The development of high-performance plasma-facing materials (PFMs) is one of the key issues in realizing the safe application of nuclear fusion reactors. The extreme working environment of PFMs in fusion devices is primarily characterized by high thermal load, high-energy particle bombardment, and high flux hydrogen (H)/helium (He) plasma irradiation. Tungsten and its alloys are promising plasma-facing materials (PFM) that were used for the international thermonuclear experimental (ITER) divertor and have been regarded as the most promising plasma materials for future fusion reactors.

Titanium dioxide (Titania) has been utilized in photocatalysis since the discovery of the early 1970s. Since then, researchers have developed a variety of methods to tune the nanostructure and the composition to optimize the photocatalytic efficiency. Compared with nanoparticles or the bulk materials, nanotubular-structure titania possesses larger specific surface area and stronger adsorption capacity that results to a better photocatalytic effect. These unique chemical and physical properties allow titania nanotubes (TNT) to be widely used in sewage treatment, air purification, and sterilization areas.

Thermal sprayed cemented carbides such as WC–Co(Cr) and Cr3C2–NiCr coatings are well known and widely used for wear protection purposes. Nanocarbides in cermets have shown promising results in gaining the hardness , wear performance in abrasion, cavitation  or slurry type of wear conditions. Even friction properties have been reported to be improved by the use of nanocarbides. The driving force for reducing the carbide grain size comes from the fact that, as the carbide size becomes smaller, the binder mean free path is reduced, resulting in higher resistance to deformation and material loss. Many researchers have pursued such a hypothesis so as to improve the wear performance of HVOF WC–Co by reducing the WC grain size to the nanoscale.

The global energy demand has increased due to rapid population growth. The depletion of energy sources and increase in energy demand have urged researchers worldwide to study the electrochemical energy storages system, such as batteries, conventional dielectric capacitors, and fuel cells. Supercapacitors are one of the electrochemical capacitors that have attracted much research interest because of their long cycle life, high power density, excellent reversibility, environment friendly and higher safety.

Tungsten is one of the most important high-tech metals, and its high-purity products are vital for developing advanced materials. Wolframite and scheelite have been used as main resources for tungsten extraction. However, the high-quality wolframite and scheelite resources reduced with the continuously exploitation and utilization and the tungsten deposits with high content of impurities must be exploited. As one of the main impurities, phosphorus significantly affects the quality of the ammonium paratungstate (APT) products. In order to obtain qualified APT, the phosphorus impurity contained in tungsten deposits must be removed in the process of tungsten hydrometallurgy.

As one of the most promising candidates for plasma-facing material (PFM) in future fusion reactors, tungsten was extensively investigated in recent years. However, even though tungsten has many advantages like high melting point, high thermal conductivity, low tritium inventory and low erosion rate under plasma loading, there still exist some disadvantages such as high ductile–brittle transition temperature (DBTT), low recrystallization temperature (RCT), irradiation induced hardening, and so on.

Many types of herbicides and pesticides can be used for the growth inhibition of weeds and protection of crops from insect pests. However, through the transfer of wastewater that contains residual herbicides and pesticides, groundwater and rivers can be polluted. Many crops contain 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), as it was considered a main ingredient for more than 1500 herbicides and pesticides. It is a carcinogenic and highly toxic pollutant that causes injury to the heart and central nervous system, and because of its high biological and chemical stability, it is very difficult to decompose