Robust superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated via aerosol-assisted CVD of epoxy resins and PDMS polymer films. The as-obtained surfaces showed thermo-triggered healing of the superhydrophobicity by recovery of roughness structures.

Even in ultralow quantities, oxygen vacancies (V O ) drastically impact key properties of metal oxide semiconductors, such as charge transport, surface adsorption, and reactivity, playing central roles in functional materials performance. Current methods used to investigate V O often rely on specialized instrumentation under far from ideal reaction conditions. Hence, the influence of V O generated in situ during catalytic processes has yet to be probed. In this work, we assess in situ extrinsic surface V O formation and lifetime under photocatalytic conditions which we compare to photocatalytic performance. We show for the first time that lifetimes of in situ generated atomic V O play more significant roles in catalysis than their concentration, with strong correlations between longer-lived V O and higher photocatalytic activity. Our results indicate that enhanced photocatalytic efficiency correlates with goldilocks V O concentrations, where V O densities must be just right to encourage carrier transport while avoiding charge carrier trapping.

The fabrication of highly efficient photocatalytic thin films has important consequences for selfcleaning, organic pollutant decomposition and antimicrobial coatings for a wide range of industrial applications. In this work, we developed a simple synthesis method to produce efficient, high surfacearea zinc oxide (ZnO) photocatalytic films using aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition. This approach used mixtures of methanol and acetic acid to promote preferential growth and exposure of polar facets, which favour photocatalytic activity. Interestingly, the initial enhanced efficiency of the films was correlated to structural defects, likely oxygen vacancies, as supported by photoluminescence spectroscopy results. Discussion over the influence of such defects on photocatalytic performance is described and the need for strategies to develop high surface-area materials containing stable defects is highlighted.

We explore a series of Zn and N codoped TiO 2 thin films grown using chemical vapor deposition. Films were prepared with various concentrations of Zn (0.4−2.9 at. % Zn vs Ti), and their impact on superoxide formation, photocatalytic activity, and bactericidal properties were determined. Superoxide (O 2•− ) formation was assessed using a 2,3-bis(2methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium sodium salt (XTT) as an indicator, photocatalytic activity was determined from the degradation of stearic acid under UVA light, and bactericidal activity was assessed using a Gram-negative bacterium E. coli under both UVA and fluorescent light (similar to what is found in a clinical environment). The 0.4% Zn,N:TiO 2 thin film demonstrated the highest formal quantum efficiency in degrading stearic acid (3.3 × 10 −5 molecules•photon −1 ), while the 1.0% Zn,N:TiO 2 film showed the highest bactericidal activity under both UVA and fluorescent light conditions (>3 log kill). The enhanced efficiency of the films was correlated with increased charge carrier lifetime, supported by transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) measurements.