The novel Ce and F codoped Bi2WO6 samples have been successfully obtained by a facile one-step hydrothermal reaction for the first time. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The presence of Ce3+, Ce4+, and F– dopants in Bi2WO6 was confirmed by XPS. The change of microstructure and optical band gap has also been observed after the doping of Ce and F. Under visible light, the as-synthesized plate-like F–Ce–Bi2WO6 sample exhibits a much better visible-light-responsive photocatalytic performance than pure Bi2WO6 for the degradation of RhB and photocurrent (PC) generation. The mechanism of high photcatalytic activity was also suggested on the basis of the PL spectra, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), and active species trapping measurements. The results indicated that the synergistic effect of the Ce and F dopants is responsible for the efficient separation and migration of photoinduced charge carriers, thus resulting in the remarkably improved photocatalytic activity.

Developing biodegradable conductive hydrogels is of great importance for the repair of electroactive tissues, such as myocardium, skeletal muscle, and nerves. However, conventional conductive phase incorporation in composite hydrogels, such as polypyrrole, polyaniline, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and gold nanowires, which are non-degradable materials, will exist in the body as foreign matter. Herein, an injectable hydrogel based on the integration of conductive and biodegradable germanium phosphide (GeP) nanosheets into an adhesive hyaluronic acid-graft-dopamine (HA-DA) hydrogel matrix is explored, and the successful application of this biohybrid hydrogel in spinal cord injury (SCI) repair is demonstrated. The incorporation of polydopamine (PDA)-modified GeP nanosheets (GeP@PDA) into HA-DA hydrogel matrix significantly improves the conductivity of HA-DA/GeP@PDA hydrogels. The conductive HA-DA/GeP@PDA hydrogels can accelerate the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSC) into neurons in vitro. In a rat SCI complete transection model, the in vivo implanted HA-DA/GeP@PDA hydrogel is found to improve the recovery of locomotor function significantly. The immunohistofluorescence investigation suggests that the HA-DA/GeP@PDA hydrogels promote immune regulation, endogenous angiogenesis, and endogenous NSC neurogenesis in the lesion area. The strategy of integrating conductive and biodegradable GeP nanomaterials into an injectable hydrogel provides new insight into designing advanced biomaterials for SCI repair.

A superhydrophobic (SHB) surface with an excellent self-cleaning ability is of great significance in both human survival and industrial fields. However, it is still a challenge to achieve large-area preparation of antiabrasive SHB surfaces with great mechanical robustness for broader applications. Thus, a kind of facile SHB coating with excellent liquid repellency and antiresistance is constructed by spraying a fluorine-free suspension consisting of epoxy resin, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), and silica nanoparticles on a glass sheet. The SHB coating not only shows high adhesion on various materials but also has high water repellency under various test conditions, including tape peeling after blade scraping, sandpaper abrasion, and immersing in a complex environment. Additionally, the SHB spheres coated with laser-induced microstructure armor could form a continuous gas cavity during the water entry process, which is essential to prolonging the drag reduction ability of SHB coatings in liquid. Finally, the prepared robust SHB coatings have been employed in underwater buoyancy enhancement and reducing fluid resistance, which may open new avenues for underwater drag reduction in the field of marine applications.

Purpose In recent years, the use of high performing materials, and application of additive manufacturing technology for industrial production has witnessed a steady rise and its expanse is only to increase in the future. “Selective laser melting (SLM) technique” for an exotic nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) is expected to a great facilitator to research in this area. The purpose of this paper is to put forth the research direction of NiTi shape memory alloy by selective laser melting. Design/methodology/approach This review also summaries and skims out the information on process equipment, adopted methodologies/strategies, effects of process parameters on important responses e.g. microstructure and comprehensive functional and mechanical properties of SLM-NiTi. In particular, the functional characteristics (i.e. shape memory effects and super-elasticity behavior), process analysis and application status are discussed. Findings Current progresses and challenges in fabricating NiTi-SMA of SLM technology are presented. Practical implications This review is a useful tool for professional and researchers with an interest in the field of SLM of NiTi-SMA. Originality/value This review provides a comprehensive review of the publications related to the SLM techniques of NiTi-SMA while highlighting current challenges and methods of solving them.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) with tunable wettability and reversible adhesion through adjusting the surface morphology have great prospects in functional devices. However, current functional devices based on SMPs are mainly concentrated on the manipulation of diverse liquid droplets in the air; it is still a challenge to achieve the reversible tuning of underwater oil wettability and adhesion on the microstructured SMP surface. Herein, we fabricate a kind of SMP micropillar array through one-step femtosecond laser irradiation, which could achieve the reversible tuning of underwater oil wettability and adhesion between the tilted and upright states. It is worth noting that the deformed micropillar arrays show underwater oleophobicity and have a larger adhesion force to the oil droplet than that of upright micropillar arrays, which is mainly related to the variation of the contact area between the oil droplet and the micropillar array. Finally, we demonstrate the lossless oil droplet transfer underwater by using the micropillar array surface with different states. We believe the present work will bring some insights for researchers in the field of dynamically responsive tunable underwater oil droplet manipulation.