Mass-Based Environmental Factor and Energy Assessment of Microwave-Assisted Synthesized Transition Metal Nanostructures

This paper describes mass-based energy phase-space projection of microwave-assisted synthesis of transition metals (zinc oxide, palladium, silver, platinum, and gold) nanostructures. The projection uses process energy budget (measured in kJ) on the horizontal axes and process density (measured in kJg−1) on the vertical axes. These two axes allow both mass usage efficiency (Environmental-Factor) and energy efficiency to be evaluated for a range of microwave applicator and metal synthesis. The metrics are allied to the: second, sixth and eleventh principle of the twelve principle of Green Chemistry. This analytical approach to microwave synthesis (widely considered as a useful Green Chemistry energy source) allows a quantified dynamic environmental quotient to be given to renewable plant-based biomass associated with the reduction of the metal precursors. Thus allowing a degree of quantification of claimed “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” synthesis with regard to waste production and energy usage.

Tailored BiVO_(4)/In_(2)O_(3)nanostructures with boosted charge separation ability toward unassisted water splitting

The development of new heterostructures with high photoactivity is a breakthrough for the limitation of solar-driven water splitting.Here,we first introduce indium oxide(In_(2)O_(3))nanorods(NRs)as a novel electron transport layer for bismuth vanadate(BiVO_(4))with a short charge diffusion length.In_(2)O_(3)NRs reinforce the electron transport and hole blocking of BiVO_(4),surpassing the state-of-the-art photoelectrochemical performances of BiVO_(4)-based photoanodes.Also,a tannin-nickel-iron complex(TANF)is used as an oxygen evolution catalyst to speed up the reaction kinetics.The final TANF/BiVO_(4)/In_(2)O_(3)NR photoanode generates photocurrent densities of 7.1 mAcm^(−2) in sulfite oxidation and 4.2 mA cm^(−2) in water oxidation at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode.Furthermore,the“artificial leaf,”which is a tandem cell with a perovskite/silicon solar cell,shows a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 6.2%for unbiased solar water splitting.We reveal significant advances in the photoactivity of TANF/BiVO_(4)/In_(2)O_(3)NRs from the tailored nanostructure and band structure for charge dynamics.

Vertical 3D Nanostructures Boost Efficient Hydrogen Production Coupled with Glycerol Oxidation Under Alkaline Conditions

Hydrogen production from electrolytic water is an important sustainable technology to realize renewable energy conversion and carbon neutrality.However,it is limited by the high overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)at the anode.To reduce the operating voltage of electrolyzer,herein thermodynamically favorable glycerol oxidation reaction(GOR)is proposed to replace the OER.Moreover,vertical Ni O flakes and NiMoNH nanopillars are developed to boost the reaction kinetics of anodic GOR and cathodic hydrogen evolution,respectively.Meanwhile,excluding the explosion risk of mixed H_2/O_(2),a cheap organic membrane is used to replace the expensive anion exchange membrane in the electrolyzer.Impressively,the electrolyzer delivers a remarkable reduction of operation voltage by 280 mV,and exhibits good long-term stability.This work provides a new paradigm of hydrogen production with low cost and good feasibility.

Titania Nanostructures for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Titania is one kind of important materials, which has been extensively investigated because of its unique electronic and optical properties. Research efforts have largely focused on the optimization of the dye,but recently the titania nanostructures electrode itself has attracted more attention. It has been shown that particle size, shape, crystallinity, surface morphology, and chemistry of the TiO_2 material are key parameters which should be controlled for optimized performance of the solar cell. Titania can be found in different shape of nanostructures including mesoporous, nanotube, nanowire, and nanorod structures. The present article reviews the structural, synthesis, electronic, and optical properties of TiO_2 nanostructures for dye sensitized solar cells.

Green Chemistry Allometry Test of Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Transition Metal Nanostructures

Microwave irradiation is considered an important approach to Green Chemistry, because of its ability to rapidly increase the internal temperature of polar-organic compounds that lead to synthesis times of minutes rather than hours when compared to conventional thermal heating. This works describes a dual allometry test for the discrimination between the solvents and reagents used in the microwave-assisted synthesis of transition metal (zinc oxide, palladium silver, platinum, and gold) nanostructures. The test is performed in log-log process energy phase-space projection, where the synthesis data (kJ against kJ·mol-1) has a power-law signature. The test is shown to discriminate between recommended Green Chemistry, problematic Green Chemistry, and Green Chemistry hazardous solvents. Typically, recommended Green chemistry exhibits a broad y-axes distribution within an upper exponent = 1 and lower exponent = 0.5. Problematic Green Chemistry exhibits a y-axes narrower distribution with an upper exponent = 0.94 and lower exponent = 0.64. Non-Green Chemistry hazardous data exhibits a further narrowing of the y-axes distribution within upper exponent = 0.87 and lower exponent = 0.66. In all three cases, the y-axes is aligned to original database power-law signature. It is also shown that in the x-axes direction (process energy budget) the grouped order of magnitude decreases from four orders for recommended Green Chemistry solvent and reagent data, through two orders for non-Green Chemistry hazardous material and down to one order for problematic Green Chemistry.

Piezoresistive behavior of elastomer composites with segregated network of carbon nanostructures and alumina

Electrically conductive elastomer composites(CECs)with segregated networks of conductive nanofillers show high potential in stretchable strain sensors due to balanced mechanical and electrical properties,yet the sensitivity at low strain is generally insufficient for practical application.Herein,we report an easy and effective way to improve the resistive response to low strain for CECs with segregated network structure via adding stiff alumina into carbon nanostructures(CNS).The CEC containing 0.7 wt%CNS and 5 wt%Al_(2)O_(3) almost sustains the same elasticity(elongation at break of~900%)and conductivity(0.8 S/m)as the control,while the piezoresistive sensitivity is significantly improved.Thermoplastic polyurethane(TPU)composites with a segregated network of hybrid nanofillers(CNS and Al_(2)O_(3))show much higher strain sensitivity(Gauge factor,GF-566)at low strain(45%strain)due to a local stress concentration effect,this sensitivity is superior to that of TPU/CNS composites(GF-11).Such a local stress concentration effect depends on alumina content and its distribution at the TPU particle interface.In addition,CECs with hybrid fillers show better reproducibility in cyclic piezoresistive behavior testing than the control.This work offers an easy method for fabricating CECs with a segregated filler network offering stretchable strain sensors with a high strain sensitivity.

Morphological features and nanostructures generated during SiC graphitization process

Surface morphological features and nanostructures generated during SiC graphitization process can significantly affect fabrication of high-quality epitaxial graphene on semiconductor substrates.In this work,we investigate the surface morphologies and atomic structures during graphitization process of 4H-SiC(0001) using scanning tunneling microscopy.Our high-magnified scanning-tunneling-microscope images exhibit the appearance and gradual developments of SiC(1 × 1)nanostructures after 1100℃ cleaning treatments,irregularly distributed among carbon nanocaps and(√3×√3) reconstruction domains.A model for the formation and growth progression of SiC(1 × 1) nanostructures has been proposed.When post-annealing temperature reaches 1300 ℃,the nanoholes and nanoislands can be observed on the surface,and multilayer graphene is often detected lying on the top surface of those nanoislands.These results provide profound insights into the complex evolution process of surface morphology during SiC thermal decomposition and will shed light on fabrication of SiC nanostructures and graphene nanoflakes.

Generating micro/nanostructures on magnesium alloy surface using ultraprecision diamond surface texturing process

The lightness and high strength-to-weight ratio of the magnesium alloy have attracted more interest in various applications.However,micro/nanostructure generation on their surfaces remains a challenge due to the flammability and ignition.Motivated by this,this study proposed a machining process,named the ultraprecision diamond surface texturing process,to machine the micro/nanostructures on magnesium alloy surfaces.Experimental results showed the various microstructures and sawtooth-shaped nanostructures were successfully generated on the AZ31B magnesium alloy surfaces,demonstrating the effectiveness of this proposed machining process.Furthermore,sawtooth-shaped nanostructures had the function of inducing the optical effect and generating different colors on workpiece surfaces.The colorful letter and colorful flower image were clearly viewed on magnesium alloy surfaces.The corresponding cutting force,chip morphology,and tool wear were systematically investigated to understand the machining mechanism of micro/nanostructures on magnesium alloy surfaces.The proposed machining process can further improve the performances of the magnesium alloy and extend its functions to other fields,such as optics.

Regularity control of porous anodic alumina and photodegradation activity of highly ordered titania nanostructures

A two-step anodizing process was used to prepare wide-range highly ordered porous anodic alumina membrane (PAA) in the electrolyte of oxalic acid. The effects of anodic voltage, anodizing time, size of aluminium foil and additives on the regularity of PAA membrane were also studied in the process of two-step anodization. The template method was combined with the sol-electrophoresis deposition and sol-gel method respectively to prepare highly ordered titania nanostructures. The diameter and length of the obtained nanostructures were determined by the pore size and depth of the PAA template. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the morphology and phase structure of the PAA template and the titania nanostructures. The results show that the anodizing time and the additive of ethanol have a great effect on the regularity of PAA template. This can be explained from the self-organized process and the current density theory. A theoretical model based on the self-organized process was established to discuss the formation mechanism of PAA template from the chemical perspective. The titania nanostructures prepared with this method has a high specific surface area. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of titania nanostructures on methyl orange were studied. Compared with ordinary titania membranes, the titania nanostructures synthesized with this method have higher photodegradation activity.

Formation of Natural Melanin/TiO_(2) Nanostructure Hybrids with Enhanced Optical,Thermal and Magnetic Properties as a Soft Material

The natural Melanin/TiO_(2) was synthesized by the use of ultrasonication under UV radiation.The influence of natural melanin on the structural,optical and thermal properties of TiO_(2) nanoparticles was investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy.It was observed that incorporating natural melanin on TiO_(2) nanoparticles(TiO_(2)-Mel)occurred at 2.01 eV with a low value of Urbach energy around 100 meV indicating improvement in the crystalline structure.Magnetic measurement at room temperature showed diamagnetic behavior.Furthermore,thermal results showed that TiO_(2)-Mel is stable even at temperatures up to 400℃.According to the results obtained by the thermal stability of melanin with titanium dioxide,it can be a good candidate in many applications such as solar cells and optoelectronics.

Synthesis of Nanostructured Copper-doped Titania and Its Properties

Nanostructured pure-Ti O_2 and Cu3%-Ti O_2 were successfully synthesized via co-precipitation method. The X-ray diffraction(XRD) result proves that the synthesized sample were predominantly in anatase phase with size in the range of 8～16 nm, which are in good agreement with the transmission electron microscopy data. Owing to doping of copper, not only did the thermal stability of the Ti O_2 decrease, but also a significant decrease in its particle size and a shift of the adsorption edge to a higher wavelength region appear. The activity of both pure-Ti O_2 and Cu3%-doped Ti O_2 was tested to study their ability to decolorize congo red(CR) dye in aqueous solution. We observed that the CR dye was decolorized faster by Cu3%-Ti O_2 than pure-Ti O_2. Results of this study demonstrate a potential application of the synthesized sample for decolorizing dye pollutants from aqueous waste.

Zinc Oxide Nanostructures for NO_2 Gas–Sensor Applications:A Review

Because of the interesting and multifunctional properties,recently,ZnO nanostructures are considered as excellent material for fabrication of highly sensitive and selective gas sensors.Thus,ZnO nanomaterials are widely used to fabricate efficient gas sensors for the detection of various hazardous and toxic gases.The presented review article is focusing on the recent developments of NO2gas sensors based on ZnO nanomaterials.The review presents the general introduction of some metal oxide nanomaterials for gas sensing application and finally focusing on the structure of ZnO and its gas sensing mechanisms.Basic gas sensing characteristics such as gas response,response time,recovery time,selectivity,detection limit,stability and recyclability,etc are also discussed in this article.Further,the utilization of various ZnO nanomaterials such as nanorods,nanowires,nano-micro flowers,quantum dots,thin films and nanosheets,etc for the fabrication of NO2gas sensors are also presented.Moreover,various factors such as NO2concentrations,annealing temperature,ZnO morphologies and particle sizes,relative humidity,operating temperatures which are affecting the NO2gas sensing properties are discussed in this review.Finally,the review article is concluded and future directions are presented.

Fabrication and Photocatalysis of TiO2 Flower-like Nanostructures

用Ti片和H2O2在较低的温度下通过控制反应时间制备了不同形貌的纳米TiO2.在80℃下反应10 min得到了和Ti片黏附较好的多孔纳米结构,延长反应时间先后得到了类花状和类棒状纳米结构．在80℃下反应4 h得到的纳米结构样品为非晶态,而反应10 h制备出以锐钛矿相为主的结晶态纳米结构．通过300℃退火得到的几乎是纯锐钛矿相的纳米TiO2．用紫外光照射降解RhB溶液的方法研究了纳米TiO2的光催化性能．结果表明7 cm2的退火后的类花状纳米TiO2降解染料分子的光催化效率是仅用紫外光降解的29．8倍．

Synthesis and applications of MOF-derived porous nanostructures

Metal organic frameworks(MOFs) represent a class of porous material which is formed by strong bonds between metal ions and organic linkers. By careful selection of constituents, MOFs can exhibit very high surface area, large pore volume, and excellent chemical stability.Research on synthesis, structures and properties of various MOFs has shown that they are promising materials for many applications, such as energy storage, gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis and sensing. Apart from direct use, MOFs have also been used as support substrates for nanomaterials or as sacrificial templates/precursors for preparation of various functional nanostructures. In this review, we aim to present the most recent development of MOFs as precursors for the preparation of various nanostructures and their potential applications in energy-related devices and processes. Specifically, this present survey intends to push the boundaries and covers the literatures from the year 2013 to early 2017,on supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries, electrocatalysts, photocatalyst, gas sensing, water treatment, solar cells, and carbon dioxide capture.Finally, an outlook in terms of future challenges and potential prospects towards industrial applications are also discussed.

Kinetic study of methane hydrate formation in the presence of carbon nanostructures

The effect of synthesized nanostructures,including graphene oxide,chemically reduced graphene oxide with sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS),chemically reduced graphene oxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone,and multi-walled carbon nanotubes,on the kinetics of methane hydrate formation was investigated in this work.The experiments were carried out at a pressure of 4.5 MPa and a temperature of 0 ℃ in a batch reactor.By adding nanostructures,the induction time decreases,and the shortest induction time appeares at certain concentrations of reduced graphene oxide with SDS and graphene oxide,that is,at a concentration of 360 ppm for reduced graphene oxide with SDS and 180 ppm for graphene oxide,with a 98% decrease in induction time compared to that in pure water.Moreover,utilization of carbon nanostructures increases the amount and the rate of methane consumed during the hydrate formation process.Utilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a concentration of 90 ppm showes the highest amount of methane consumption.The amount of methane consumption increases by 173% in comparison with that in pure water.The addition of carbon nanostructures does not change the storage capacity of methane hydrate in the hydrate formation process,while the percentage of water conversion to hydrate in the presence of carbon nanotubes increases considerably,the greatest value of which occurres at a 90 ppm concentration of carbon nanotubes,that is,a 253% increase in the presence of carbon nanotubes compared to that of pure water.

One-Dimensional (1D) ZnS Nanomaterials and Nanostructures

One-dimensional （1D） nanomaterials and nanostructures have received much attention due to their potential interest for understanding fundamental physical concepts and for applications in constructing nanoscale electric and optoelectronic devices. Zinc sulfide （ZnS） is an important semiconductor compound of Ⅱ-Ⅵ group, and the synthesis of 1D ZnS nanomaterials and nanostructures has been of growing interest owing to their promising application in nanoscale optoelectronic devices. This paper reviews the recent progress on 1D ZnS nanomaterials and nanostructures, including nanowires, nanowire arrays, nanorods, nanobelts or nanoribbons, nanocables, and hierarchical nanostructures etc. This article begins with a survey of various methods that have been developed for generating 1D nanomaterials and nanostructures, and then mainly focuses on structures, synthesis, characterization, formation mechanisms and optical property tuning, and luminescence mechanisms of 1D ZnS nanomaterials and nanostructures. Finally, this review concludes with personal views towards future research on 1D ZnS nanomaterials and nanostructures.

Morphology and Crystallinity-controlled Synthesis of Manganese Cobalt Oxide/Manganese Dioxides Hierarchical Nanostructures for High-Performance Supercapacitors

We demonstrate a novel preparative strategy for the well-controlled MnCo_2O_(4.5)@MnO_2 hierarchical nanostructures.Bothδ-MnO_2 nanosheets andα-MnO_2 nanorods can uniformly decorate the surface of MnCo_2O_(4.5)nanowires to form core-shell heterostructures.Detailed electrochemical characterization reveals that MnCo_2O_(4.5)@δ-MnO_2 pattern exhibits not only high specific capacitance of 357.5 F g^(-1)at a scan rate of 0.5 A g^(-1),but also good cycle stability(97%capacitance retention after 1000 cycles at a scan rate of 5 A g^(-1)),which make it have a promising application as a supercapacitor electrode material.

Recent Advances in Visible-Light-Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Catalyst Nanostructures and Reaction Systems

Photoelectrochemical(PEC) water splitting using solar energy has attracted great attention for generation of renewable hydrogen with less carbon footprint, while there are enormous challenges that still remain for improving solar energy water splitting efficiency, due to limited light harvesting, energy loss associated to fast recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, as well as electrode degradation. This overview focuses on the recent development about catalyst nanomaterials and nanostructures in different PEC water splitting systems. As photoanode, Au nanoparticle-decorated TiO_2 nanowire electrodes exhibited enhanced photoactivity in both the UV and the visible regions due to surface plasmon resonance of Au and showed the largest photocurrent generation of up to 710 nm. Pt/Cd S/CGSe electrodes were developed as photocathode. With the role of p–n heterojunction, the photoelectrode showed high stability and evolved hydrogen continuously for more than 10 days. Further, in the Z-scheme system(Bi_2S_3/TNA as photoanode and Pt/Si PVC as photocathode at the same time), a self-bias(open-circuit voltage Voc= 0.766 V) was formed between two photoelectrodes, which could facilitate photogenerated charge transfers and enhance the photoelectrochemical performance, and which might provide new hints for PEC water splitting. Meanwhile, the existing problems and prospective solutions have also been reviewed.

Synthesis, Optical Properties and Photovoltaic Application of the SnS Quasi-one-dimensional Nanostructures

Low-toxicity single crystal Sn S nanowires had been successfully synthesized by the catalystassistant chemical vapor deposition. Au nanoparticles were applied on the ITO surface as the catalysis, using Sn S powder and S powder as forerunners. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the prepared Sn S nanowires were characterized. The experimental results show the as-synthesized nanowires are single crystalline with a preferential orientation. The synthesized Sn S nanowires show strong absorption in the visible and nearinfrared spectral region, and the direct energy band gap of Sn S nanowires is 1.46 e V.

Band structure engineering in metal halide perovskite nanostructures for optoelectronic applications

Metal halide perovskite nanostructures have emerged as low-dimensional semiconductors of great significance in many fields such as photovoltaics,photonics,and optoelectronics.Extensive efforts on the controlled synthesis of perovskite nanostructures have been made towards potential device applications.The engineering of their band structures holds great promise in the rational tuning of the electronic and optical properties of perovskite nanostructures,which is one of the keys to achieving efficient and multifunctional optoelectronic devices.In this article,we summarize recent advances in band structure engineering of perovskite nanostructures.A survey of bandgap engineering of nanostructured perovskites is firstly presented from the aspects of dimensionality tailoring,compositional substitution,phase segregation and transition,as well as strain and pressure stimuli.The strategies of electronic doping are then reviewed,including defect-induced self-doping,inorganic or organic molecules-based chemical doping,and modification by metal ions or nanostructures.Based on the bandgap engineering and electronic doping,discussions on engineering energy band alignments in perovskite nanostructures are provided for building high-performance perovskite p-n junctions and heterostructures.At last,we provide our perspectives in engineering band structures of perovskite nanostructures towards future low-energy optoelectronics technologies.