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TiO2 nano-sheet film (TiO2 NSF) was prepared by a hydrothermal method. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were then deposited on the surface of TiO2 NSF (Ag/TiO2 NSF) under microwave-assisted chemical reduction. The prepared samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy. The results revealed that the Ag NPs were well dispersed on the anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 nano-sheet surface with a metallic state. The visible light absorption and Raman scattering of TiO2 were enhanced by Ag NPs based on its surface plasmon resonance effect. Besides, Ag NPs could also effectively restrain the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Photocatalytic water splitting was conducted on the films to obtain hydrogen, and the experimental results indicated that plasmonic Ag NPs could greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 due to the synergistic effect between electron transfer and surface plasmon resonance enhanced absorption. The hydrogen yield obtained from the optimal sample reached 8.1 μmol cm(-2) and the corresponding energy efficiency was about 0.47%, which was 8.5 times higher than that of pure TiO2 film. Additionally, the formation mechanism of TiO2 nano-sheet film is preliminarily discussed.

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Chitosan fibers were treated with aqueous solutions of ZnCl 2 and CuSO 4 Á5H 2 O to prepare zinc and copper containing fibers, respectively. Significant weight gains were obtained as the zinc and copper ions were absorbed onto the fibers through chelation with the primary amine groups. The fibers were then placed in contact with aqueous solutions containing NaCl and water soluble proteins, respectively, to assess the release of zinc and copper ions. Results showed that the release of zinc and copper ions were affected by the treatment temperature, time, and the composition of the contacting media. More metal ions were released when the fibers were in contact with aqueous protein solutions than in NaCl solution, indicating the binding abilities of the protein molecules for zinc and copper ions. The zinc and copper containing fibers were tested for their antimicrobial effects against several species of bacteria commonly found in wound and skin. Results showed that these metal containing chitosan fibers had much stronger antimicrobial properties than the original chitosan fiber.

Novel solid solutions of aluminum in tungsten carbide (WC) with or without carbon vacancies, which can be expressed by the chemical formula (W(0.5)Al(0.5))C(1-x) (x=0.0-0.5), have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction of W(0.5)Al(0.5) alloy and the proper amount of carbon at around 1673 K in vacuum. The reaction time decreases from 73 to 50 h on increasing the carbon vacancy concentration from 0 to 50 %. The formation of the intended products is certified, by X-ray diffraction, environmental scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, even though the carbon vacancy concentration reaches the astonishing value of 50 %. The as-prepared (W(0.5)Al(0.5))C(1-x) samples have been identified as the hexagonal WC-type structure belonging to the space group P6m2 (Z=1). Moreover, the crystallographic results reveal that the substituting aluminum atoms in the WC are located in the 1a site (the W atom position of the WC structure) and the cell parameters decrease slightly with increasing vacancy concentration. The hardness of the (W(0.5)Al(0.5))C(1-x) system increases up to a maximum 2659 kg mm(-2) at a carbon vacancy concentration of about 35 %, and the density of (W(0.5)Al(0.5))C(1-x) is far lower than that of WC.

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