Unique solvation structure induced by anionic Cl in aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered significant attention in large-scale static energy storage battery systems due to their low cost, high safety and environmental friendliness. However, it has some inherent problems during operation, such as the occurrence of side reactions (hydrogen evolution reaction, HER) and anode corrosion, formation of by-products and growth of metal dendrites. To analyze the mechanism of generation from aspect of the electrolyte solvation structure and make cell efficiency further improvements based on it, so we use DFT calculations to find the most stable solvation structure in AZIBs with ZnCl2 as the electrolyte and analyze it. We define the relative concentration Cr, and calculate different groups metal cation cluster structures such as [Zn(H2O)n]2+, [ZnCl(H2O)n]+, [ZnCl2(H2O)n] and [ZnCl3(H2O)n]- that exist at different Cr. We discuss the effect of different clusters formed due to the Cr variations on the battery performance in terms of three aspects: the structural conformation, the cluster characteristics (including the hydrogen bonding network, bond lengths, bond angles, as well as the electrostatic potential ESP) and the cluster performance (including the adsorption energy Ea, binding energy Eb, and desolvation energy Edes). The results shows that the electrolyte metal cation Zn2+ can be coordinated with up to six H2O molecules in first shell, and this metal cation solvation structure contributes to the occurrence and formation of side reactions and by-products, which reduces the battery efficiency. Increasing the electrolyte anion Cl- concentration by appropriately increasing the Cr helps to desolvate the metal cation cluster structure, which greatly improves the battery efficiency and suppresses the side reactions and by-products. Yet the improvement effect was not obviously further improved by further increasing the Cl- concentration.

Lipid-inspired biomimicking morphosynthesis of a series of complex concave silica architectures.

The lipid-inspired biosilicification process enables the creation of a series of concave silica nanoarchitectures in the complex shapes of nanobowls, nanodishes, nanoboats, and nanoloops. The reaction at a pH of 8 initially allows the formation of thin and elastic circular gel nanosheets that can undergo inducible stretching and folding, which subsequently evolves into nanodish and nanobowl through a potential global buckling process. The adjustment of the pH to 9 and 4 enables the production of more complex morphogens of nanoboat and nanoloop, respectively. These unique silica nanoarchitectures may have a wide scope of potential application from nanoreactors in heterogenous catalysis to drug delivery systems and optical materials.

Epidemiological updates of post-traumatic related limb osteomyelitis in china: a 10 years multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic related limb osteomyelitis (PTRLO) is a complex bone infection. Currently, there are no available microbial data on a national scale that can guide appropriate antibiotic selection, and explore the dynamic changes in dominant pathogens over time. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of PTRLO in China. METHODS: The study was approved by the Institutional Research Board (IRB), and 3526 PTRLO patients were identified from 212 394 traumatic limb fracture patients at 21 hospitals between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2017. A retrospective analysis was conducted to investigate the epidemiology of PTRLO, including changes in infection rate (IR), pathogens, infection risk factors and antibiotic resistance and sensitivity. RESULTS: The IR of PTRLO increased gradually from 0.93 to 2.16% (Z=14.392, P <0.001). Monomicrobial infection (82.6%) was significantly higher than polymicrobial infection (17.4%) ( P <0.001). The IR of Gram-positive (GP) and Gram-negative (GN) pathogens showed a significant increase from the lowest 0.41% to the highest 1.15% (GP) or 1.62% (GN), respectively. However, the longitudinal trend of GP vs. GN's composition did not show any significance (Z=±1.1918, P >0.05). The most prevalent GP strains were Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (17.03%), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (10.46%), E. faecalis (5.19%) and S. epidermidis (4.87%). In contrast, the dominant strains GN strains were Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (10.92%), E. cloacae (10.34%), E. coli (9.47%), Acinetobacter Baumannii (7.92%) and Klebsiella Pneumoniae (3.33%). In general, the high-risk factors for polymicrobial infection include opened-fracture (odds ratio, 2.223), hypoproteinemia (odds ratio, 2.328), and multiple fractures (odds ratio, 1.465). It is important to note that the antibiotics resistance and sensitivity analysis of the pathogens may be influenced by complications or comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the latest data of PTRLO in China and offers trustworthy guidelines for clinical practice. (China Clinical Trials.gov number, ChiCTR1800017597).

Facial Micro-Expression Recognition Using Double-Stream 3D Convolutional Neural Network with Domain Adaptation.

Humans show micro-expressions (MEs) under some circumstances. MEs are a display of emotions that a human wants to conceal. The recognition of MEs has been applied in various fields. However, automatic ME recognition remains a challenging problem due to two major obstacles. As MEs are typically of short duration and low intensity, it is hard to extract discriminative features from ME videos. Moreover, it is tedious to collect ME data. Existing ME datasets usually contain insufficient video samples. In this paper, we propose a deep learning model, double-stream 3D convolutional neural network (DS-3DCNN), for recognizing MEs captured in video. The recognition framework contains two streams of 3D-CNN. The first extracts spatiotemporal features from the raw ME videos. The second extracts variations of the facial motions within the spatiotemporal domain. To facilitate feature extraction, the subtle motion embedded in a ME is amplified. To address the insufficient ME data, a macro-expression dataset is employed to expand the training sample size. Supervised domain adaptation is adopted in model training in order to bridge the difference between ME and macro-expression datasets. The DS-3DCNN model is evaluated on two publicly available ME datasets. The results show that the model outperforms various state-of-the-art models; in particular, the model outperformed the best model presented in MEGC2019 by more than 6%.

Graph-generative neural network for EEG-based epileptic seizure detection via discovery of dynamic brain functional connectivity.

Dynamic complexity in brain functional connectivity has hindered the effective use of signal processing or machine learning methods to diagnose neurological disorders such as epilepsy. This paper proposed a new graph-generative neural network (GGN) model for the dynamic discovery of brain functional connectivity via deep analysis of scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded from various regions of a patient's scalp. Brain functional connectivity graphs are generated for the extraction of spatial-temporal resolution of various onset epilepsy seizure patterns. Our supervised GGN model was substantiated by seizure detection and classification experiments. We train the GGN model using a clinically proven dataset of over 3047 epileptic seizure cases. The GGN model achieved a 91% accuracy in classifying seven types of epileptic seizure attacks, which outperformed the 65%, 74%, and 82% accuracy in using the convolutional neural network (CNN), graph neural networks (GNN), and transformer models, respectively. We present the GGN model architecture and operational steps to assist neuroscientists or brain specialists in using dynamic functional connectivity information to detect neurological disorders. Furthermore, we suggest to merge our spatial-temporal graph generator design in upgrading the conventional CNN and GNN models with dynamic convolutional kernels for accuracy enhancement.

Correction: State-of-the-art advancements of atomically thin two-dimensional photocatalysts for energy conversion.

Correction for 'State-of-the-art advancements of atomically thin two-dimensional photocatalysts for energy conversion' by Wa Gao et al., Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 9594-9613, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CC02708A.

State-of-the-art advancements of atomically thin two-dimensional photocatalysts for energy conversion.

Excessive use of fossil fuels leads to energy shortages and environmental pollution, threatening human health and social development. As a clean, green, and sustainable technology, generation of renewable energy from solar light through photocatalysis has received increasing attention to cope with the impending energy and environmental crisis. The atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors with large surface area and abundant low-coordinate surface atoms prove to exhibit enormous potential to attain efficient photocatalytic performance. These 2D ultrathin materials can shorten the transport distance of charge carriers from the interior to the surface, enhance reactants' (e.g. CO2 and H2O) adsorption and activation to lower the energy barrier, promote specific reaction processes and inhibit competitive reactions, and regulate the efficiency and selectivity of the catalytic reaction. This Feature article provides a concise overview of the preparation, catalytic mechanism, strategies for boosting the photoconversion performance, various photocatalytic applications, and characterization techniques of atomically thin 2D semiconductors. The major challenges and opportunities of the ultrathin photocatalysts are also addressed. It is hoped that this review can provide useful guidelines toward further research on 2D nanocatalysts, and inspire practical applications of these unique materials for energy conversion.

In Situ Decoration of ZnSnO3 Nanosheets on the Surface of Hollow Zn2SnO4 Octahedrons for Enhanced Solar Energy Application.

Hierarchical ZnSnO3/Zn2SnO4 porous hollow octahedrons were constructed using the method of combining the acid etching process with the in situ decoration technique for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. The composite was used as photoanode of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), an overall 4.31% photovoltaic conversion efficiency was obtained, nearly a 73.1% improvement over the DSSCs that used Zn2SnO4 solid octahedrons. The composite was also determined to be a high-performance photocatalyst for the removal of heavy metal ion Cr (VI) and antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) in single and co-existing systems under simulated sunlight irradiation. It was remarkable that the composite displayed good reusability and stability in a co-existing system, and the simultaneous removal performance could be restored by a simple acid treatment. These improvements of solar energy utilization were ascribed to the synergetic effect of the hierarchical porous hollow morphology, the introduction of ZnSnO3 nanosheets, and the heterojunction formed between ZnSnO3 and Zn2SnO4, which could improve light harvesting capacity, expedite electron transport and charge-separation efficiencies.

Relapsed boyhood tibia polymicrobial osteomyelitis linked to dermatophytosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Relapsed childhood polymicrobial osteomyelitis associated with dermatophytosis has not been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report on a case of a 45-year-old man who had left tibial osteomyelitis for 29 years, accompanied by skin fungal infection of the ipsilateral heel for 20 years, and underwent a second operation due to recurrence of polymicrobial infection 6 years ago. The patient had a history of injury from a rusty object, which penetrated the anterior skin of the left tibia middle segment causing subsequent bone infection, but was asymptomatic after receiving treatments in 1983. The patient was physically normal until dermatophytosis occurred on the ipsilateral heel skin in 1998. The patient complained that the dermatophytosis was gradually getting worse, and the tibial wound site became itchy, red, and swollen. The left tibial infection resurged in May 2012, leading to the patient receiving debridement and antibiotic treatment. H&E and Gram-stained histology was performed on biopsy specimens of sequestrum and surrounding inflammatory tissue. Tissue culture and microbiology examination confirmed polymicrobial infection with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Corynebacterium and a fungus. Additionally, the patient also received potassium permanganate for dermatophytosis when he was admitted into the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Together with longitudinal follow-up of medical history, surgical findings, histopathological and microbiology culture evidence, we conclude that boyhood tibia polymicrobial osteomyelitis with S. aureus and Corynebacterium occurred in this patient, and the fungal activation of dermatophytosis may have led to osteomyelitis relapse.

Genome-wide detection of selective signals for fecundity traits in goats (Capra hircus).

Fecundity in livestock is an economically important complex quantitative trait that is influenced by both genetics and the environment. However, the underlying genetic mechanism of reproductive performance in goats has not been well investigated. To investigate the genomic basis of fecundity in goats, genomic sequencing data of the Jining grey goat (a high prolificacy breed in China) were collected, as well as data for other commonly available goat breeds, and a mass of genomic variants were generated after variation calling. We screened the Jining grey goat (20 individuals) using a selective sweep with the Asian wild goat population (5 individuals), and potential candidate genes were proposed, such as STIM1, ESR1, LRRC14B and SLC9A3. Among, STIM1 is a most promising one associated with high reproductive capacity. When compared to Chinese domestic goats with low fecundity (17 individuals), the genes including MLLT10, SPIRE2, TCF25, ZNF276 and FANCA were screened, and the SPIRE2 gene was thought to be associated with fecundity traits. Meanwhile, the functional enrichment of these candidate genes revealed that they were involved in biological processes of mammary gland morphogenesis, uterus development, gastrulation, mesoderm morphogenesis and formation, and blood vessel development, which might undergo natural or artificial selection during reproductive trait formation in goats. Thus, our findings could enrich the genetic basis of reproductive trait selection during goat domestication, which may serve to improve goat breeding practices.

Distinct expression trend of signature antigens of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis correlated with clinical outcomes.

The major limitations of clinical outcome predictions of osteomyelitis mediated by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are not specific and definitive. To this end, current studies aim to investigate host immune responses of trend changes of the iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) of IsdA, IsdB, IsdH, cell wall-modifying proteins of amidase (Amd) and glucosaminidase (Gmd), and secreted virulence factor of chemotaxis inhibitory protein S. aureus (CHIPS) and staphylococcal complement inhibitor (SCIN) longitudinally to discover their correlationship with clinical outcomes. A total of 55 patients with confirmed S. aureus infection of the long bone by clinical and laboratory methods were recruited for the study. Whole blood was collected at 0, 6, 12 months for the serum that was used to test IsdA, IsdB, IsdH, Gmd, Amd, CHIPS, and SCIN using a customized Luminex assay after clinical standard care parameters were collected. The patients were then divided into two groups: (1) infection controlled versus (2) adverse outcome based on clinical criteria for statistical analysis. We found that standard clinical parameters were unable to distinguish therapeutic outcomes. Significant overexpression of all antigens was confirmed in infection patients at 0-, 6-, and 12-month time points. A distinct expression trend and dynamic changes of IsdB, Amd, Gmd, and CHIPS were observed between infection controlled and adverse outcome patients, while the IsdA, IsdH, SCIN remained demonstrated no statistical significance. We conclude that dynamic changes of specific antigens could predict clinical outcomes of S. aureus osteomyelitis. Clinical Relevance: The trend changes of host immune responses to S. aureus specific antigens of IsdB, Gmd, Amd, and CHIPS could predict clinical outcomes of S. aureus osteomyelitis.

Characterization, functional analysis, and expression levels of three carbonic anhydrases in response to pH and saline-alkaline stresses in the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda.

Carbonate alkalinity, salinity, and pH are three important stress factors for aquatic animals in saline-alkaline water. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) catalyze the reversible reaction of CO2 reported to play an important role in the acid-base regulation in vertebrates. To explore the molecular mechanism of CAs efficacy in shrimp after their transfer into saline-alkaline water, the cDNAs of three CAs (EcCAc, EcCAg, and EcCAb) were cloned from Exopalaemon carinicauda. Sequence analysis showed that EcCAc and EcCAg both possessed a conserved α-CA domain and a proton acceptor site, and EcCAb contained a Pro-CA domain. Tissue expression analysis demonstrated that EcCAc and EcCAg were most abundantly in gills, and EcCAb was highly expressed in muscle. The cumulative mortalities remained below 25% under exposure to pH (pH 6 and pH 9), low salinity (5 ppt), or high carbonate alkalinity (5 and 10 mmol/L) after 72 h of exposure. However, mortalities increased up to 70% under extreme saline-alkaline stress (salinity 5 ppt, carbonate alkalinity 10 mmol/L, and pH 9) after 14 days of exposure. The EcCAc and EcCAg expressions in gills were significantly upregulated during the early period of pH and saline-alkaline stresses, while the EcCAb expressions showed no regular or large changes. The two-way ANOVA found significant interactions between salinity and carbonate alkalinity observed in EcCAc, EcCAg, and EcCAb expressions (p < 0.05). Furthermore, an RNA interference experiment resulted in increased mortality of EcCAc- and EcCAg-silenced prawns under saline-alkaline stress. EcCAc knockdown reduced expressions of Na+/H+ exchanger (EcNHE) and sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (EcNBC), and EcCAg knockdown reduced EcCAc, EcNHE, EcNBC, and V-type H+-ATPase (EcVTP) expressions. These results suggest EcCAc and EcCAg as important modulators in response to pH and saline-alkaline stresses in E. carinicauda.

Immune response of Exopalaemon carinicauda infected with an AHPND-causing strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

To investigate the immune response of Exopalaemon carinicauda infected with an AHPND-causing strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VPAHPND), three-generation breeding of shrimp selected for their survival to VPAHPND infection was applied to explore the relationship between immune parameters and AHPND-resistant capacity of E. carinicauda. In this study, the LD50 dose of 48 h and survival rates at 144 h of shrimp to VPAHPND increased from 106.0 to 106.6 cfu ml-1 and from 26.67% to 36.67% by three successive generations selection, respectively, while there was no significant difference between the first and second generation (p > .05). Then the immune parameters including vibrio density, total hemocyte counts (THCs), hemocyanin (HEM) concentration, antibacterial activity, activities of four immune enzymes, and expressions of eight immune-related genes were determined in the shrimp of the first (G1) and the third selective generation (G3). The results showed that the shrimp in G1 and G3 generation cleared most of VPAHPND infecting hepatopancreas during 24 h and 6 h post injection, respectively. The levels of THCs, HEM concentration, antibacterial activity, immune enzymes including lysozyme (LZM) activity, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity in cell-free hemolymph, and the expression levels of Tollip, ALF, cathepsin B in hemocytes and hepatopancreas, crustin, LZM, SR in hepatopancreas and LGBP in hemocytes were higher in G3 generation than in G1 generation after infection with VPAHPND, suggesting that these parameters may serve as potential disease-resistant indicators for evaluating the physiological status and disease-resistant capability of shrimp when infected with VPAHPND. To further test the role of above genes in the shrimp immune response, RNAi was used to suppress their expressions and a significant decrease in survival was observed in knockdown shrimp infected with VPAHPND as compared to controls.

Epidemiological, Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Patients with Post-Traumatic Osteomyelitis of Limb Fractures in Southwest China: A Hospital-Based Study.

Objective To determine the epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics, of patients with post-traumatic osteomyelitis of extremity fractures, and provide evidence-based guidelines for early diagnosis and treatment, including empiric antibiotic therapy. Methods Human subject research was performed using institutional review board approved protocols. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 5,368 patients diagnosed with extremity traumatic fractures from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015, to identify osteomyelitis patients. Records from the Microbiology Department were reviewed, and patients with a positive wound culture, or bone biopsy culture, were selected for the study. Microbial suceptability was determined by the M-100-S22 protocol (Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute® (CLSI) 2012 USA). Additional clinical information, including data on patients' baseline epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological records was collected from all available charts, and reviewed using a designed protocol. Results 84 (1.56%) patients were diagnosed with osteomyelitis based on a positive culture result. The most prevalent comorbidities in these patients were compartment syndrome, diabetes and hypertension. The most commonly involved infected site was the tibia-fibula (47.62%). 66 (78.57%) of these cases were monomicrobial, and 18 cases (21.43%) were polymicrobial. The infections were predominantly caused by Gram-positive bacteria (56, 53.85%). The most common Gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (39 cases, 37.50%) and S. epidermidis (6 cases, 5.77%), which were sensitive to ampicillin, synercid/ dalfopristin, linezolid, tigecycline, macrodantin, and vancomycin. S. aureus was the most common pathogen in both monomicrobial and polymicrobial cases. All 17 cases of MRSA infection were sensitive to Imezolid, ampicillin, synercid/ dalfopristin, linezolid, tigecycline, furadantin, piperacillin/yaz, rifampicin, and vancomycin, respectively. The most common Gram-negative bacteria were E. coli (16 cases, 15.38%) and Enterobacter cloacae (11 cases, 10.58%), which were sensitive to thienamycin. Conclusions In this study, the overall rate of post-traumatic osteomyelitis of limb fractures (1.56%) is lower than the national average rate (2.6-7.8%), for major medical centers in China. The main medical comorbidities were compartment syndrome, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The most common infection was monomicrobial in lower extremities. S. aureus was the most common pathogen, which presented in 39 (37.50%) cases, and 17 of these (43.59%) were caused by MRSA. These findings can guide empiric antibiotic therapy in Southwest China for osteomyelitis in patients with traumatic limb fractures.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of a dye-sensitized solar cell using graphene-TiO2 photoanode prepared by a novel in situ simultaneous reduction-hydrolysis technique.

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of a DSSC using graphene-TiO2 photoelectrodes prepared by our recent in situ simultaneous reduction-hydrolysis technique (Adv. Funct. Mater., 2012, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201202349, in press) was achieved. The DSSCs based on the G-TiO2 nanocomposites improved their overall energy conversion efficiency to 7.1%. The results prove that the promoting effect of graphene is strongly dependent on its content; namely, the efficiency of DSSCs increases and then decreases with increasing graphene content in TiO2-graphene composites. Excessive graphene in the nanocomposite leads to a decrease of the light harvest of dye molecules and thus a negative effect on the power conversion efficiency of DSSCs.

Controllable growth of dendritic ZnO nanowire arrays on a stainless steel mesh towards the fabrication of large area, flexible dye-sensitized solar cells.

Well-defined ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with controlled dendritic structures were successfully built on a stainless steel mesh and utilized as photoanodes for the fabrication of large-area, flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The dendritic nanostructure proves favorable for the improvement of the overall light conversion efficiency of the DSSC. An optimized etching time for the affixion of ZnO seeds on the ZnO backbone of the dendritic "tree" and the controlled growth conditions of the branch NW are critical to achieve high conversion efficiency solar cells.

Ultrathin, single-crystal WO(3) nanosheets by two-dimensional oriented attachment toward enhanced photocatalystic reduction of CO(2) into hydrocarbon fuels under visible light.

An ultrathin, single-crystal WO3 nanosheet of ∼4-5 nm in thickness, corresponding to six repeating unit cells of monoclinic WO3 along the c axis, was synthesized with laterally oriented attachment of tiny WO3 nanocrystals formed using a solid-liquid phase arc discharge route in an aqueous solution. Size-quantization effects in this ultrathin nanostructure alter the WO3 band gap to enable the nanosheet to exhibit enhanced performance for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 in the presence of water in hydrocarbon fuels that do not exist in its bulk form.

Vertically building Zn2SnO4 nanowire arrays on stainless steel mesh toward fabrication of large-area, flexible dye-sensitized solar cells.

Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire arrays were for the first time grown onto a stainless steel mesh (SSM) in a binary ethylenediamine (En)/water solvent system using a solvothermal route. The morphology evolution following this reaction was carefully followed to understand the formation mechanism. The SSM-supported Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire was utilized as a photoanode for fabrication of large-area (10 cm × 5 cm size as a typical sample), flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The synthesized Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowires exhibit great bendability and flexibility, proving potential advantage over other metal oxide nanowires such as TiO(2), ZnO, and SnO(2) for application in flexible solar cells. Relative to the analogous Zn(2)SnO(4) nanoparticle-based flexible DSSCs, the nanowire geometry proves to enhance solar energy conversion efficiency through enhancement of electron transport. The bendable nature of the DSSCs without obvious degradation of efficiency and facile scale up gives the as-made flexible solar cell device potential for practical application.

Bioinspired synthesis of hierarchically micro/nano-structured CuI tetrahedron and its potential application as adsorbent for Cd(II) with high removal capacity.

An environment friendly bioinspired strategy for synthesizing hierarchically micro/nano-structured CuI tetrahedron has been developed by combining the stabilization and the reduction performances of l-tryptophan together. A possible growth mechanism of such hierarchical tetrahedron is tentatively proposed. Remarkably, such CuI tetrahedron is found to possess high removal capacity for poisonous Cd(II) ions, 136.3mg/g, and ideal reusability. This is ascribed to the hierarchical micro/nano-structure and chemical adsorption mechanism, which shows great advantages over the traditional nano-scaled adsorbents. These interesting results stand out the promising applications of such hierarchically micro/nano-structured materials in environment. It is also a good example for the organic combination of green chemistry and nanotechnologies for the treatment of contaminated water.

Transferrable superhydrophobic surface constructed by a hexagonal CuI powder without modification by low-free-energy materials.

A new route combining a facile wet-chemical process and spin coating was developed to fabricate a CuI film assembled by hexagonal crystals. Remarkably, such a CuI film displays excellent superhydrophobicity without further modification by low-free-energy materials (thiol or fluoroalkylsilane). The special wettability is attributed to a hierarchical morphology of CuI crystals with two length-scale roughnesses and the nature of the material itself. Importantly, this superhydrophobicity is quite stable and the water contact angle of the as-prepared sample only decreases slightly, even when it is kept in air for about half a year. The superhydrophobicity of the as-prepared CuI powder is a bulk property of the material and not just of its surface, so such a powder coating could then prove useful in conferring superhydrophobicity to other surfaces to which it is applied. These facts might improve its practical application with environmental friendship in superhydrophobic coatings.