Synthesis and Characterization of Hollow Strontium Carbonate Pompons by Composite Soft Template Method

The hollow strontium carbonate pompons was synthesized for the first time by a controlled reaction precipitation method with sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS)and polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP)work together as template.The sampled particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement,X-ray diffraction(XRD),Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy(EDX),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry(TGA-DSC),etc.It is shown that the assynthesized hollow strontium carbonate pompons with the size of about 2μm consist of flake-like particles under the optimal reaction conditions.The formation mechanism of hollow strontium carbonate pompons was preliminarily explored.

Template synthesis of copper azide primary explosive through Cu2O@HKUST-1 core-shell composite prepared by “bottle around ship” method

Copper azide(CA), as a primary explosive with high energy density, has not been practically used so far because of its high electrostatic sensitivity. The Cu2O@HKUST-1 core-shell structure hybrid material was synthesized by the “bottle around ship” methodology in this research by regulating the dissolution rate of Cu2O and the generation rate of metal-organic framework(MOF) materials. Cu2O@HKUST-1 was carbonized to form a Cu O@porous carbon(CuO@PC) composite material. CuO@PC was synthesized into a copper azide(CA) @PC composite energetic material through a gas-solid phase in-situ azidation reaction.CA is encapsulated in PC framework, which acts as a nanoscale Faraday cage, and its excellent electrical conductivity prevents electrostatic charges from accumulating on the energetic material’s surface. The CA@PC composite energetic material has a CA content of 89.6%, and its electrostatic safety is nearly 30times that of pure CA(1.47 mJ compared to 0.05 mJ). CA@PC delivers an outstanding balance of safety and energy density compared to similar materials.

Fabrication and properties of high efficiency luminescent nanorods EuPO_4·H_2O by soft template method

Europium orthophosphate monohydrate （EuPO4·H2O） nanorods with typical dimensions of about 10-30 nm in diameter and 300-500 nm in length were prepared by using the soft template method. The effects of using diethylene glycol （DEG） and polyethylene glycol （PEG） polymers as well as the pH values on the size, crystalline structure and morphology of EuPO4·H2O nanorods were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） data of the prepared samples were elucidated. The nanorods were highly uniform and their mean length was reduced by using DEG and PEG as soft template agents. For all prepared samples, the rhabdophanetype hexagonal EuPO4·H2O was the dominated phase. The photoluminescence （PL） spectroscopy measurements of EuPO4·H2O nanorods revealed that, under UV excitation, EuPO4·H2O nanorods exhibited strong luminescence with narrow bands corresponding to the intra-4f transitions of ^5D0→^7Fj （j=1, 2, 3, 4） of Eu^3＋ ions. The peaks were found at 594 nm （^5D0→^7F1）, 619 nm （^5D0→^7F2）, 652 nm （^5D0→^7F3）, and 697 nm （^5D0→^7F4）, with the strongest emission at 594 nm.

Structures and Properties of PEDOT Nanotubes Prepared by a Template Synthesis Method

PEDOT nanotubes were prepared by a template synthesis method. Based on our template, it was deduced that there are two successive processes in the formation of nanotubes. The first step is soakage of the porous templates by a polymer solution, and the second step is adsorption of free charged cationic groups and doped PEDOT onto the template surface with negative charges. XRD results showed that well orientated PEDOT chains were formed during the synthesis, moreover the arrange conductivity of molecular chains strongly affect the structures of PEDOT nanotubes. The nanotubes were measured to be about 5.5-17.6 S/cm, which is higher than that of nanotube pellet due to the high contact resistance between the adjacent nanotubes.

Preparation of ZrO_(2) Fibers by Template Impregnation Method

Viscose fiber templates(15 cm×15 cm×1 cm)were put into ZrOCl_(2) solutions of different concentrations(1,2 and 3 mol·L^(-1))and impregnated at different temperatures(20,40 and 60℃)for 20 h.After washing,centrifugation and drying,ZrO_(2) fiber precursors were obtained.ZrO_(2) fibers were prepared by heat treatment of the precursors at different temperatures(600,800,1000 and 1200℃)for 2 h.The effects of the impregnation temperature,the impregnation solution concentration and the heat treatment temperature on the microstructure and the phase composition of the ZrO_(2) fibers were studied.The results show that with the increase of the impregnation temperature from 20℃to 60℃and the impregnation solution concentration increase from 1 mol·L^(-1) to 3 mol·L^(-1),the microstructure of fiber cross section changes from flat to cylindrical,and the average fiber diameter increases,indicating that the increase of the impregnation solution concentration and the impregnation temperature is beneficial to increasing the adsorption capacity of Zr4+on viscose fiber templates.After heat treatment,ZrO_(2) fiber mainly exists in the form of monoclinic ZrO_(2).With the increase of the heat treatment temperature,the grains in ZrO_(2) fibers become larger and the crystallinity degree increases,meanwhile the fiber surface undergoes a transition from smooth to small grains and then to cracks.

Preparation and CO conversion activity of ceria nanotubes by carbon nanotubes templating method

Ceria nanotubes with high CO conversion activity by means of carbon nanotubes as removable templates in the simple liquid phase process were fabricated under moderate conditions. The pristine CNTs were first pretreated by refluxing in a 30% nitric acid solution at 140 ℃ for 24 h, then dispersed in an ethanolic Ce（NO3）3.6H2O solution with ultrasonic radiation at room temperature for 1 h. Under vigorous stirring, NaOH solution was added drop by drop into the above ethanolic solution until the pH value was 10. The product was collected and repeatedly washed with ethanol and on drying at 60 ℃, the CeO2/CNT composites were obtained. Then, the as-prepared composites were heated at 450 ℃ in an air atmosphere for 30 min to remove CNTs. The ceria nanotubes were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction （XRD）, Transmission Electron Microscopy （TEM）, and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrum （XPS）. The results showed that the ceria nanotubes were polycrystalline face-centered cubic phase and were composed of lots of dense cefia nanoparficles. The diameter of cefia nanotubes was about 40-50 nm. Catalytic activity of the product for CO oxidation was carded out at the region of 30-300 ℃ in a U-shaped quartz reactor with feeding about 0.15 g of the catalyst, which was loaded on Al2O3 carder. The inlet gas composition was 1.0% CO and 28% O2 with N2 as balance, and the rate of flow was kept at 40 ml/min. The catalytic products were analyzed by gas chromatography. The as-repared CeO2 nanotubes showed higher CO oxidation activity, which indicated that the morphology of ceria products affected the catalytic performance. The ceria nanotubes supported on Al2O3 demonstrated that conversion temperature for CO oxidation to CO2 was lower than that for bulk catalysts.

Preparation of High Surface Area, Large Pore Volume Alumina by Using β-Cyclodextrin as a Non-surfactant Template

A series of alumina samples were prepared using β-cyclodextrin as the non-surfactant template. These samples were characterized by XRD, BET and TEM. The results showed that the alumina samples prepared using β-cyclodextrin template had the higher surface areas （124-484 m^2/g）, larger pore volumes （0.7-1.27 mL/g） and more thermal stability than samples prepared without using β-cyclodextrin.

A general synthesis of inorganic nanotubes as high-rate anode materials of sodium ion batteries

Ino rganic tubular materials have an exceptionally wide range of applications,yet developing a simple and universal method to controllably synthesize them remains challenging.In this work,we report a vaporphase-etching hard-template method that can directly fabricate tubes on various thermally stable oxide and sulfide materials.This synthesis method features the introduction of a vapor-phase-etching process to greatly simplify the steps involved in preparing tubular materials and avoids complicated postprocessing procedures.Furthermore,the in-situ heating transmission electron microscopy(TEM)technique is used to observe the dynamic formation process of TiO_(2-x) tubes,indicating that the removal process of the Sb2S3 templates first experienced the Rayleigh instability,then vapor-phase-etching process.When used as an anode for sodium ion batteries,the TiO_(2-x) tube exhibits excellent rate performance of134.6 mA h g^(-1) at the high current density of 10 A g^(-1) and long-term cycling over 7000 cycles.Moreover,the full cell demonstrates excellent cycling performance with capacity retention of 98%after 1000 cycles,indicating that it is a promising anode material for batteries.This method can be expanded to the design and synthesis of other thermally-stable tubular materials such as ZnS,MoS_(2),and SiO_(2).

Interconnected sandwich structure carbon/Si-SiO_2/carbon nanospheres composite as high performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

In the present work,an interconnected sandwich carbon/Si-SiO2/carbon nanospheres composite was prepared by template method and carbon thermal vapor deposition（TVD）.The carbon conductive layer can not only efficiently improve the electronic conductivity of Si-based anode,but also play a key role in alleviating the negative effect from huge volume expansion over discharge/charge of Si-based anode.The resulting material delivered a reversible capacity of 1094 mAh/g,and exhibited excellent cycling stability.It kept a reversible capacity of 1050 mAh/g over 200 cycles with a capacity retention of 96%.

Preparing three-dimensional graphene architectures: Review of recent developments

The recent development of synthesis processes to assemble graphene sheets into porous three-dimensional （3D）macroscopic structures are reviewed, including our efforts on 3D graphene structures. Mechanisms for building 3D graphene architectures and their composite materials are also summarized. The functional systems based on 3D graphene architectures provide a significant enhancement in the efficacy due to their unique structures and properties.

Monodisperse SiO_(2) Microspheres with Large Specific Surface Area: Preparation and Particle Size Control

Monodisperse SiO_(2) microspheres have found applications in catalysis,drug delivery,coatings,cosmetics,optical sensing and plastics.The particle size of monodisperse SiO_(2) microspheres is closely related to its application.In this paper,monodisperse SiO_(2) microspheres with tunable diameter were successfully synthesized using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)as template.The monodisperse SiO_(2) microspheres with diameters ranging from 200 nm to 3μm were obtained by controlling the concentration of CTAB,tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS),diethanolamine(DEA)and reaction temperature.The BET surface area could reach 835 m^(2)·g^(-1) and mean pore diameter was 2.3 nm.The formation mechanism of monodisperse SiO_(2) microspheres was investigated.

Reaction characteristics investigation of CeO_(2)-enhanced CaSO_(4) oxygen carrier with lignite

Calcium sulfate(CaSO_(4))has been verified as a promising oxygen carrier(OC)in the chemical looping combustion(CLC)for its high oxygen capacity,abundant reserve and low cost,but its low reactivity and deleterious sulfur species emission from the side reactions of CaSO_(4) should be well considered for its wide application in CLC.In order to promote the reactivity of CaSO_(4) and increase its potential to inhibit the gaseous sulfur emission,a CeO_(2)-enhanced CaSO_(4) OC mixed OC of core–shell structure was prepared using the combined template synthesis method.Reaction characteristics of the prepared CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC with a typical lignite was first conducted and systematically investigated,and an improved reactivity of the prepared CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC was demonstrated than its single component CaSO_(4) or CeO_(2) due to the fast transfer and exchange of oxygen from the CaSO_(4) substrate to coal via the doped CeO_(2).Furthermore,the solid products formed from the mixed CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) OC with the selected coal were collected and analyzed.Especially,evolution and redistribution of the sulfur species of different forms were focused.At the latter reaction stage of YN reaction with the CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC,the SO_(2) emitted from the side reactions of CaSO_(4) was greatly diminished and the doped CeO_(2) was proven effective to directionally fix the SO_(2) released to turn into different solid sulfur compounds,which were determined as Ce_(2)O_(2)S,Ce_(2)S_(3) and Ce_(2)(SO_(4))_(3)·5H_(2)O and formed through the different pathways.In addition,good regeneration of the reduced CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC could be reached in spite of the unavoidable interaction between the included minerals in coal and the reduced mixed OC.Overall,the combined template method-made CaSO_(4)-CeO_(2) mixed OC reported herein was not only endowed with enhanced reactivity for coal conversion,but also owned the potential to directionally fix the gaseous sulfur emission,which is quite applicable as OC for simultaneous decarbonatization and desulfurization in the real CLC process.

Template sacrificial controlled synthesis of hierarchical nanoporous carbon@NiCo_(2)S_(4)microspheres for high-performance hybrid supercapacitors

Binary transition metal sulfides are hotly investigated in advanced energy storage devices because of their ultra-high reversible capacity.Nevertheless,the unsatisfied rate capability and cycling stability still hinder their practical application.Herein,hierarchical nanoporous carbon@NiCo_(2)S_(4)(HNCMs@NCS)composites with coreshell flower-like structures were prepared by in situ growing of NiCo_(2)S_(4) nanosheets on HNCMs through a hydro thermal-as sis ted template sacrificial method.Benefiting from a synergistic effect between the NiCo_(2)S_(4)shell with high specific capacity and the HNCMs with unique porous structure,the synthesized flower-like HNCMs@NCS composites exhibit extraordinary electrochemical performances,including a high capacity of 346.9 mAh·g^(-1)at 1 A·g^(-1),superb rate property with86.4%initial capacity at 30 A·g^(-1)and predominant cycle stability with 81.2%capacity retention after 5000 cycles.Furthermore,the resulting HNCMs@NCS cathode was coupled with the chemical-activated HNCMs(AHNCMs)anode to construct a hybrid supercapacitor device.The asfabricated device exhibits superior energy density(49.9 Wh·kg^(-1)at 802 W·kg^(-1))and ultra-high power density(24 kW·kg^(-1)at 29.5 Wh·kg^(-1)).This fascinating result further demonstrates the tremendous prospect of the synthesized HNCMs@NCS composites as high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials.

Hybrid assembly of conducting nanofiber network for ultra-stretchable and highly sensitive conductive hydrogels

Conductive hydrogels have attracted extensive attention owing to their promising application prospects in flexible and wearable electronics.However,achieving both high sensitivity and mechanical robustness remains challenging.Herein,a novel and versatile conductive hydrogel based on the hybrid assem-bly of conductive cellulose nanofiber(CNF)networks has been designed and fabricated.Assisted by the templating effect of CNFs and stabilizing effect of negatively charged poly(styrene sulfonate)(PSS),conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PEDOT)was self-organized into three-dimensional nanostructures which constructed a robust conductive network after in-situ oxidative polymerization.The unique structure derived from CNF bio-template endowed polyacrylamide(PAM)hydrogels with improved electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical performance.As a result,the as-fabricated CNF/PEDOT:PSS/PAM hydrogel exhibited an ultimate tensile strain of 1881%and toughness of 3.72 MJ/m^(3),which were 4.07 and 8.27 times higher than the CNF-free hydrogel,respectively.More significantly,the resultant hydrogel sensor showed highly desirable sensing properties,including remarkable sensing range(1100%),high gauge factor(GF=5.16),fast response time(185 ms),and commendable durability,as well as good adhesiveness.Moreover,the hydrogel sensor was able to distinguish subtle physiological activities including phonation and facial expression,and monitor large human body motions such as finger flexion and elbow blending.Besides,it was feasible to integrate the strain sensor on the joints of robots to recognize complicated machine motion signals,showing potential in advanced human-machine interactions.

Regulation of the pore structure of carbon nanosheets based electrocatalyst for efficient polysulfides phase conversions

The practical applications of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries are hampered by the sluggish redox kinetics and polysulfides shuttle in the cyclic process,which leads to a series of problems including the loss of active materials and poor cycling efficiency.In this paper,the pore structures of carbon nanosheets based electrocatalysts were precisely controlled by regulating the content of water-soluble KCl template.The relationship between pore structures and Li-S electrochemical behavior was studied,which demonstrates a key influence of pore structure in polysulfides phase conversions.In the liquid-sloid redox reaction of polysulfides,the micropores and small mesopores(d<20 nm)exhibited little impact,while the meso-pores(d>20 nm)and macropores played a decisive role.As a typical exhibition,the nickel-embedded carbon nanosheets(Ni-CNS)with a high content of large mesopores and macropores can aid Li-S batteries in exhibiting stable cycling performance(760.1 mAh g^(-1)at 1 C after 300 cycles)and superior rate capac-ity(847.8 mAh g^(-1)at 2 C).Furthermore,even with high sulfur loading(8 mg cm^(−2))and low electrolyte(E/S is around 6μL mg^(-1)),the high area capacity of 7.7 mAh cm^(−2)at 0.05 C could be achieved.This work can provide a guideline for the design of the pore structure of carbon-based electrocatalysts toward high-efficiency sulfur species redox reactions,and afford a general,controllable,and simple approach to constructing high performance Li-S batteries.

Characterization and catalytic activity of soft-templated Ni0-CeO_(2) mixed oxides for CO and CO_(2) co-methanation

Nanosized NiO,CeO_(2) and NiO-CeO_(2) mixed oxides with different Ni/Ce molar ratios were prepared by the soft template method.All the samples were characterized by different techniques as to their chemical composition,structure,morphology and texture.On the catalysts submitted to the same reduction pretreatment adopted for the activity tests the surface basic properties and specific metal surface area were also determined.NiO and CeO_(2) nanocrystals of about 4 nm in size were obtained,regardless of the Ni/Ce molar ratio.The Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results proved the formation of defective sites at the NiO-CeO_(2) interface,where Ni species are in strong interaction with the support.The microcalorimetric and Fourier transform infrared analyses of the reduced samples highlighted that,unlike metallic nickel,CeO_(2) is able to effectively adsorb CO_(2),forming carbonates and hydrogen carbonates.After reduction in H2 at 400°C for 1 h,the catalytic performance was studied in the CO and CO_(2) co-methanation reaction.Catalytic tests were performed at atmospheric pressure and 300°C,using CO/CO_(2)/H_(2) molar compositions of 1/1/7 or 1/1/5,and space velocities equal to 72000 or 450000 cm^(3)∙h^(-1)∙gcat^(-1).Whereas CO was almost completely hydrogenated in any investigated experimental conditions,CO_(2) conversion was strongly affected by both the CO/CO_(2)/H_(2) ratio and the space velocity.The faster and definitely preferred CO hydrogenation was explained in the light of the different mechanisms of CO and CO_(2) methanation.On a selected sample,the influence of the reaction temperature and of a higher number of space velocity values,as well as the stability,were also studied.Provided that the Ni content is optimized,the NiCe system investigated was very promising,being highly active for the CO_(x) co-methanation reaction in a wide range of operating conditions and stable(up to 50 h)also when submitted to thermal stress.

A mussel-inspired delivery system for enhancing self-healing property of epoxy coatings

Dopamine(DA), one type of mussel-inspired biological molecules with adhesive nature and corrosion inhibitor property, are often used to functionalize the surfaces of various materials. Herein, we report the application of polydopamine(PDA) microcapsules as novel nanocontainers for the purpose, loading corrosion inhibitor(benzotriazole) in its shell structure, and then were embedded into epoxy coatings to provide self-healing and anti-corrosion protection for carbon steel. Fast release of benzotriazole in acidic environment caused by local corrosion and the chelating effect of PDA-Fe^(3+)can synergistically promote the formation of protective film on bare steel surface, which endows coatings with self-healing functionality. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(LEIS), and spray tests were conducted to evaluate the active inhibition and corrosion resistance of the loaded coatings. The scratched coating with incorporation of nanocontainers presented better protection performance, exhibiting increased Ro(oxide layer resistance) and R ct(charge transfer resistance) during initial immersion periods. The EIS tests in long-term immersion were also performed to confirm the anti-corrosion effect of composited coatings. These results demonstrated that benzotriazole-decorated PDA capsules dramatically enhanced the self-healing properties and anti-corrosion performance of epoxy coatings with the synergistic help of PDA and benzotriazole.

Boron and nitrogen dual-doped carbon as a novel cathode for high performance hybrid ion capacitors

Hybrid ion capacitors have been considered as a very attractive energy source with high energy density and power density since it combines both merits of lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors. However,their commercial application has been limited by the mismatch of charge-storage capacity and electrode kinetics between the capacitor-type cathode and battery-type anode. Herein, B and N dual-doped 3D superstructure carbon cathode is prepared through a facile template method. It delivers a high specific capacity, excellent rate capability and good cycling stability due to the B, N dual-doping, which has a profound effect in control the porosity, functional groups, and electronic conductivity for the carbon cathode. The hybrid ion capacitors using B, N dual-doping carbon cathode and prelithiated graphite anode show a high energy density of 115.5 Wh/kg at 250 W/kg and remain about 53.6 Wh/kg even at a high power density of 10 kW/kg. Additionally, the novel hybrid device achieves 76.3% capacity retention after 2000 cycles tested at 1250 W/kg power density. Significantly, the simultaneous manipulation of heteroatoms in carbon materials provides new opportunities to boost the energy and power density for hybrid ion capacitors.

1D Ceria Nanomaterials:Versatile Synthesis and Bio-application

Ceria has emerged as a fascinating and lucrative material in bio-application,for instance,disease treatment,bioimaging and drug delivery due to its abilities of transforming oxidation states between Ce4+and Ce3+and scavenging free radicals,which can produce biological effect,such as being potentially antioxidant towards reactive oxygen species.Recently,many studies about one dimension（ID） CeO2nanomaterials have received much attention because of the unique properties of their length and aspect ratio.We highlight here current research activities focused on the bio-application of 1D ceria nanomaterials.The synthesis methods of 1D cerium oxide nanomaterials were introduced.Several synthesis routes,including template,hydrothermal,sonochemical and other methods,were then discussed with examples developed by recent research.The differences among these methods were also analyzed.This review provides a comprehensive introduction to the synthesis of 1D ceria,its potential applications in biological fields and perspectives on this exciting realm.

Polyporous C@WC_(1-x) composite and its electrocatalytic activity for p-nitrophenol reduction

The polyporous carbon supported tungsten carbide（polyporous C@WC_（1-x）） composite was prepared using hexagonal silica MCM-41 as the hard template by raw material solution impregnation,mechanical milling and simultaneous reduction and carbonization by temperature programming in mixture gas（CH4/H2）.The structure and morphology of polyporous C@WC（1-x） composite were studied via X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy and so on.The electrocatalytic property was tested for the electroreduction of p-nitrophenol（PNP） in neutral media.Results revealed that the composite is consisted of polyporous carbon and nanocrystalline WC（1-x）,possessing good electrocatalytic activity in the reaction of PNP reduction.