Self-templated formation of twin-like metal-organic framework nanobricks as pre-catalysts for efficient water oxidation

Fabrication of single-crystalline metal-organic framework(MOF)hollow nanostructures with two-dimensional(2D)morphologies is a challenging task.Herein,twin-like MOF nanobricks,a quasi-hollow 2D architecture,with multi-metal nodes and replaceable organic ligands,are uniformly and firmly grown on conductive Ni foam through a generic one-pot approach.The formation process of twin-like MOF nanobricks mainly includes selective epitaxial growth of Fe-rich MOF layer and simultaneously dissolution of the pre-formed Ni-rich metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),all of which can be ascribed to a special self-templated mechanism.The fantastic structural merits of twin-like MOF nanobrick arrays,featuring highly exposed active sites,remarkable electrical conductivity,and hierarchical porosities,enable this material for efficient electrocatalysis.Using bimetallic NiFe-MOFs grown on Ni foam as an example,the resultant twin-like nanobrick arrays can be directly utilized as three-dimensional(3D)integrated electrode for high-performance water oxidation in 1 M KOH with a low overpotential,fast reaction kinetics(28.5 mV·dec^(-1)),and superb stability.Interestingly,the unstable NiFe-MOFs were served as an oxygen evolution reaction(OER)pre-catalyst and the single-crystalline NiFe-MOF precursor can be in-situ topochemically regulated into porous and lowcrystalline NiFeOx nanosheets during the OER process.This work extends the hollowing strategy to fabricate hollow MOFs with 2D architectures and highlights their direct utilization for advanced electrocatalysis.

Tunable ultrathin dual-phase P-doped Bi_(2)MoO_(6) nanosheets for advanced lithium and sodium storage

The construction of electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)and sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)has gradually been an appealing and attractive technology in energy storage research field.In the present work,a facile strategy of synthesizing ultrathin amorphous/nanocrystal dual-phase P-doped Bi_(2)MoO_(6)(denoted as P-BiMO)nanosheets via a one-step wet-chemical synthesis approach is explored.Quite distinct from conventional two-dimensional(2D)nanosheets,our newly developed ultrathin P-BiMO nanosheets exhibit a unique tunable amorphous/nanocrystalline dual-phase structure with several compelling advantages including fast ion exchange ability and superb volume change buffer capability.The experimental results reveal that our prepared P-BiMO-6 electrode delivers an excellent reversible capacity of 509.6 mA·g^(−1) after continuous 1,500 cycles at the current densities of 1,500 mA·g^(−1) and improved rate performance for LIBs.In the meanwhile,the P-BiMO-6 electrode also shows a reversible capacity of 300.6 mA·g^(−1) after 100 cycles at 50 mA·g^(−1) when being used as the SIBs electrodes.This present work uncovers an effective dual-phase nanosheet structure to improve the performance of batteries,providing an attractive paradigm to develop superior electrode materials.

Nacre-liked material with tough and post-tunable mechanical properties

Biomaterials,often imparted time-dependent mechanical properties,which are promising in fields rang-ing from sensors to robotics.Here,a facile method was proposed to fabricate post-tunable mechanical properties composites based on hydrogels and ceramic nanofiller.The wide tunable range of Young’s modulus(27.3 kPa to 3.5 GPa)and ultimate stress(173 kPa to 102 MPa)can be achieved by combining solvent absorption and evaporation process with platelets reinforcement effect.Additionally,a large fracture toughness(∼32,000 J m^(-2))is obtained as a result of the nacre-liked“brick and mortar”structure introduced by shear force during fabrication.The superior flexibility and designability of this material were demonstrated via actuators,portable structure,and metamaterials.Above all,this study provides a new thought to fabricate tough materials with post-tunable mechanical properties.