Reactive template-derived interfacial engineering of CoP/CoO heterostructured porous nanotubes towards superior electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The development of economical,efficient,and robust electrocatalysts toward the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)is highly imperative for the rapid advancement of renewable H2 energy-associated technologies.Extensive utilization of the heterointerface effect can endow the catalysts with remarkably boosted electrocatalytic performance due to the modified electronic state of active sites.Herein,we demonstrate deliberate crafting of CoP/CoO heterojunction porous nanotubes(abbreviated as CoP/CoO PNTs hereafter)using a self-sacrificial template-engaged strategy.Precise control over the Kirkendall diffusion process of the presynthesized cobalt–aspartic acid complex nanowires is indispensable for the formation of CoP/CoO heterostructures.The topochemical transformation strategy of the reactive templates enables uniform and maximized construction of CoP/CoO heterojunctions throughout all the porous nanotubes.The establishment of CoP/CoO heterojunctions could considerably modify the electronic configuration of the active sites and also improve the electric conductivity,which endows the resultant CoP/CoO PNTs with enhanced intrinsic activity.Simultaneously,the hollow and porous nanotube architectures allow sufficient accessibility of exterior/interior surfaces and molecular permeability,drastically promoting the reaction kinetics.Consequently,when used as HER electrocatalysts,the well-designed CoP/CoO PNTs show Pt-like activity,with an overpotential of only 61 mV at 10mA cm^(−2) and excellent stability in 1.0M KOH medium,exceeding those of the vast majority of the previously reported nonprecious candidates.Density functional theory calculations further substantiate that the construction of CoP/CoO heterojunctions enables optimization of the Gibbs free energies for water adsorption and H adsorption,resulting in boosted HER intrinsic activity.The present study may provide in-depth insights into the fundamental mechanisms of heterojunction-induced electronic regulation,which may pave the way for the rational design of advanced Earth-abundant electrocatalysts in the future.

Coral reef-like polyanaline nanotubes prepared by a reactive template of manganese oxide for supercapacitor electrode

Coral reef-like PANI nanotubes composed of nanopaticles were successfully synthesized by a reactive template of manganese oxide.The structure was characterized by using SEM,TEM,and FT-IR,and the supercapacitive behaviors of these nanotubes were investigated with cyclic voltammetry（CV）,and charge-discharge tests,respectively.A maximum specific capacitance of 533 F/g could be achieved in 1mol/L aqueous H_2SO_4 with the potential range of -0.2 to 0.8 V（vs.the saturated calomel electrode） in a half-cell setup configuration for PANI electrode,suggesting its potential application in the electrode material for electrochemical capacitors.

Solution-phase synthesis of inorganic nanostructures by chemical transformation from reactive templates

The solution-phase synthesis by chemical transformation from reactive templates has proved to be very effective in morphology-controlled synthesis of inorganic nanostructures. This review paper summarizes the recent progress in solution-phase synthesis of one-dimensional and hollow inorganic nanostructures via reactive templates, focusing on the approaches developed in our lab. The formation mechanisms based on reactive templates are discussed in depth to show the general concepts for the preparation processes. An outlook on the future development in this area is also presented.

Multiple Confined-Zone-Based Nickel Hydrogenation Catalyst Made by Shanxi Institute of Coal Chemistry

The Shanxi Institute of Coal Chemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences has designed and prepared a multiple confined-zone-based nickel hydrogenation catalyst by means of the atomic layer deposition(ALD)technology.In comparison with the non-confined-zone based catalyst,the multiple confined-zone-based nickel catalyst possesses an enhanced catalytic reactivity and catalytic stability for hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde and nitrobenzene.

[001]-texturing of(K,Na)NbO_(3)-based piezoceramics with a pseudocubic structure and their application to piezoelectric devices

0.96(K_(0.5)Na_(0.5-z)Li_(z))(Nb_(0.92)Sb_(0.08))O_(3)-0.04(Ca_(0.5)Sr_(0.5))ZrO_(3)[(KN_(0.5-z)L_(z))NS-CSZ]piezoceramics(0≤z≤0.04)were aligned in the[001]orientation using 3%(in mole)NaNbO_(3)templates with a large Lotgering factor(>97%).Their crystal structures transformed from the orthorhombic-pseudocubic(O-P)structure to the orthorhombic-tetragonal-pseudocubic(O-T-P)structure with an increasing z.The P structure was interpreted as a rhombohedral R3m structure.The piezoelectricity of the compositions increased after[001]-texturing,and the enhancement was proportional to the O phase quantity.The composition(z=0.03)exhibited the highest piezoelectric constant(d_(33);670 pC/N)and electromechanical coupling factor(k_(p);0.56).Piezoelectric energy harvesters were produced using the untextured and textured samples(z=0.03).The textured harvester delivered a large power density of 26.6 mW/mm^(3),which was larger than that of the untextured harvester owing to the enhanced kp and d_(33)×g_(33) of the textured piezoceramic.A multilayer actuator was produced using the textured sample(z=0.03),and it exhibited a large acceleration(44.2 G)and displacement(±3,730 mm)at±25 V.Therefore,the[001]-textured(KN_(0.47)L_(0.03))NS-CSZ piezoceramic is suitable for piezoelectric energy harvesters and actuators.

Large electromechanical strain at high temperatures of novel <001> textured BiFeGaO3-BaTiO3 based ceramics

BiFeGaO3-BaTiO3(BFG-BT)based ceramics with a large piezoelectric coefficient are potential high performance lead-free piezoelectric compounds.In this work,textured and random BFG-BT ceramics were realized by the solid state reaction method with and without BaTiO3(BT)templates.Textured ceramics were obtained by a reactive templated grain growth(RTGG)method leading to a high-temperature electromechanical strain of S=0.27%at 40 kV/cm and to an effective piezoelectric coefficient(d33*)up to 685 pm/V at 180℃.The easy movement of oriented domains enhanced the electromechanical strain under an applied electric field in textured sample(Lotgering factor f=66.3%).Structural investigations reveal that the proportion and degree of distortion of BFG-BT rhombohedral phase(R3c)reached its maximum in textured ceramics,resulting in large ferrodistortive displacements under electric fields.In addition,the dense nanodomains with low domain wall energies,inferred from the high-resolution transmission electron microscope(HR-TEM)observations,contribute to the extra displacement of the textured sample under an applied electric field.In textured ceramics,the remnant polarization was stable(about 17μC/cm2)from room temperature to 180℃,contributing to the stable ferroelectric property at high temperatures.Through the introduction of BT templates,high-density nanodomains were formed and the Burns temperature was enhanced in textured ceramics.The electromechanical strain,polarization and dielectric behavior were correlated to the textured or random forms of the BFG-BT based ceramics.