1.  Mu L, Yang S, Hao B, Ma PC*. Ternary silicone sponge with enhanced mechanical properties for oil-water separation. Polymer Chemistry, 2015, 6, 5869-5875.

■ Sponge-like silicone polymers were obtained from a mixture of silanes with di-, tri- and tetra-functional groups. The optimized material exhibited enhanced mechanical properties and stable adsorption capacities for various organic solvents, as well as an excellent recyclability for oil–water separations.

2.  Yang SD, Chen L, Mu L, Hao B, Ma PC*. Low cost carbon fiber aerogel derived from bamboo for the adsorption of oils and organic solvents with excellent performances.RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 38470-38478.

■ Ultralight, fire-resistant, and flexible carbon fiber aerogels as recyclable oil adsorbents are prepared by using disposable bamboo chopsticks as precursor. The aerogel can be recycled for many times by distillation, combustion or squeezing, making the material satisfy the requirements for oil-water separation.

3.  Chen L, Yang S, Hao B, Ruan J, Ma PC*. Preparation of fiber-based plasmonic photocatalyst and its photocatalytic performance under the visible light. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2015, 166-167, 287-294.

■ Fiber-based plasmonic photocatalyst with hierarchical structures was developed. The materials showed enhanced photocatalytic performance and reusability under the visible light thanks to the efficient capability to separate photo-generated electron–hole pairs in the sample.