Metal and metal-oxide particles are commonly photodeposited on photocatalysts by reduction and oxidation reactions, respectively, consuming charges that are generated under illumination. This study reveals that amorphous MoO x S y clusters can be easily photodeposited at the tips of CdS nanorods (NRs) by in situ photodeposition for the first time. The as-prepared MoO x S y -decorated CdS samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to determine the composition and the possible formation pathways of the amorphous MoO x S y clusters. The MoO x S y -tipped CdS samples exhibited better hydrogen evolution performance than pure CdS under visible-light illumination. The enhanced activity is attributed to the formation of intimate interfacial contact between CdS and the amorphous MoO x S y clusters, which facilitates the charge separation and transfer. Through time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements, it was clearly observed that all MoO x S y -decorated CdS samples with different loadings of MoO x S y showed a faster PL decay when compared to pure CdS, resulting from the effective trapping of photogenerated electrons by the MoO x S y clusters. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was further used to study the surface potentials of pure CdS NRs and MoO x S y -decorated CdS NRs. A higher surface potential on MoO x S y -decorated CdS NRs was observed in the dark, indicating that the loading of MoO x S y resulted in a lower surface work function compared to pure CdS NRs. This contributed to the effective electron trapping and separation, which was also reflected by the increased photoelectrochemical response. Thus, this study demonstrates the design and facile synthesis of MoO x S y -tipped CdS NRs photocatalysts for efficient solar hydrogen production.

A cryogen-free terahertz (THz) imaging system based on a high-temperature superconducting (HTS)Josephson junction detector is reported. The detector was made of a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) step-edge Josephson junction and integrated into an on-chip thin-film antenna. The HTS Josephson detector was cooled via a commercial mechanical cryocooler; an important step towards cryogen-free THz instrumentation, which is critical for industrial acceptance. In addition, it is shown that operating the detector in a cryocooler provides improved flexibility for optimising the detector parameters and performance due to the ability to adjust the temperature compared to liquid nitrogen cooling methods. The DC and AC characteristics, the detector responsivity and the noise-equivalent power (NEP) of the detector, and resulting image quality were studied as the function of operating temperatures.

This paper primarily investigates the effects of chemically grafted modified carbon fibers on the bonding properties of fiber metal laminates (FMLs). Relative elemental content on the carbon fibers’ surface was performed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the material microstructure. The effect of chemically grafted carbon fibers on the bond strengths of FMLs was experimentally investigated through lap joint testing. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grafting concentration and curing conditions of the samples were also investigated. The test results demonstrate that grafting concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/mL CNT solution increased the bond strength of the cured samples under vacuum conditions by 63.51%, 87.16%, and 71.56%, respectively. In addition, the bond strengths of vacuum-cured samples were also increased.

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The interfacial performance between metals and resins significantly affects the mechanical properties of fiber–metal laminates. In this study, CNTs were deposited on a titanium surface via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to improve the interfacial performance of Ti/carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates. Before EPD, the titanium plates were treated by either sandblasting, anodizing, or sandblasting/anodizing. A macroscopically rough surface and an oxide layer were formed by sandblasting and anodizing, then CNTs were deposited, and a porous layer was obtained, which improved the wettability and bonding strength. Finally, the static mechanical properties (single-lap properties, bending properties, and interlaminar shear properties) and dynamic mechanical properties (impact resistance) of the laminates were systematically explored. The introduction of CNTs played an important role in dispersing and carrying loads and providing a strong crack propagation resistance, which improved the laminates’ static mechanical properties and reduced the delamination damage under dynamic impact. Compared with the original composite laminates, the bond strength, bending strength, and interlaminar shear strength of the laminates deposited with CNTs after sandblasting were increased by 117.94, 46.85, and 145.61%, respectively. When the impact energy was 35 J, the damage area of the composite laminate deposited with CNTs was decreased by 27.75%.