Cubic silver cages were prepared on monolithic activated carbon (MAC) pre-absorbed with Cl−, SO42−, or PO43− anions. Silver insoluble salts served as templates for the morphosynthesis of silver cages. The silver ions were reduced by reductive functional groups on MAC micropores through a galvanic cell reaction mechanism.

Photonic crystal coupled with plasmonic nanoparticle arrays to form a periodic plasmonic architecture was prepared by loading Au nanoparticles inside the inverse opal TiO2 film. The visible and near infrared light absorption was increased by 62% and the overall light-to-electricity conversion yield was thus increased by 41% compared with the control test.

Activated carbon (AC)-supported composites are emerging as a novel class of materials that hold great promise for environment-protecting applications. In this paper, we present an approach for the preparation of the AC–TiO2 composite with mold-pressing using pure anatase TiO2 and self-sinterable corn straw derivative as the carbon mesophase. In order to explore the effects of the carbon mesophase and some dopants on the phase transition of anatase to rutile TiO2, the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). It was discovered that the transition could be validly influenced by the sort and content of the adulterants. As a result, the ratio between anatase and rutile could be controlled in order to improve the photocatalysis and sensing properties of TiO2. Therefore, a method for preparing the formed AC–TiO2 composite powders and monoliths with controllable anatase phase proportion for different applications could be established.

Well-defined silver dendritic nanostructures have been prepared in large quantities in an ambient environment using formed activated carbon (FAC) only. A reasonable mechanism (step 1: reduction by surface reductive groups; step 2: growing in the form of a galvanic cell) is suggested.

Hydroxyapatite–polymer composite materials, as biological bone tissue materials, have become an important research direction. In this paper, the calcium carbonate from the crabshells was transformed into hydroxyapatite by a hydrothermal process. According to the method that we called Biomorphic Mineralization synthesis, we obtained a novel kind of hydroxyapatite-chitosan composite materials which reserved the natural perfect structure of the original crabshells. Benefited from its fine micro-structure as the crabshells, this kind of materials held a high value of tensile modulus, which is expected to be promising bone tissue engineering applications.

Well-defined silver dendritic nanostructures have been prepared in large quantities in an ambient environment using formed activated carbon (FAC) only. A reasonable mechanism (step 1: reduction by surface reductive groups; step 2: growing in the form of a galvanic cell) is suggested.

Photonic crystal coupled with plasmonic nanoparticle arrays to form a periodic plasmonic architecture was prepared by loading Au nanoparticles inside the inverse opal TiO2 film. The visible and near infrared light absorption was increased by 62% and the overall light-to-electricity conversion yield was thus increased by 41% compared with the control test.

Cubic silver cages were prepared on monolithic activated carbon (MAC) pre-absorbed with Cl−, SO42−, or PO43− anions. Silver insoluble salts served as templates for the morphosynthesis of silver cages. The silver ions were reduced by reductive functional groups on MAC micropores through a galvanic cell reaction mechanism.