Biomimetic synthesis of amorphous photonic crystals (APCs) is an effective approach to obtaining non-iridescent structural colors. However, the structural colors of artificially prepared APCs are dim or even white due to the influence of incoherent scattering. In this paper, we present a novel method to combine APCs with black TiO 2- x to construct a noniridescent structural color pigments with high visibility and photocatalytic activity. Due to the absorption of incoherently scattered light by black TiO 2- x , the color saturation of structural colors has been significantly increased. In addition, the utilization rate of photogenic carriers was effectively enhanced by the slow light effect generated from the pseudoband gap of SiO 2 APCs with TiO 2- x absorbed full spectrum. The tone and color saturation of catalytic pigments is controlled by the diameter of SiO 2 nanospheres and the ratio of TiO 2- x nanoparticles, which provides a controllable application study in color-related fields as artwork, environmental coatings, and textiles.

Black glazed wares (Wujin wares) and hare fur's decorated black glazed wares (HF wares) are ones of typical production of Jian kilns, China during Song Dynasty. In this work, Wujin wares and HF wares excavated in Jian kiln complex (Yulinting kilns, Daluhoumen kilns and Luhuaping kilns) were systematically analyzed by optical microscope, X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the index of glassy polymerization (Ip) of Wujin wares is smaller than black areas of HF wares, indicating the higher firing temperature used for HF wares. Several pseudobrookite, rutile, hematite and quartz crystals were detected in glazes of Wujin wares while a great number of ɛ‐Fe2O3 crystals was observed in brown stripes of HF wares. Besides, wares in different kiln sites present obviously differences in bubble distribution and glassy structure, indicating a lower firing temperature used for Yulinting kilns than those of Daluhoumen kilns and Luhuaping kilns.

Transition metal oxides as anode materials have received extensive research owing to the high specific capacity. Whereas, the rapid decline of battery capacity caused by volume expansion and low electrical conductivity hinders the practical application of transition metal oxides. This study reported a pseudo-capacitance material polypyrrole coated Fe2O3/Mn2O3 composites material as a high stability anode for lithium-ion batteries. The polypyrrole coating layer can not only serve as a conductive network to improve electrode conductivity but also can be used as a protective buffer layer to suppress the volume change of Fe2O3/Mn2O3 during the charging and discharging process. At the same time, the porous structure of Fe2O3/Mn2O3 composite can not only provide more active sites for lithium storage but also play a certain buffer effect on the volume change of the material. Polypyrrole-coated Fe2O3/Mn2O3 composite as the anode for lithium-ion batteries shows great electrochemical storage performance, with high specific capacity (627 mAh g− 1 at a current density of 1A g− 1), great cycle stability (the capacity not shows obvious signs of attenuation after 500 cycles) and rate performance (432 mAh g− 1 at a current density of 2.0 A g− 1).