O-CaO-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃-SiO₂ phase-separated opaque glaze. Effect of P₂O₅ on the glaze properties and structure was investigated by thermal expansion instrument, colorimeter, Vickers hardness tester, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The results show that the glaze whiteness and the Vickers hardness improve as P₂O₅ content increases. The whiteness of the glaze increases from 46.58% to 71.79% and the Vickers hardness increases from 737.94 HV to 1153.03 HV. [PO₄] obtains the bridge oxygen of [BO₄] from the matrix glass phase, promoting the phase separation of the glaze melt by changing [BO₄] to [BO₃] when the mole fraction of P₂O₅ is below 0.58%. Also, P₂O₅ mostly appears in the boron-rich phase separation droplets. The interface between the droplets phase and the matrix phase provides conditions for hexagonal prism shape of Ca₃(PO₄)₂ crystal separated from the glaze, the refractive index difference between heterogeneous particles and matrix phase increases, and Ca₃(PO₄)₂ crystal size is in the visible wavelength range when the mole fraction of P₂O₅ is 1.15%-1.72%, which enhances the Mie scattering and improves the glaze whiteness. In addition, the Vickers hardness of the glaze improves because the density of the glass structure increases with increasing [PO₄] content.

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode thin layers were fabricated via inkjet printing with a novel water-based lanthanum cobalt strontium ferrite (LSCF) ceramic ink. The prepared inks and thin cathode layers after printing, drying and sintering were characterized by particle size and zeta potential measurements, surface tensiometry, rheometry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that a fine particle size is obtained by wet grinding, and the average particle size is reduced from a few micronmeters to approximately 100 nm. Water-based LSCF inks with superior rheological properties and dispersion stability were prepared with the nanoparticles. The problem of satellite droplets during printing and uneven distribution of the jetted droplets on the substrate were effectively solved by optimizing the voltage waveforms of printing parameters, thus greatly improving the quality of droplet injection and distribution. Thin cathode layers with a good surface morphology and a porous microstructure suitable for SOFC applications could be prepared by reducing the number of printing layers and extending the printing time interval between layers.

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are ceramic coatings with a good thermal barrier effect at high temperatures, and have some important applications in the thermal protection of gas turbines, internal combustion engines, rocket engines and other high-temperature environments. Zirconia stabilized by rare-earth or alkaline earth oxides are used for nearly 60 a, and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is the mostly used material. Since last two decades, many materials are developed, i.e., nano-YSZ, rare earth zirconates, rare-earth aluminates, rare-earth tantanates, alkaline earth zirconates, etc.. New TBC materials have lower thermal conductivities, better sintering resistances and similar or larger thermal expansion coefficients, but much lower fracture toughness, more complicated compositions and therefore much shorter thermal cycling life rather than YSZ. In order to improve the durability of the TBC materials for high-temperature applications, the coating deposition process should be controlled effectively to keep a stoichiometric composition and the double-ceramic-layer (DCL) coatings could be applied.