Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method of synthesizing a composite usably for oil-water separation comprising surface nanostructuring a pristine powder or porous material to form a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features; and coating single or multilayers of one or more low surface energy oligomers, polymers, or their composites with other materials on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a method of synthesizing a composite usably for oil-water separation comprising surface nanostructuring a pristine powder or porous material to form a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features; and coating single or multilayers of one or more low surface energy oligomers, polymers, or their composites with other materials on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material.

Abstract: This invention relates to a photocatalytic material, a hot water process method to synthesize the photocatalytic material and a method for water treatment with the photocatalytic material. The photocatalytic material includes metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures synthesized from a metallic material by a hot water process, wherein the hot water process comprises treating the metallic material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form the metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures on a surface of the metallic material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a composite for oil-water separation, synthesis methods and applications of the same. The composite includes a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features, formed from a pristine powder or porous material by a surface nanostructuring process, and single or multilayers of a low surface energy oligomer or polymer coated on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material. The composite is hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic) and oleophilic (or superoleophilic) operably repelling water and absorbing oil, or oleophobic (or superoleophobic) and hydrophilic (or superhydrophilic) operably repelling oil and absorbing water.

Abstract: Density modulated thin film electrodes, methods of making the same, and applications of the same. The density modulated thin film electrode includes a substrate formed of a current collecting material, and a thin film formed of an electrode material on the substrate. The thin film has a first surface and an opposite, second surface, and a density that is changed with a distance defined from the first surface to a plane in the thin film, the plane being parallel to the first surface. The method includes depositing the electrode material on the substrate to form the thin film, where, during deposition of the electrode material, a pressure of an operating gas is controlled and changed to a predetermined pressure value according to a deposited thickness of the electrode material, so as to make the density of the thin film changed with the distance.

Abstract: A method of forming metal oxide nanostructures on a metallic material includes applying a hot water process to the metallic material, which includes treating the metallic material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form metal oxide nanostructures on a surface of the metallic material, where the treated metallic material with metal oxide nanostructures under the hot water process has a high surface area that is higher than its pristine surface area of the metallic material. Also, a method of depositing metal oxide nanostructures on a target material includes applying a hot water process to a source metallic material and the target material, which includes treating the source metallic material and the target material with hot water under a treatment condition for a period of time so as to form metal oxide nanostructures on a surface of the target material.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the invention relate to a composite for oil-water separation, synthesis methods and applications of the same. The composite includes a nanostructured powder or porous material having surfaces with nanoscale features, formed from a pristine powder or porous material by a surface nanostructuring process, and single or multilayers of a low surface energy oligomer or polymer coated on the surfaces of the nanostructured powder or porous material. The composite is hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic) and oleophilic (or superoleophilic) operably repelling water and absorbing oil, or oleophobic (or superoleophobic) and hydrophilic (or superhydrophilic) operably repelling oil and absorbing water.

Abstract: Density modulated thin film electrodes, methods of making the same, and applications of the same. The density modulated thin film electrode includes a substrate formed of a current collecting material, and a thin film formed of an electrode material on the substrate. The thin film has a first surface and an opposite, second surface, and a density that is changed with a distance defined from the first surface to a plane in the thin film, the plane being parallel to the first surface. The method includes depositing the electrode material on the substrate to form the thin film, where, during deposition of the electrode material, a pressure of an operating gas is controlled and changed to a predetermined pressure value according to a deposited thickness of the electrode material, so as to make the density of the thin film changed with the distance.

Abstract: A method of bonding two substrates and a corresponding bonded structure are described. The method includes forming a first nanostructure layer comprising nanostructures on a first substrate. A second substrate is contacted with the first nanostructure layer. The first nanostructure layer is heated at a heating temperature below a melting temperature of the first and second substrates. The first nanostructure layer is cooled after heating the nanostructure layer such that the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for fabricating an integrated circuit entail directing a vapor flux toward a substrate surface from a plurality of directions associated with a plurality of azimuth angles, and selecting a deposition angle of the vapor flux, relative to a normal incidence, to obtain a substantially conformal film. The surface feature can be associated with, for example, one or more vias and/or one or more trenches.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for fabricating an integrated circuit entail directing a vapor flux toward a substrate surface from a plurality of directions associated with a plurality of azimuth angles, and selecting a deposition angle of the vapor flux, relative to a normal incidence, to obtain a substantially conformal film. The surface feature can be associated with, for example, one or more vias and/or one or more trenches.