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[Display omitted] The development and preparation of multifunctional photothermal conversion materials has far-reaching significance for the utilization of solar energy resources in response to the energy crisis. Herein, we propose a Janus membrane for interfacial solar evaporation and phase change energy storage. The membranes were fabricated via combining the PVA film with multi-shelled hollow spheres (MHS). The membranes have asymmetric wettability, that is, one side is hydrophilic and the other side is hydrophobic. The as-resulted membranes obtain outstanding light absorption without further processing. According to these two advantages, the membranes were applied to solar evaporation. The evaporation rate of the membrane is 1.41 kg*m−2h−1 and the evaporation efficiency is 92.4 % under 1sun irradiation. Moreover, the membrane prepared by impregnating 1-Hexadecanamine (HDA) into MHS possesses excellent tensile strength (2.21 MPa) and photothermal conversion ability. The light-to-thermal conversion efficiency can reach 81.9 % under 1sun irradiation. Therefore, the membranes have broad application prospects in the field of photothermal conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Phase change materials (PCMs) with ideal light-to-thermal conversion efficiency play an important role in solar energy storage and conversion. Hence, we report the fabrication of a novel composite PCMs (CPCMs) device based on ZnO nanorods deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) glass loading with fatty amines. ZnO nanorods were deposited on the ITO glass using a three-electrode electrodeposition method, and 1-Hexadecylamine (HDA) was loaded on the ITO glass via spin-coating, followed by spraying polypyrrole (ppy) on the surface of CPCM device to improve thermal conductivity and solar absorption. The as-prepared CPCM device exhibits excellent light-to-thermal conversion efficiency, achieving a high conversion efficiency of 90.2% obtained at 1sun owing to its high light absorption (80%), enhanced thermal conductivity (improved by 57.8%), and the unique vertical aligned nanorods structure which could significantly decrease tortuosity, thereby reducing thermal route and lowering thermal response time. Furthermore, the electro-to-thermal conversion efficiency of the CPCMs device has also been investigated and the results show that it can reach up to 69.8% under a low voltage of 5 V, indicating that the CPCM device has a high potential in the field of electro-to-thermal conversion. Based on the benefits listed above, the CPCM device may serve an ideal platform for a wide range of solar energy storage and conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Synthesis of RCMP@TD-HA with HGM and CMP composite PCM. • RCMP@TD-HA has good light absorption and energy storage capacity. • The RCMP@TD-HA can continue to evaporate after the light source is dimmed. • O-RCMP@TD-HA achieves a 90% evaporation efficiency in oily water. Interfacial evaporation technology powered by solar energy is a clean and efficient solution for various scenarios, including seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, and sterilization. However, the intermittent nature of sunlight remains a challenge that must be overcome. In this study, a novel solar interfacial evaporator (CE) was prepared by mixing reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with conjugated microporous polymer hollow spheres (CMP-H) containing the phase change material tetradecanol (TD) and made into a coating, which was coated on an aerogel made of hollow glass microspheres (HGM). The evaporator has an evaporation rate of 1.68 kg·m−2·h−1 at 1 sun irradiation. In addition, our CE demonstrated exceptional continuous evaporation capabilities. For instance, after exposing the CE to two solar intensities for one hour and then turning off, the mass of evaporated water in our CE increased by 0.76 kg·m−2 compared to the CE without phase change material (PCM) until the surface temperature of the CE returned to its initial temperature. Furthermore, to enhance its versatility, the material has been modified to be oleophobic. The modified evaporator material was immersed in oil for 10 min. It was then evaporated in both oily water, achieving an evaporation rate of 1.62 kg·m−2·h−1 at 1 sun irradiation. These distinctive characteristics of our CE not only offer a novel solution to the constraints of the solar interfacial evaporation process caused by the intermittent nature of sunlight but also facilitate the efficient evaporation of oily wastewater, thus expanding the range of solar interfacial evaporation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report for the first time the preparation of a kind of novel membrane based on holey Ti 3 C 2 Tx nanosheets (h- Ti 3 C 2 Tx), which was obtained by etching the Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles embedded on Ti 3 C 2 Tx nanosheets followed by a simple vacuum filtration using a polymeric membrane as support, for efficient removal of MPs in wastewater. As a proof-of-concept study, the h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx nanosheets exhibit a planar porous structure that presents nano-holes with an average hole-size of 25 nm in diameter, which facilitated the construction of membranes with better water flux for the separation of MPs (196.7 L m−2h−1 kPa−1). In this care, FP microspheres with different diameter sizes were used as the MPs model, the h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx membrane shows extremely high MPs removal efficiency (up to 99.3% under our conditions). [Display omitted] The accumulation of non-degradable microplastics (MPs) originated from the mass production and huge consumption of plastics of modern industry in the water environment has resulted in severe pollution problems globally. Herein, we report for the first time the preparation of holey Ti 3 C 2 Tx (h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx) membranes obtained by etching Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles embedded on Ti 3 C 2 Tx nanosheets followed by simple vacuum filtration using polymeric membranes as supporting matrix for efficient removal of MPs from wastewater. The h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx nanosheets exhibit a planar porous structure which present nano-holes with an average hole-size of 25 nm in diameter, which facilitated the construction of membranes with better water flux for the separation of MPs. Using fluorescent PS (FP) microspheres of different diameters as microplastic models, the obtained h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx membranes exhibited extremely high MPs removal performance (up to 99.3% under our conditions). Moreover, a large water flux of 196.7 L h−1 m−2 k Pa−1 can be obtained, which can compete or be larger than that of most of the membranes composed of untreated two-dimension nanomaterials. Due to the physicochemical stability, tremendous large water reflux, and the high MPs removal efficiency of h-Ti 3 C 2 Tx membranes, there may be a great potential for practical applications in the separation and removal of various contaminants such as MPs or suspended solids from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accelerate the adsorption and the enrichment of iodine ions under the simulated light source. • Concentration of iodine ions of collected condensate was decreased three orders of magnitudes. • High photothermal conversion efficiency (95.39%) and water evaporation rate (1.5879 kg m−2 h−1). Solar steam generation has recently received much attention as a new green and environmentally responsible technology for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment. Hence, a novel and efficient strategy is proposed for removal of radioactive iodine ions from wastewater by SSG method using carbonized conjugated microporous polymers (CCMPs) as photothermal conversion materials. Because of the porous structure and strong light absorption of the CCMPs-based interfacial evaporator and the excellent thermal insulation of the expandable polyethylene sponge, CCMP-1 evaporator achieved a high photothermal conversion efficiency (95.39%) and stable water evaporation rate (1.5879 kg m−2 h−1) at one solar irradiation. In addition, the using of green solar energy as evaporation driving force could accelerate the transferring of iodine ions containing water through CMPs derived solar evaporator, which in turn improved the mass transfer. More importantly, the results of interfacial evaporation experiments on aqueous solutions containing iodine ions (0.2 mmol L−1) revealed that the concentration of iodine ions in the collected condensate was only 0.0027 mmol L−1, which decreased nearly three orders of magnitudes of initial concentration. Also, the iodine ions in water were almost completely enriched by the interfacial evaporator CCMP-1. In view of the fact of big challenge of removal of radioactive iodine ions from wastewater, remaining in current technologies, the findings of this study might provide a simple and efficient solution for treatment of radioactive pollutions contained in wastewater using green solar energy as deriving force via the SSG method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The inevitable intermittency of solar illumination during the interfacial evaporation process can cause a reduction in the evaporation performance of solar evaporators. Here, we report the fabrication of a new solar-driven interfacial evaporator using MXene nanosheets as the photothermal layer, modifying them with conjugated microporous polymer hollow microspheres, and then compounding them with the phase change material, in this case, cetyl alcohol, to form a composite evaporator (CE) that can perform all-weather solar interfacial evaporation. By combining interfacial evaporation photothermal conversion with energy storage, the evaporator achieves an evaporation rate of 1.57 kg⋅m−2⋅h−1 at a light intensity of 1 kW⋅m−2 and 2.79 kg⋅m−2⋅h−1 at a light intensity of 2 kW⋅m−2. In addition, the evaporator attains an excellent solar evaporation efficiency of over 91% in both cases and even in salt water. In addition, interestingly, our CE exhibits excellent continuous evaporation ability, e.g., the mass of evaporated water was increased by 0.36 kg⋅m−2 at a light intensity of 2 kW⋅m−2 compared to the cavity evaporator without the phase change material (PCM) when solar light was turned off. These results could be attributed to the fact that the energy released by the incorporated phase change material allows the evaporator to maintain stable evaporation under conditions of insufficient or intermittent solar irradiation, potentially providing a new opportunity for addressing the intermittent problem of evaporation at the solar interface due to unstable light intensity, thus showing great potential for practical continuous desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of composite phase change material (CPCM) with splendid light-to-thermal conversion efficiency and enhanced thermal conductivity is of significance for solar energy storage and transition. Hence, we report the creation of a novel CPCM prepared by impregnating 1-hexadecanamine (HDA) into nickel foam (NF) bearing with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanoarray via simple vacuum impregnation for photothermal conversion. The NF bearing with CNTs nanoarray employed in this study show outstanding light absorption of higher than 97% originated from its vertical aligned CNTs nanoarray which makes it possible for trapping the light to the most extent. Moreover, the metal nature of NF coupled with the carbon nature of CNTs nanoarray endow it excellent thermal conductivity, e.g. the thermal conductivity of CPCM is improved by 46.3% compared to that of the pure HDA. Thanks to the high latent heat of HDA (240 J/g), the latent heat of the CPCM are measured to be 132.2 J/g. In addition, it shows excellent thermal stability, e.g. the latent heat of the CPCM remains nearly unchanged after 50 times of melting/freezing cycles. Beneficial from their outstanding light absorption, excellent thermal conductivity and high latent heat, the as-prepared CPCM is an ideal platform solar energy harvesting, storage and transition. Under 1sun irradiation, the light-to-thermal conversion efficiency of the CPCM was measured to be 80.10%. Moreover, we detected the temperature-time curve of the CPCM under 30 V voltage, the result show that the CPCM also has great potential in the electro-to-thermal conversion application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the formulation of conjugated microporous polymer membranes (CMPM) with a hierarchical porous structure which was prepared using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) electrospun nanofibers as a template for efficient removal of PM from airborne and vehicle exhaust. Taking advantage of its inherent physicochemical and thermal stability, the CMPM-based filter can work continuously for up to 36 h and still maintain a high removal efficiency (>99.56%), and also have a high filtration efficiency in the treatment of vehicle exhausts, with 95.18% for PM 0.3 , 98% for PM 0.5 and >99% for PM 2.5-10.0. Due to the exceptional mechanical properties of the CMPM, the filter can be washed and recycled and after three cycles the PM filtration efficiency is reduced but still above 94.83%. Additionally, The CMPM-based filter has a filtration efficiency of >95.37% for PM 0.3-10 at high humidity (RH≥95%). [Display omitted] Air pollution has become a challenging environmental problem worldwide due to rapid industrial development and excessive emissions of vehicle exhaust. Herein, we report a preparation of conjugated microporous polymer membranes (CMPM) with a hierarchical porous structure by electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers as a template for effective removal of PM from airborne and vehicle exhaust. CMP membranes have hierarchical holes, where the macropores are from electrospun nanofiber membranes and the mesopores are from polymer synthesis. Taking advantage of its inherent physicochemical and thermal stability and hierarchical hole characteristics, the CMPM-based filter can work continuously for up to 36 h and still maintains a high removal efficiency (>99.56%), and also has a high filtration efficiency in the treatment of vehicle exhausts, with 95.18% for PM 0.3 , 98% for PM 0.5 and >99% for PM 2.5-10.0. The superior mechanical properties of CMPM allow the filter to be cleaned and reused. After three cycles, the filtration effectiveness of CMPM is still 94.83% for respirable particulate matter. Under high humidity (RH ≥ 95%) conditions, the CMPM-based filter showed higher than 95.37% filtration of PM 0.3-10 , and the oil adsorption rate could be maintained at 284% at high speed, proving the great potential of CMPM to clean air in complex situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of high-performance materials with superior light-to-thermal conversion efficiency is of great importance for harvesting and utilization of solar energy. Hence, we report the creation of novel composite phase change materials (CPCMs) CPCMs by incorporating three kinds of organic phase change materials (PCMs), i.e. 1-Tetradecylamine (TDA), 1-hexadecanamine (HDA) and Octadecylamine (ODA), into hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNS) via a simple impregnation treatment for efficient light-to-thermal transition. Owing to their carbon in nature, the HCNS show better light absorption of higher than 90%. After incorporation of organic PCMs, their light absorption could still attain 62–70%, which can compete with the existing CPCMs. Beneficial from their abundant porosity and high specific surface areas, organic PCMs can be spontaneously diffused and immersed into the porous architecture of HCNS. In this way, the as-resulted CPCMs containing with TDA, HDA and ODA show high phase change enthalpy of 61.23J/g, 119.5J/g and 101.8J/g, respectively. The CPCMs also exhibit better thermal conductivity and excellent thermal stability, e.g., the enthalpy of HAD based CPCMs remains nearly unchanged even after 100 times of melting/freezing cycles. Under 1 sun irradiation, the light-to-thermal conversion efficiency of CPCMs containing with TDA, HDA and ODA were measured to be 73.04%, 74.46% and 71.74%, respectively, Thus showing great potential as a kind of promising photothermal conversion devices for solar or thermal energy storage applications. • A novel CPCMs was fabricated to improve light-to-thermal conversion efficiency. • The CPCMs can harvest and transfer visible light efficiently. • The CPCMs own excellent thermal stability and enhanced thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TiO 2 @SiO 2 nanoparticles can better improve compressive strength of cement than nano-TiO 2 did. • Nano-TiO 2 particles formed microscale agglomerates in the hardened cement matrix. • TiO 2 @SiO 2 can limit the agglomeration of TiO 2 nanoparticles in cement matrix. • TiO 2 @SiO 2 nanoparticles resulted in a considerable improvement in the microstructure of cement matrix. This paper presented the contribution of core/shell TiO 2 @SiO 2 nanoparticles to the hydration properties of Portland cement and the contribution was compared with that of nano-TiO 2. Both nanoparticles were used to partially replace cement at 1 wt%. The mechanical property and microstructure of the cement pastes were experimentally characterized using compressive strength and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. Specially, thermodynamic modeling was also applied to predict the phase assemblages and calculate the corresponding volumes. The results showed that the paste with 1 wt% TiO 2 @SiO 2 developed a much higher compressive strength than the paste with or without nano-TiO 2 added at each curing age. Both SEM and mapping analyses showed that obvious agglomeration of nano-TiO 2 could be observed in nano-TiO 2 modified cement paste, which decreased its efficiency in the cement paste. However, nano-TiO 2 was well distributed when TiO 2 @SiO 2 was added because of its limiting effect on the agglomeration of nano-TiO 2 , further densifying the microstructure. The calculated hydrates volumes by thermodynamic modeling also indicated that TiO 2 @SiO 2 would result in producing most hydrates of all the pastes, thus contributing to a denser microstructure and a much higher compressive strength development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-efficiency solar photothermal conversion and storage (SPCS) technology is significant in solving the imbalance between the supply and demand of solar energy utilization in time and space. Aiming at the current research status in the field of SPCS, this review thoroughly examines the phase change materials and substrates in SPCS systems. It elucidates the design principles and methods of SPCS integrated composites. Comparatively, it analyzes the parameters of various types of SPCS composites in terms of photothermal conversion, thermal conductivity, energy density, and cycling stability. Additionally, the review discusses the trade-offs between each parameter to achieve the most optimal effect of SPCS. By sorting out the current status of the application of SPCS technology in solar thermal/photovoltaic, aerospace, buildings, textile, and other industries, this analysis clarifies the requirements for various latent heat, phase change temperature, and other properties under different environmental conditions. Through a comprehensive discussion of SPCS technology, this paper accurately captures the development trend of efficiently and comprehensively utilizing solar energy by analyzing existing scientific problems. It identifies bottlenecks in SPCS technology and suggests future development directions that need focused attention. The insights gained from this analysis may provide a theoretical basis for designing strategies, enhancing performance, and promoting the application of SPCS. [Display omitted] • SPCS technology show high efficiency for energy utilization and management. • SPCS can solve the imbalance in the supply and demand of solar energy utilization. • The study of the design principles and methods of SPCS is important. • SPCS system can solve the energy crisis and environmental pollution. • SPCS systems have great potential for practical water treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The creation of high-performance thermal insulation and flame-retardant materials is of great importance for minimizing energy consumption and reducing fire risk for modern buildings. Herein, we report the creation of a new composite aerogel, which was prepared by incorporation of 9,10-Dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-Oxide-3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (DOPO-KH550) modified hollow glass microspheres (HGM) into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) using citric acid as a cross-linker, as a kind of thermal insulation and flame retardant materials (abbreviated as PVA-DKHGM). The as-synthesized PVA-DKHGM composite exhibits superior thermal conductivity of 0.0187 W m−1 K−1, owing to the hollow structure of the hollow glass microspheres and rich porosity. Besides, it reaches V-0 level at the UL-94 test and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) was measured to be 114.93 (kW/m2) which is lower than most composites now. These results are attributed to the synergy effect of the hollow glass microsphere and DOPO-KH550 which offers the composites aerogel excellent flame retardancy. Owing to its advantages such as lightweight, highly porous, thermally stable, simple to prepare, high mechanical strength, and can be further scaled up, our PVA-DKHGM aerogel may hold great potential for practical applications in construction of energy-saving modern buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretchable conductors are indispensable building blocks for stretchable electronic devices that are used in next‐generation wearable electronics, on‐skin electronics, and soft robotics. Whereas, the ability to realize synergy high conductance and sufficient conductivity under high strain remains challenging. Herein, a stretchable conductor made from tightly assembled core–shell polydimethylsiloxane@silver microspheres (PDMS@Ag MPs) is elaborated. By judiciously using evaporation‐induced capillary effect, 3D interconnected conductive paths consisting of closely packed conductive PDMS@Ag MPs are constructed inside the elastic matrix. The spatially selective distributed Ag‐shell enables conductor metallic conductivity (67185 S cm−1) at ultralow Ag fraction (19.5 wt.%), and well‐maintained conductance over wide strain (820 S cm−1 at 400%). Due to the suppressed Ag content, both the rapture strain and Young's modulus (613%, 0.79 MPa for CPSC4) of the conductor are largely retained. Besides, the synergy hierarchical surface topology and low surface energy endow conductors with high water‐repellent properties. The fabricated conductors with remarkably high conductivity, well‐retained conductance under large strain, and robust hydrophobicity are of great significance for advanced stretchable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a kind of CMPs membrane named C-CMPs-M−1 that was synthesized by the Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reaction. The C-CMPs-M−1 has a special "Hamburger" structure composed of ultra-high crosslinked nanotubes and lamellar structures which allows it to be used as a filter for applications in automobile exhaust purification. The superhydrophobicity of C-CMPs-M−1 allow the CMPs-based filter to maintain high efficiency (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ≥99%, and PM 0.3 ˃90%) in harsh conditions such as high humidity (RH: 90% ± 3%). In addition, the superlipophilicity of the membrane endows it excellent oil absorption performance, e.g., high absorption of 907.61 % of its own weight for engine oil was detected and consequently good oil retention performance. [Display omitted] • Using a simple method to prepare a membrane with a special "Hamburger" structure. • The membrane exhibits high filtration efficiency in high humidity environments. • The membrane shows good oil absorption and oil retention properties. • The membrane has a good oil–water separation ability. The purification treatment of automobile exhaust has attracted great attention because of the severe harm of automobile exhaust to the global environment and human health. Herein, inspired by capillarity, we adopted a very simple face-to-face constrained growth method to prepare a conjugated microporous polymers membrane (C-CMPs-M) with a "Hamburger" structure through Sonogashira-Hagihara (S-H) coupling reaction for purification and filtration of gaseous, solid and liquid pollutants in automobile exhaust. Thanks to such a special structure, the C-CMPs-M−1 membrane shows an extremely high efficiency of capture and interception of PM 2.5 and PM 10 (greater than99.5 %) and PM 0.3 (greater than95%) in the exhaust gas obtained at different engine speeds. Unlike those hydrophilic filtration materials which suffer the drawback of less tolerance in high humidity conditions, the unique superhydrophobic chemistry of the CMPs membrane makes it possible to efficiently intercept PM under high humidity conditions, and the filtration efficiency basically remains unchanged within 10 h. More interestingly, the super lipophilicity of the membrane endows it excellent oil absorption performance, e.g., high absorption of 907.61 % of its own weight for engine oil was detected and consequently good oil retention performance was also obtained. It also has a strong absorption performance for the unburned oil mist ejected from the exhaust. Based on its ideal porous structure, high interception efficiency, and good physicochemical stability at high humidity and high temperatures conditions, therefore, our C-CMPs-M−1 shows great potential in automobile exhaust purification applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple breath figure method was first employed to fabricate double-layer evaporator. • The PC@PPy has advantages of low cost, simple and scalable manufacture process. • The PC@PPy-EPE shows excellent energy conversion efficiency of 93.57% under 1 sun irradiation. • The PC@PPy-EPE displays excellent salt-resistant performance even in 20 wt% NaCl. Solar interfacial evaporation (SIE) is one of the most prospective solar energy harvesting technologies for solving the scarcity of freshwater resources. Herein, we report a novel photothermal membrane polycarbonate (PC)@polypyrrole (PPy) (PC@PPy) adopting to breath figure method followed by surface chemistry modification, and assemble a double-layer solar interfacial evaporator consisting of PC@PPy photothermal membrane as the upper layer and plant fiber-wrapped expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam as the bottom layer for SIE. Due to the abundant porous structure and strong light absorption of the PC@PPy membrane, excellent insulation of the EPE sponge, the as-prepared PC@PPy-EPE evaporator exhibits a high evaporation of 1.78 kg m-2h−1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 93.57%, and outstanding evaporation stability and resistance in 16% wt NaCl with an evaporation of 1.58 kg m-2h−1 under 1 sun irradiation. Moreover, the PC@PPy photothermal possess superior flexibility and strong mechanical properties. Coupling with cost-effective, environment-friendly, simple and easily scale-up breath figure preparation method, the PC@PPy-EPE generator has broad application prospects in SIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials with thermal insulation and flame retardant properties are highly sought after in construction industry. In this study, two hollow-structured conjugated microporous polymer spheres (HCMPs) were successfully synthesized via the template method by polymerizing 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene with 3-amino-2,6-dibromopyridine and 2-amino-3,5-dibromopyridine respectively. To enhance flame retardant properties, HCMPs were impregnated with ethanol-soluble 6 H-dibenzo (C, E) (1,2) phosphine oxide-6-oxide (DOPO) (named as HCMP-FR), which maintains a hollow structure, enabling it to serve as a heat insulator, as observed under transmission electron microscope (TEM). The two types of HCMP-FR with a thermal conductivity of 0.047 W m−1 K−1 and 0.051 W m−1 K−1 respectively, exhibit excellent thermal insulation property. HCMP-FRs were added in to epoxy resin (EP) composites to further investigate the property of it. Under addition of 1.3%wt HCMP1-FR and HCMP2-FR, the thermal conductivity of EP composites (0.159 W m−1 K−1 and 0.146 W m−1 K−1) decreased by 25.3% and 31.4% compared with pure EP composites respectively, and the density (0.651 g cm−3 and 0.8 g cm−3) decreased by 42.1% and 22.5%, significantly reducing EP's thermal conductivity and density. The cone calorimeter (CC) tests show that the pHRR of EP composites at 0.6%wt addition was 859.04 kW m−2 and 904.35 kW m−2, respectively, which were 17.5% and 13.1% lower than that of pure EP, and the TSP decreased by 44.9% and 41.3% when 1.3% HCMP-FRs was added, which shows an excellent smoke depressing property. Therefore, the HCMP-FRs synthesized have highly promising for application in thermal insulation and flame retardancy of energy saving building. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the process of retinal development in mandarinfish Siniperca chuatsi from larvae to young fish. The developmental characteristics of the retinal structure and related cells were identified. Siniperca chuatsi were found to exhibit an altricial mode of retinal development that required considerable time to be completed after hatching. The retina was classed as a pure cone type during the early developmental stage. In the subsequent developmental stages, however, double cones gradually occupied the majority of the cone cells, while rod cells represented the majority of the photoreceptor cells. The outer segment (OS) of the rod cells were significantly longer compared with other morphological features, the OS of the two kinds of cone cells were significantly elongated and the diameters of the inner segment (IS) and OS of the double cone cells were significantly narrower in the later developmental stages. Combined with the scattered arrangement of cone cells at the different stages, the retina was found to have sacrificed a considerable part of visual acuity in the developmental process. The distribution of cone cells was observed to have gradually become regionalised during development. The findings of the present study also indicated that S. chuatsi have a high photosensitivity under dim light conditions as a result of specialised structures of the OS of photoreceptor cells and an increased number of rod cells. The loose arrangement of the cone mosaic presumably resulted in a poor imaging quality and, to some extent, the regionalisation of the cone‐cell distribution compensated for the above shortcomings, which would enhance the ability of S. chuatsi to perceive targets in important directions for effective predation behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing global instability in the development of the world, the efficient storage and conversion of energy have alerted attention. In this work, a novel conjugated microporous polymer hollow spheres (CMPHS) with a high specific surface (323 m2 g−1) and unique cavity structure are creatively prepared. By treatment with simple carbonization, the resulting carbonized microspheres (CCMPHS) show a high light absorption (80%) and outstanding thermal stability (thermal decomposition at 506 °C). On basis of the abundant micropores distributed on the surface of microspheres, the organic phase change materials (PCMs) i.e., fatty alcohols (tetradecanol (TD), hexadecanol (HD), and octadecanol (OD)), are successfully embedded into CCMPHS to afford a kind of new composite (CCMPHS@PCMs) for energy storage and conversion. The three kinds of CCMPHS@PCMs exhibit high latent heats (220.1 kJ kg−1, 244.6 kJ kg−1, and 228.8 kJ kg−1, respectively.). In terms of energy conversion, the photothermal conversion efficiencies of CCMPHS@PCMs are up to 86.83%, 89.45%, and 85.40% and the electrothermal conversion efficiencies are 83.81%, 81.10%, and 90.50%, which possess one of the highest values among the most of similar composites embed with PCMs reported to dates. Based on the advantages of simple fabrication, easy to scale up, high energy density, and conversion efficiency, the CCMPHS@PCMs are expected to be one of the most promising candidates as efficient PCMs composite for a variety of practical applications such as solar or electric energy harvesting, storage, conversion, and so on. • Hollow porous polymers spheres prepared by template method. • The CMPHS and CCMPHS exhibits unique nano spherical morphology, abundant porosity. • The CCMPHS shows excellent solar light absorption about 80% at the range of visible light and superior thermal stability which make decomposition at 506 °C. • The CCMPHS@PCMs possesses huge energy density, and storage/conversion potential which possess 90% photothermal conversion and thermoelectric conversion efficiency. • The CCMPHS@PCMs has great advantages for their simple and scalable manufacture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]