Acoustic lenses find applications in various areas ranging from ultrasound imaging to nondestructive testing. A compact-size and high-efficient planar acoustic lens is crucial to achieving miniaturization and integration, and should have deep implication for the acoustic field. However its realization remains challenging due to the trade-off between high refractive-index and impedance-mismatch. Here we have designed and experimentally realized the first ultrathin planar acoustic lens capable of steering the convergence of acoustic waves in three-dimensional space. A theoretical approach is developed to analytically describe the proposed metamaterial with hybrid labyrinthine units, which reveals the mechanism of coexistence of high refractive index and well-matched impedance. A hyperbolic gradient-index lens design is fabricated and characterized, which can enhance the acoustic energy by 15 dB at the focal point with very high transmission efficiency. Remarkably, the thickness of the lens is only approximately 1/6 of the operating wavelength. The lens can work within a certain frequency band for which the ratio between the bandwidth and the center frequency reaches 0.74. By tailoring the structure of the metamaterials, one can further reduce the thickness of the lens or even realize other acoustic functionalities, opening new opportunity for manipulation of low-frequency sounds with versatile potential.

Fabricating functional materials that can solve environmental problems resulting from oil or organic solvent pollution is highly desired. However, expensive materials or complicated procedures and unidirectional oilwater separation hamper their applications. Herein, a magnetic superhydrophobic carbon fiber aerogel with high absorption capacity was developed by one-step pyrolysis of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 -coated cotton in an argon atmosphere. The obtained aerogel can selectively collect oils from oil-polluted region by a magnet bar owing to its magnetic properties and achieves fast oil-water separation for its superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. Furthermore, the aerogel performs recyclable oil absorption capacity even after ten cycles of oil-water separation and bears organic solvent immersion. Importantly, the obtained aerogel turns to superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic after thermal treatment, allowing it as a promising and efficient material for bidirectional oil-water separation and organic contaminants removal.