Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces have been extensively investigated due to their importance for industrial applications. It has been reported, however, that superhydrophobic surfaces are very sensitive to heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, and electric potential, which interfere with their long-term durability. In this study, we introduce a novel approach to achieve robust superhydrophobic thin films by designing architecture-defined complex nanostructures. A family of ZnO hollow microspheres with controlled constituent architectures in the morphologies of 1D nanowire networks, 2D nanosheet stacks, and 3D mesoporous nanoball blocks, respectively, was synthesized via a two-step self-assembly approach, where the oligomers or the constituent nanostructures with specially designed structures are first formed from surfactant templates, and then further assembled into complex morphologies by the addition of a second co-surfactant. The thin films composed of two-step synthesized ZnO hollow microspheres with different architectures presented superhydrophobicities with contact angles of 150°-155°, superior to the contact angle of 103° for one-step synthesized ZnO hollow microspheres with smooth and solid surfaces. Moreover, the robust superhydrophobicity was further improved by perfluorinated silane surface modification. The perfluorinated silane treated ZnO hollow microsphere thin films maintained excellent hydrophobicity even after 75 h of UV irradiation. The realization of environmentally durable superhydrophobic surfaces provides a promising solution for their long-term service under UV or strong solar light irradiations.

The morphology and electronic structure of a Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode are known to determine its electrical and electrochemical properties in lithium rechargeable batteries. Ag–Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers have been rationally designed and synthesized by an electrospinning technique to meet the requirements of one-dimensional (1D) morphology and superior electrical conductivity. Herein, we have found that the 1D Ag–Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers show enhanced specific capacity, rate capability, and cycling stability compared to bare Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers, due to the Ag nanoparticles (< 5 nm), which are mainly distributed at interfaces between Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ primary particles. This structural morphology gives rise to 20% higher rate capability than bare Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers by facilitating the charge transfer kinetics. Our findings provide an effective way to improve the electrochemical performance of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes for lithium rechargeable batteries.