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Viscous oil adherence onto solid surfaces is ubiquitous and has caused intractable fouling problems, impairing the function of solid surfaces in various areas such as optics and separation membranes. Materials with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity are very effective in elimination of oil fouling. However, most of them cannot dewet viscous oils and may malfunction without prehydration treatment. Herein, we report a facile and environmental strategy to prepare barium sulfate (BaSO4) nanocoating to dewet viscous oils on dry surfaces. Abundant surface polar groups (surface hydroxyl) on BaSO4 nanocoating enhance both hydrophilicity after oil fouling (underoil water contact angle 155°) and then facilitate oil dewetting ability. Different oils with viscosity up to 900 mPa·s can be easily eliminated after immersion into water. The results and force analysis also demonstrate that small surface roughness and ultrahydrophilicity under oil are beneficial to achieve oil dewetting property on dry surfaces. Furthermore, BaSO4 nanocoating displays excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical stability and can maintain oil repellency through various harsh conditions. Outstanding antioil fouling ability also enables the fabric coated by BaSO4 nanocoating to separate crude oil/water with flux higher than 28 000 Lm2-h-1 and separation efficiency larger than 99.9% and maintain effective separation performance even after 100 times of separation. Thus, the robust superhydrophilic BaSO4 nanocoating is potential in oil dewetting and waste oil remediation.

Two-dimensional layered materials have attracted wide attention owing to their many desirable properties. In particular, its outstanding barrier properties can effectively improve the impermeabilit...

In this study, an efficient on-site marine oil spillage monitoring probe was developed by fixing oxygen consumption sensors into hydrophobic/oleophilic oil-absorbing porous materials. The impact of thickness and characters of the porous materials, the types of spilled oil, and the presence of salts and vibration in water on the parameters of the obtained signals was investigated. The probe could be used to detect the various representative types of spilled oils including lubricating oil, corn oil, soybean oil, n-hexane, petroleum ether and toluene, even in simulated sea water vibrating at different levels, having over 33 times reduced reliable low detection limit (RLDL) in detecting soybean oil in water (from 36.5 g L−1 to 1.1 g L−1). The response time and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the probe varied greatly with the dynamic absorbing speed and oxygen barrier property of the spilled oils in the porous material, respectively. The probe showing the highest SNR of 190 dB for a 50 g L−1 on-site soybean oil spillage and the fastest response time of 9 s for a 50 g L−1 on-site toluene spillage in water may potentially be used as a key component in near-shore marine oil spillage monitoring systems to provide early-stage pollution warning.

The motion of droplets on a super-hydrophobic surface, whether by sliding or rolling, is a hot research topic. It affects the performance of super-hydrophobic materials in many industrial applications. In this study, a super-hydrophobic surface with a varied roughness is prepared by chemical-etching. The adhesive force of the advancing and receding contact angles for a droplet on a super-hydrophobic surface is characterized. The adhesive force increases with a decreased contact angle, and the minimum value is 0.0169 mN when the contact angle is 151.47°. At the same time, the motion of a droplet on the super-hydrophobic surface is investigated by using a high-speed camera and fluid software. The results show that the droplet rolls instead of sliding and the angular acceleration increases with an increased contact angle. The maximum value of the angular acceleration is 1,203.19 rad/s2 and this occurs when the contact angle is 151.47°. The relationship between the etching time, roughness, angular acceleration, and the adhesion force of the forward and backward contact angle are discussed.

Inspired by nature, Janus membranes with unidirectional liquid transport (ULT) were developed to be used in the fields of fog collection, moisture-wicking fabrics, demulsification, etc. However, the obtained Janus membranes are often unifunctional, and it is still a great challenge to adjust the ULT of Janus membranes for multifunctional applications. Herein, a scalable, low-cost, and machine-washable Janus membrane was developed by combining the cyclic self-assembly of phytic acid and FeIII and a one-side spraying coating of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), featuring adjustable ULT upon challenge for multifunctional applications. By controlling the amount of PDMS, the Janus membranes exhibit two different performances, ULT and switchable permeation. The prepared Janus membranes achieved an excellent moisture-wicking fabric (1.6× the water evaporation rate of cotton), fast water collection under oil, rapid demulsification, and the efficient separation of an oil/water mixture. The separation efficiency of a light or heavy oil from water was higher than 99.9% even after 10 separation cycles, and the flux of the separation was up to 2.55 × 104 or 2.38 × 104 L m-2 h-1, respectively. This study could provide an idea for the development of more Janus membranes with adjustable performances to realize multifunctional applications.

Recently, we have reported that graphite-like tribolayers formed on the sliding interface is essential to low friction in nitrogen for amorphous carbon-based (a-C) films with low hydrogen content. Therefore, for hydrogen free a-C film, it is necessary to promote the formation of graphite-like tribolayers for friction reduction. Borides has been proved an effective graphitization catalyst that accelerates the graphitization process of different carbon materials, yet has not been tried for a-C film under friction. Here, we fabricated the a-C and B4C doped a-C (B4C/a-C) films on 304 stainless steel substrates by unbalanced magnetron sputtering equipment. Compared to a-C film, B4C/a-C film exhibited better mechanical properties, as well as superior lubrication performance. Therein, the improved mechanical properties of B4C/a-C film are favorable for the excellent wear resistance. Besides, the friction reduction of B4C/a-C film is attributed to catalytic graphitization of tribolayers formed on the sliding interfaces triggered by B4C. This work indicates that B4C/a-C film will become an alternative solid lubricant material for a wide range of applications in the mechanical engineering fields.

Boron carbide (B4C), silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) can achieve low coefficient of friction (Cof) under high relative humidity condition. Therefore, B4C/SiC and B4C/Si3N4 tribo-pairs may exhibit outstanding tribological behaviors, while the tribological investigation is poor. In present investigation, we performed the friction tests of the B4C/SiC and B4C/Si3N4 tribo-pairs under various relative humidity conditions, and revealed that the B4C/SiC tribo-pair is a promising candidate for high relative humidity engineering applications. Surprisingly, the B4C/SiC tribo-pair exhibited much better tribological behaviors than the B4C/Si3N4 tribo-pair with the same test condition and tribochemical products. This is mainly attributed to less wear debris on the SiC ball and the formation of a stable tribochemical film containing boric acid and silica gel.

Polydopamine/MIL-53(Fe) (PDA/MIL-53(Fe)) nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized with PDA (PDA = polydopamine) and MIL-53(Fe) using a nature-mimicking method. The structures, morphologies, optical properties and thermal stabilities of all the synthesized materials were characterized using a series of methods. In particular, the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge significantly increased after the incorporation of PDA into MIL-53(Fe), which resulted in an elevated photocatalytic activity of PDA/MIL-53(Fe) compared with the control groups. The PDA/MIL-53(Fe) nanocomposite could accelerate the conversion of primary or secondary alcohols into the corresponding aldehydes or ketones with a high specificity by direct hole-involving oxidation under visible-light irradiation and room temperature. The catalysts could be cycled at least three times without a significant decrease in the catalytic activity and this result showed the excellent recyclability and stability of the catalysts.

Becauseof the high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are widely applied in marine industries. However, titanium alloys suffer from serious biofouling problems for their good biocompatibility. Slippery lubricant-infused porous surface (SLIPS) exerts a positive effect on inhibiting the attachment of marine microorganism. In this work, SLIPS was fabricated on TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V) alloys through anodic oxidation, 1H,1H,2H,2H,-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) modification and polyperfluoromethyl isopropyl ether (PFPE) infusion to improve the antifouling property of TC4 alloys. The antifouling effect of all coatings was investigated and compared to obtain the antifouling mechanism of SLIPS through recording the settlement of

Graphene oxide is an important member of the graphene family which has a wide range of applications. The chemical method, especially the liquid phase method, is one of the most common and important methods for its preparation. However, the complex solution environment not only gives them rich structure, but also brings great challenges for its large-scale industrial synthesis. In order to better realize its industrial application, it is important to understand its structure, such as the source of oxygen-containing functional groups. Here we studied the contribution of four oxygenated acids to oxygen-containing functional groups in Hummers’ method using first principles. We found that the permanganic acid molecules that exist instantaneously due to energy fluctuations can be the source of oxygen-containing functional group. In addition, Stone-Wales defect have a certain effect on the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups, but this effect is not as good as that of solvation effect. This work provides a guide for exploring the source of oxygen-containing functional groups on graphene oxide.

Demand for reduction in friction and improvement in wear resistance of moving parts propels exploration in frictional origin for amorphous carbon (a-C) film lubricating properties based on the interfacial states. Methane, as an ideal energy carrier and industrial raw material, is one of active gas. Consequently, the relations between the tribological behaviors of a-C film under methane atmosphere and load or interfacial states were discussed based on experimental and theoretical methods. Experimental results illustrated that, as the load increased, tribological system exhibited various interfacial shear strength at a load of zero and pressure dependence of the shear strength for tribological systems. And then the origin was revealed with theoretical calculation and resulted from the distributions of adsorbates across the sliding interface.

Correction for ‘Corrosion and tribocorrosion performance of multilayer diamond-like carbon film in NaCl solution’ by Mingjun Cui et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 104829–104840, DOI: 10.1039/C5RA21207C.

Phytic acid (PA), which is a natural and innoxious plant constituent, can strongly adsorb on the metal surface because of its six phosphate groups. In this work, based on the chelating properties of PA and the reaction between PA and hydrolyzable vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES), we developed a novel and facial strategy to generate hierarchical-layer nanospheres on the metal mesh surface and fabricated robust superhydrophobic and superoleophilic miniature metal mesh ships. Because of their superwetting properties, the modified meshes could easily remove and recycle the oil spills from the water surface (>90% collection efficiency), and have high oil/water separation capacity (>96%). The excellent stability, corrosion resistance, and robust mechanical durability endow the modified mesh ships with more advantages in a marine environment. We envision that these superhydrophobic meshes modified with PA and VTES are sustainable, environmentally friendly, and easy to scale up and hence display great potential in practical application.

A simple and low-cost bottom-up method for the preparation of water-soluble Carbon dots (CDs) by tuning the carbonization degree of ammonium citrate. The structure and morphology of CDs were characterized by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). And the investigation on the lubricating property and inhibition effect of CDs as nanoadditives of water-based lubricants is discussed in this work. The results show that the CDs as eco-friendly nanoadditives exhibit low friction coefficient, outstanding wear-resistance and excellent inhibition effect.

Structural defects on graphene has been deemed to originate from the growth process. Galvanic corrosion appears at defect sites between copper and graphene. Here, we report the self-assembly of a hydrophobic perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PTES) film that accurately heals the defects on graphene. The healing agent, PTES, was chemically grafted selectively on the copper substrate, which was exposed at the defect site. Interestingly, the novel method healed the defects on graphene without weakening its electronic properties. Moreover, significant improvement in corrosion resistance for graphene-coated copper was observed from the electrochemical tests and long-term storage under environmental conditions.

In order to improve the service performance of key mechanical parts in high humidity and high vacuum environments, the MoS2/Sn composite films with different Sn contents were prepared by magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology, composition and structure of the as-deposited films were investigated by SPM, SEM, XRD and XPS. The mechanical and tribological properties of MoS2/Sn composite films in different humidity and vacuum environments were investigated. The results show that Sn-doping changes the crystal structure of MoS2, increases the hardness and elastic modulus, and reduces the oxidation activity of the MoS2 films. Especially, the MoS2/Sn composite film with optimized Sn content of 7.2 at.% has better tribological properties compared with pure MoS2 films in a high humidity of 75% RH and high vacuum environments.

The corrosion-resistant hybrid films based on fluorocarbon polymer and single layer graphene were prepared. The hydrophobic fluorocarbon film covered the defect on graphene coated Cu, which inhibited the direct corrosion at the defect site, and forbade the galvanic corrosion between graphene and Cu substrate. The results confirmed that the hybrid coatings showed much better anti-corrosion performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that the hybrid coatings provided an effective physical barrier against the corrosive medium. The finding here is critical in designing hybrid protective coatings with the defect-repaired structure on the graphene coated Cu.

MoS2 is easily oxidized into MoO3 at elevated temperature, which leads to a sharp deterioration of lubricity and greatly limits the application. To improve the atmospheric tribology properties of MoS2 at elevated temperature, the co-deposited MoS2–W composite films are prepared by magnetron sputtering. Compared with pure MoS2, the design of three kinds of MoS2–W composite films not only maintains lower temperature-sensitivity, but also greatly improves the mechanical properties. In particular, the three MoS2–W composite films embrace good tribology performance at all test temperature, especially 100 °C, at which physical adsorption of H2O is prominently less than that of 25 °C and the oxidation is relatively slight, compared with that of the higher temperature. Individually, the MoS2-8.2%W composite film maintains the optimal tribology performance at any test temperature and becomes self-adaptive to temperature variation, which originates from the optimized structure and good mechanical properties.

The interface between the current collector and active material is the primary interface of charge transfer. Herein, we designed an effective strategy to optimize the interface architecture by depositing molybdenum disulfide on the copper foil surface (Cu-MoS2) via magnetron sputtering. The Cu-MoS2 is directly used as a current collector and supports the Li4Ti5O12 anode (Cu-MoS2-LTO). Typically, after being cycled at 1 A g-1 for 300 cycles, the capacities of the Cu-LTO cell and Cu-MoS2 cell are about 114.94 and 128.35 mA h g-1, respectively, whereas the capacity of the Cu-MoS2-LTO cell is as high as 373.9 mA h g-1 with a capacity retention rate of 89.1%. The MoS2 not only optimizes the interfacial architecture but also provides an additional capacity contribution to the Cu-MoS2-LTO cell. Based on scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy test analysis, we propose a dual interface model. It is revealed that the molybdenum disulfide film can significantly improve the charge-transfer efficiency and uniformity of the interface, reduce internal resistance of the batteries, prevent oxidation of the copper foil, and thereby improve the chemical stability of the current collector. In addition, magnetron sputtering technology has large-scale productivity and greatly enhances the industrial application of this strategy.

Attractive tribological performance made graphene(G)-based material great potential to be used as an effective nanoadditive in water-based lubricant. Herein, this paper put forward a facile, simple and environment-friendly method to modify the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) by β-lactoglobulin (BLG) noncovalently, accompanied with an in-depth investigation on the lubricating properties of BLG-RGO in water solution. The results indicated that the RGO decorated with BLG could stably disperse in water for a long time (>8 months) and exhibit excellent friction-reducing (∼37%) and anti-wear (∼45%) property. The outcome of this research implying that the BLG-RGO as potential green nanoadditives in water-based lubricant and thus may help in practical application by industry.

By theory calculation, a new orthorhombic form of diamond has been proved to exist. In this work, the orthorhombic diamond is clearly observed in the multiarc ion-plated varying-C VN films and the effect of C content on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of varying-C VN films were studied in detail. The C doping results in the mechanical and tribological properties' improvement, together with the decrease of surface roughness and residual stress, and with the increase of C content, the scratch-resistance and wear-resistance capacities increase. The orthorhombic diamond phase only appears in VCN film with 10.97 at.% C, leading to that this VCN film has a relative low room-temperature friction coefficient (~0.56) compared with other films (~0.70), due to the easy-shear layered atomic structure. The VCN film containing 19.14 at.% C with the highest H/E and H3/E2 ratios of 0.052 and 0.091 GPa has the minimum wear rate (0.53 × 10−14 m3 N−1 m−1), 82% lower than that of VN film (2.89 × 10−14 m3 N−1 m−1), due to the valid assembly of VN, VC and amorphous C phase with perfect balance of hardness and toughness. However, against Al2O3 grinding ball, the main wear mechanisms of all varying-C VN films are adhesive wear and oxidative wear.

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) exhibited a good activity as an electrocatalyst of oxygen reduction reaction while there was no experimental example to investigate the catalytic ability and barrier performance of the NG to atomic oxygen (AO). Here we explored the effect of AO on the structure and barrier properties of pristine graphene (PG) and NG coated Cu foils. AO with high energy and strong oxidizing capacity reacts with graphene and then the graphitic structures are broken down into smaller parts, leading to the oxidation of underlying Cu. Miraculously, AO irradiation causes little damage of NG films and the oxidation degree of NG coated Cu is significantly reduced than that of PG coated. Density functional theory calculations show NG can catalyze the bonding of adsorbed oxygen atom with a second oxygen atom to form O2. And eventually, O2 molecule moves away from the NG surface and the damage of NG film is slow down.

The superhydrophilic self-cleaning surface can perfectly deal with oil pollution, which cannot be realized by the superhydrophobic surface. This research is designed to study the mechanism of wetting behavior of superhydrophilic coating with different function groups and guide to design a stable self-cleaning surface. We prepare several hydrophilic coatings including nonionic, ionic, and zwitterionic coatings to investigate their self-cleaning performance underwater when they have been polluted by oil in the dry state. The chemical composition, surface roughness, static and dynamic wettability, underwater oil adhesive force, and swelling degree of the coatings are studied to explore their oil dewetting mechanism. The results indicate that the wettability of the coating to water and oil is the key factor to determine the self-cleaning performance. The smooth 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SA) anionic coating shows the best self-cleaning performance even when polluted by heavy crude oil in the dry state in air. It is also found that in the dry state, the rough hydrophilic anionic surface will lock up the oil in the structures and then lose its self-cleaning ability underwater, whereas the oil droplet can detach from the smooth coating surface quickly. Meanwhile, the superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic SA anionic surfaces also exhibit excellent anti-fogging and oil-water separation performance.

At room temperature, VN films often have a relatively high friction coefficient (COF), which vastly limits their industrial application. In this work, pre-oxidation thermal treatments with different oxygen concentration were applied to improve the room-temperature tribological properties of VN films. The results showed that the V2O5 and VO2 thin pre-oxide layer form under the high and low oxygen concentration, respectively, and after thermal treatment, the tribological properties of VN films are promoted greatly. The VN film with V2O5 thin pre-oxide layer has the lowest COF (~0.23) but the greatest wear rate ((11.41 ± 0.22)× 10–15 m3 N−1 m−1), while the VN film with VO2 thin pre-oxide layer has a relative lower COF (~0.46) as well as wear rate ((2.27 ± 0.14)× 10–15 m3 N−1 m−1) than VN film without a pre-oxide layer. By analysis, the initial existence of V-oxide seems to have a more positive effect than in-situ formation of V-oxide on the improvement of tribological property at room temperature, and the V2O5 plays a decisive role in the decrease of COF, and the VO2 can improve the properties of anti-friction and wear resistance simultaneously. Thus designing a thin pre-oxide layer on the V-based films seems to be a promising method to promote their room-temperature tribological property.

Amorphous carbon films with low friction and wear become a hotspot of research and engineering application for meeting the requirements of energy savings and environmental benefits. However, the co...

This paper reports the corrosion mechanism of graphene coated Cu with different defect levels. Here, we show the corrosion process and the galvanic corrosion on graphene coated Cu. The corrosion mechanism of graphene coated Cu was studied by Raman, SEM, TEM, and SEVT technologies. The high density of defects on multi-layered graphene promoted the diffusion process of the corrosive medium, once the corrosive medium permeated into the interface of graphene and Cu, the corrosion on Cu initiated. The galvanic corrosion accelerated the corrosion of Cu anode was revealed by the scanning vibrating electrode technique. The expanding of corrosion products on Cu induced the exfoliation of graphene. The imperfect of graphene induced the corrosion and the galvanic cell accelerated the corrosion on Cu substrate which both resulted in the failure protection of graphene coating and the exfoliation of graphene from copper substrate.

Tribo-chemical reactions of mating materials have a significant effect on tribological properties, while the effect on B4C is poorly studied. Therefore, we investigated the B4C films sliding against three counterparts (Al2O3, AISI 52100 steel and WC ball) and observed that the B4C films sliding against different counterparts exhibits different tribological performances at the same relative humidity, which is ascribed to different tribo-chemical reactions. The formation of nanocrystalline WO3 by the oxidation of WC results in B4C/WC system obtaining the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate. AISI 52100 steel and B4C were oxidized to produce Fe3+ and B2O3/H3BO3, which leads to an intermediate value. However, there was no chemical reaction for Al2O3 due to its excellent chemical inertness, which brings about the highest value. This demonstrates that choosing proper mating material can effectively improve the tribological behaviors of the B4C films.

Although Janus membranes have been fabricated for the separation of oil/water mixtures, simplifying the construction processes is still a thorny challenge. In this work, a facile and easily scale-up approach based on in situ mussel-inspired chemistry is reported for the first time to prepare the Janus membrane with unidirectional oil/water separation. Here, the poly (vinylidene fluoride)/polydopamine/polyethylenimine (PVDF/PDA/PEI) membranes on the polyester non-woven fabric were fabricated via non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique. In the coagulation bath, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by CuSO4/H2O2 improved the formation of the hydrophilic PDA/PEI on the top surface of the membrane. The hydrophobic bottom surface was received after the membrane was stripped from the supporting fabric. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to characterize the membrane. The Janus membrane showed asymmetric wettability with 152.2° underwater oil contact angle of F-T5 and 153.3° underoil water contact angle of B-T5. Furthermore, by this in situ mussel-inspired chemistry, the Janus membrane showed excellent water and oil separation, antifouling performance and stability, which can potentially be used for unidirectional oil/water separation.

Two-dimensional layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been recognized as a promising material for an atomic thin solid lubricant. In this study, we investigated the microscopic friction behavior of MoS2 using a reactive force-field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics simulation. The effects of the interlayer distance and temperature on the frictional force during the sliding process were studied. The results showed that the friction was mainly affected by the interaction between S atoms at the interface. As the distance between layers decreased, the gradually increasing interlayer repulsive interaction deformed the Mo-S bond of the MoS2 and changed the positions of S atoms at the interface. The migration of S atoms at the interface contributed to the low friction behavior of the MoS2.

Natural gas, which is mainly composed of methane, plays an important role in energy consumption. Nevertheless, natural gas leakage induced by damage of moving parts seriously affects the ecological environment and social security. It is an effective strategy to coat amorphous carbon (a-C) film on moving parts for this issue. In order to supplement the knowledge about frictional mechanism of a-C film in methane atmosphere, the roles of passivation and graphitization were explored by means of deposition target currents and thermal annealing. The results indicated that carbon target currents and thermal annealing were significant to the structures and tribological performances of a-C films under methane. It was also obtained that graphitization induced by shearing greatly enhanced the wear resistance of a-C film and the passivation of carbon dangling bonds reduced friction coefficients of a-C films in methane atmosphere. This study on the mechanism of friction properties of a-C films under methane provides guidance for the preparation of low friction and wear resistance films in methane atmosphere.

Graphene is usually embedded into polymer matrices for the development of thermally conductive composites, preferably forming an interconnected and anisotropic framework. Currently, the directional self‐assembly of exfoliated graphene sheets is demonstrated to be the most effective way to synthesize anisotropic graphene frameworks. However, achieving a thermal conductivity enhancement (TCE) over 1500% with per 1 vol% graphene content in polymer matrices remains challenging, due to the high junction thermal resistance between the adjacent graphene sheets within the self‐assembled graphene framework. Here, a multiscale structural modulation strategy for obtaining highly ordered structure of graphene framework and simultaneously reducing the junction thermal resistance is demonstrated. The resultant anisotropic framework contributes to the polymer composites with a record‐high thermal conductivity of 56.8–62.4 W m−1 K−1 at the graphene loading of ≈13.3 vol%, giving an ultrahigh TCE per 1 vol% graphene over 2400%. Furthermore, thermal energy management applications of the composites as phase change materials for solar‐thermal energy conversion and as thermal interface materials for electronic device cooling are demonstrated. The finding provides valuable guidance for designing high‐performance thermally conductive composites and raises their possibility for practical use in thermal energy storage and thermal management of electronics., The dual‐assembled graphene framework (DAGF), which combines a highly oriented graphene structure along the vertical direction and a low junction thermal resistance between the graphene building blocks, exhibits excellent performance in improving the thermal conductivity of polymers. The resultant composites have a record‐high thermal conductivity of 56.8–62.4 W m−1 K−1(≈13.3 vol%), significantly outperforming previously reported results.

The improper handling of decrypted information can lead to the leakage of confidential data. Thus, there is increasing interest in the development of self-erasing decrypted data. Herein, we report a urease-containing fluorescent hydrogel for multistage information security protection. Information can be input into the fluorescent hydrogel, which is based on the protonated 4-(N,N-dimethylaminoethylene) amino-N-allyl-1,8-naphthalimide (DEAN-H+ ) and doped with urease, using metal ions, such as Zn2+ that coordinate with DEAN. Upon exposure to urea, urease produces NH3 , which reduces the fluorescence of the hydrogel. In the presence of urea, metal-coordinated hydrogel fluorescence decreases more slowly than the fluorescence of the hydrogel alone, revealing the information. The displayed information is then automatically erased within a few minutes. This work opens up a new insights in designing and fabricating information storage materials.

Supra-wetting materials, especially superhydrophobic absorption materials, as an emerging advanced oil-water separation material have attracted extensive concern in the treatment of oil spillage and industrial oily wastewater. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate robust and multifunctional superhydrophobic materials for the multitasking oil-water separation and fast clean-up of the viscous crude oil by an environment-friendly and scalable method. Herein, a solid-solid phase ball-milling strategy without chemical reagent-free modification was proposed to construct heterogeneous superhydrophobic composites by using waste soot as the solid-phase superhydrophobic modifier. A series of covalent bond restricted soot-graphene (S-GN) or soot-Fe3O4 (S-Fe3O4) composite materials with a peculiar micro-nano structure are prepared. Through "glue+superhydrophobic particles" method, the prepared soot-based composite particles are facilely loaded on the porous skeleton of the sponge to obtain multifunctional superhydrophobic adsorbents. The reported superhydrophobic adsorbents exhibited robust chemical and mechanical stability, convenient magnetic collection, the high oil absorption capacity of 60–142 g g−1, durable recyclability (>250 cycles), efficient separation efficiency (>99.5%) and outstanding self-heated performance, which enable them to be competent for oil-water separation in multitasking and complex environment (floating oils, continuous oil collection, oil-in-water emulsion, and viscous oil-spills).

Strain, as an economic yet controllable approach for structural modulation, frequently plays a vital role in the preparation and performance optimization of two-dimensional nanomaterials (TNMs). Here, utilizing first-principles simulations, the analysis of energetics shows that the biaxial stretching and compressing could facilitate the vertical separation and horizontal sliding in graphene (Gr/Gr), hexagonal boron nitride (

With the development of research on superwettability materials, superhydrophobic and superoleophilic materials show superior separation ability in oil-water separation due to their excellent oil-water selectivity. However, due to the super wetting ability of the oil to the material, it is difficult to clean and reuse after adsorbing the oil spill. Therefore, how to realize the complete regeneration of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic materials is still a worldwide problem. In this paper, the controlled adsorption-desorption process of oil and the complete regeneration of materials are realized by pH induced superwettability transformation. We fabricate a pH-responsive oil-water separation sponge by a method of simply impregnating the carboxyl and alkyl group modified SiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of melamine sponge (MS) skeleton, which can change the wettability from superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity through protonation and deprotonation in different pH solutions. The experiment results indicate that the sponge is superhydrophobic and superoleophilic in acid and neutral solution, and can adsorb oil in water. While in basic solution, it becomes superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic, which can release the adsorbed oil. With the help of a vacuum pump, we can use this wettability transition to achieve a continuous oil adsorption and desorption process. These findings offer a new preparation method of regenerative 3D adsorption materials like MS in oil-water separation.