The (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) has been widely used in fundamental research and engineering applications; however, characterization of its surface wetting properties remains problematic. Surface wetting properties of the APTES SAM were systematically investigated using different contact angle measurement techniques. The observed unique nonideal wetting was related to the APTES SAM structure, including surface hydrogen bond formation, the surface roughness, and the effect of water penetration. The contact angle decreased dramatically with the residence time on the APTES SAM surface, and a special contact angle hysteresis phenomenon was observed. The contact angle could be distorted by the calculation method used for the nonideal APTES SAM surface. Values calculated by the tangent-leaning method were thought to be more accurate and credible. Our findings demonstrated that static advancing contact angles were the most stable and credible for characterizing the APTES SAM surface wettability.

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Superior catalytic activity arises from synergy between Au–Pd and SBA-15-Amine.

Here we demonstrate that the combination of NiPt alloy nanoparticles with a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) support facilitates H2 production from hydrous hydrazine in an alkaline solution under moderate conditions.

Local Mn structure, magnetic, and transport properties in Mn-doped In2O3 films were investigated systematically. The detailed structural analysis and multiple-scattering calculations reveal that Mn2+ ions substitute for In3+ sites of the In2O3 lattice and form MnIn2+ + VO complex with the O vacancy in the nearest coordination shell. All films show clear room temperature ferromagnetism and Mott variable range hopping transport behavior. The saturation magnetization of films increases first, and then decreases with Mn doping, while carrier concentration nc decreases monotonically, implying that the ferromagnetism is not mediated by the charge carriers. These results provide strong evidence that oxygen vacancies play an important role in activating the ferromagnetic interactions in Mn-doped In2O3 films.

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Hydrogen energy is considered to be a desired energy storage carrier because of its high-energy density, extensive sources, and is environmentally friendly. The development of hydrogen storage material, especially liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), has drawn intensive attention to address the problem of hydrogen utilization. Hydrogen carrier is a material that can reversibly absorb and release hydrogen using catalysts at elevated temperature, in which LOHC mainly relies on the covalent bonding of hydrogen during storage to facilitate long-distance transportation and treatment. In this review, the chemical properties and state-of-the-art of LOHCs were investigated and discussed. It reviews the latest research progress with regard to liquid organic hydrogen storage materials, namely N-ethylcarbazole, and the recent progress in the preparation of efficient catalysts for N-ethylcarbazole dehydrogenation by using metal multiphase catalysts supported by carbon–nitrogen materials is expounded. Several approaches have been considered to obtain efficient catalysts such as increasing the surface area of the support, optimizing particle size, and enhancing the porous structure of the support. This review provides a new direction for the research of hydrogen storage materials and considerations for follow-up research.