Long-lasting low fluorinated stainless steel hierarchical surfaces for omniphobic, anti-fouling and anti-icing applications

Stainless steel (SS) alloys are prevalent in many industries, household appliances or other commodities, where a strict control of surface properties is required to tailor their interaction with the environment. In this work we report a new procedure of stainless steel surface processing that provides a multifunctional response including superhydrophobicity, omniphobicity, self-cleaning, anti-fouling and effective…

Synthesis and characterization of porous and photocatalytic geopolymers based on natural clay: Enhanced properties and efficient Rhodamine B decomposition

In this work, the incorporation of anatase TiO2 semiconductor in the geopolymer matrix as catalytic materials has been studied. The most noteworthy results obtained from the synthesis of a novel TiO2/geopolymer nanocomposite as an effective ecological catalyst with high thermal stability and significant porosity is presented. The porous and photocatalytic geopolymers based natural clay rich in…

Synergetic Near- and Far-Field Plasmonic Effects for Optimal All-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells with Maximized Infrared Absorption

The efficiency and reliability of perovskite solar cells have rapidly increased in conjunction with the proposition of advanced single-junction and multi-junction designs that allow light harvesting to be maximized. However, Sn-based compositions required for optimized all-perovskite tandem devices have reduced absorption coefficients, as opposed to pure Pb perovskites. To overcome this, we investigate near- and…

New Nano-Crystalline Hydroxyapatite-Polycarboxy/Sulfo Betaine Hybrid Materials: Synthesis and Characterization

Hybrid materials based on calcium phosphates and synthetic polymers can potentially be used for caries protection due to their similarity to hard tissues in terms of composition, structure and a number of properties. This study is focused on the biomimetic synthesis of hybrid materials consisting of hydroxiapatite and the zwitterionic polymers polysulfobetaine (PSB) and polycarboxybetaine…

Renewable Carbonaceous Materials from Biomass in Catalytic Processes: A Review

This review paper delves into the diverse ways in which carbonaceous resources, sourced from renewable and sustainable origins, can be used in catalytic processes. Renewable carbonaceous materials that come from biomass-derived and waste feedstocks are key to developing more sustainable processes by replacing traditional carbon-based materials. By examining the potential of these renewable carbonaceous materials,…

Strong Light-Matter Coupling in Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dot Solids

Strong coupling between lead halide perovskite materials and optical resonators enables both polaritonic control of the photophysical properties of these emerging semiconductors and the observation of fundamental physical phenomena. However, the difficulty in achieving optical-quality perovskite quantum dot (PQD) films showing well-defined excitonic transitions has prevented the study of strong light-matter coupling in these materials,…

Casimir-Lifshitz Optical Resonators: A New Platform for Exploring Physics at the Nanoscale

The Casimir-Lifshitz force, FC − L, has become a subject of great interest to both theoretical and applied physics communities due to its fundamental properties and potential technological implications in emerging nano-scale devices. Recent cutting-edge experiments have demonstrated the potential of quantum trapping at the nano-scale assisted by FC − L in metallic planar plates immersed in fluids through appropriate stratification of…

Harnessing a Vibroacoustic Mode for Enabling Smart Functions on Surface Acoustic Wave Devices – Application to Icing Monitoring and Deicing

Microacoustic wave devices are essential components in the radio frequency (RF) electronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry with increasing impact in various sensing and actuation applications. Reliable and smart operation of acoustic wave devices at low costs will cause a crucial advancement. Herein, this study presents the enablement of temperature and mechanical sensing capabilities in…