Professor Can Wang from Tianjin University and Professor Zhurui Shen from Nankai University have achieved significant results in their collaborative research. In this study, monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x was prepared by etching and exfoliating Ti₃AlC₂, and then TiO₂/monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x (T/mT) was synthesized. The surface functional groups enhance the hydrophilicity and surface energy, and a Schottky heterojunction is formed with TiO₂, which improves the photocatalytic activity. Meanwhile, the hybrid material can closely bind to Escherichia coli cells and has a high affinity for cell membrane proteins. Experiments show that it has a high charge separation and transfer efficiency, a strong photocurrent signal, and low impedance. In the photocatalytic reaction device, the sterilization efficiency of T/mT reaches 3.3 log in only 12.8 seconds, far exceeding that of TiO₂. The various components and chemical bonds of cells have been damaged to varying degrees by active substances. This achievement points the way for the molecular structure design of photocatalytic air disinfection technology and is of far-reaching significance for promoting the progress of air disinfection technology.

Optical atomic clocks can increase the precision of time and geographic position a thousandfold in our mobile phones, computers, and GPS systems. However, they are currently too large and complex to be widely used in society. Now, a research team from Purdue University, USA, and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has developed a technology that, with the help of on-chip microcombs, could make ultra-precise optical atomic clock systems significantly smaller and more accessible – with significant benefits for navigation, autonomous vehicles, and geo-data monitoring.