By using HAuCl4 as the gold precursor, spherical Au@SiO2/TiO2 core-shell nanostructures were prepared with the sol-gel method and ethanol reflux. The preparation process was convenient and fast. The obtained samples were characterized by UV-Vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The results suggested that these spherical particles were in uniform distribution of particle size and with excellent monodispersity. Gold nanoparticles were successfully loaded on the core-shell structure, and TiO2 nanoparticles were functionalized. With the functionalization of gold nanoparticles, Au@SiO2/TiO2 nanoparticles showed excellent photocatalysis activity for the degradation of methyl orange. The possible mechanism of catalytic degradation was discussed in the paper.

In the present investigation, we reported a novel green strategy for the biological synthesis of calcium carbonate crystals using water-soluble polysaccharides extracted from the apple and pear. The resultant crystals were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). The results showed that water-soluble polysaccharides as a soft template were easy to induce calcium carbonate with unusual morphologies (such as straw bundles-like). Based on the time-dependent growth of CaCC3 particles, possible mechanisms were proposed for the formation of straw bundle-like CaCC3 microspheres with secondary structures in the presence of water-soluble polysaccharides.

In this article, the hydroxyapatite and carbonate(HAC) nanoparticles were obtained by calcining the original pig bones, and the influence of different calcining temperature on morphology and size was investigated. Then, the polycaprolactone(PCL)/HAC composite materials were synthesized through in-situ polymerization with caprolactone(CL) and HAC. The effects of different weight ratios of HAC to CL on the performance of composites was discussed, and the morphology and microstructure of obtained composite materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM), Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) and (X-ray diffraction)XRD, etc. The results showed that HAC was uniformly dispersed in PCL matrix, and the composite material with HAC of 6 wt% was chosen for further application. This study provided a new way for synthesizing PCL/HAC materials that could be used for repairing and substituting for human damaged bone, which is significant in the theory and practice of bio-medicine.

A novel kind of porous CuS golf balls with an average diameter of 2 µm have been successfully synthesized by using CuCl powders as source PVP as soft template based on a template-directed approach. This process involves the conversion of CuCl to CuS via reaction with H2S, which is produced by hydrolyzing thiourea. The transformation of oxidation state of Cu+ to Cu2+ can proceed smoothly due to the larger lattice energy of CuS in comparison with that of CuCl. The as-prepared samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence analysis. NH3 sensing properties of CuS golf balls with arrays of dimples and indentations have been investigated at room temperature with a simply adapted photoluminescence-type gas sensor. The results reveal that the porous CuS golf balls sensor exhibited excellent performances with a short respond time about 33 s and a short recovery time 44 s respectively.