Magnesium hydride has been seen as a potential material for solid state hydrogen storage,but the kinetics and thermodynamics obstacles have hindered its development and application.Three-dimensional flower-like TiO2@C...Magnesium hydride has been seen as a potential material for solid state hydrogen storage,but the kinetics and thermodynamics obstacles have hindered its development and application.Three-dimensional flower-like TiO2@C and TiO2 were synthesized as the catalyst for MgH2 system and great catalytic activities are acquired in the hydrogen sorption properties.Experiments also show that the flower-like TiO2@C is superior to flower-like TiO2 in improving the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2.The hydrogen desorption onset and peak temperatures of flower-like TiO2 doped MgH2 is reduced to 199.2℃and 245.4℃,while the primitive MgH2 starts to release hydrogen at 294.6℃and the rapid dehydrogenation temperature is even as high as 362.6℃.The onset and peak temperatures of flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 are further reduced to 180.3℃and 233.0℃.The flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 composite can release6.0 wt%hydrogen at 250℃within 7 min,and 4.86 wt%hydrogen at 225℃within 60 min,while flowerlike TiO2 doped MgH2 can release 6.0 wt%hydrogen at 250℃within 8 min,and 3.89 wt%hydrogen at225℃within 60 min.Hydrogen absorption kinetics is also improved dramatically.Moreover,compared with primitive MgH2 and the flower-like TiO2 doped MgH2,the activation energy of flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 is significantly decreased to 67.10 kJ/mol.All the improvement of hydrogen sorption properties can be ascribed to the flower-like structure and the two-phase coexistence of TiO2 and amorphous carbon.Such phase composition and unique structure are proved to be the critical factor to improve the hydrogen sorption properties of MgH2,which can be considered as the new prospect for improving the kinetics of light-metal hydrogen storage materials.展开更多
Nanobelts, flower-like and rhizoid-like nanostructures of pure polyaniline (PANI) doped with sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid were prepared via electrospinning by using a coagulation bath as the collector after op...Nanobelts, flower-like and rhizoid-like nanostructures of pure polyaniline (PANI) doped with sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid were prepared via electrospinning by using a coagulation bath as the collector after optimizing the fabrication parameters. The morphologies of these nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The possible formation mechanisms were discussed.展开更多
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 rath...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<sup>-1</sup>) 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.展开更多
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 tr...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.展开更多
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 sensi...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.展开更多
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 investi...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.展开更多
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 react...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.展开更多
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 flamm...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.展开更多
Up to this date,researchers are still facing difficulties to expand the technology of direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs) because of the high overpotential required to oxidize the methanol and its relatively poor perfor...Up to this date,researchers are still facing difficulties to expand the technology of direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs) because of the high overpotential required to oxidize the methanol and its relatively poor performance due to CO poisoning of the leading-high cost anode catalyst.In line with this,we have successfully modified the morphological structure and composition of low cost cobalt based-metal oxides,MCo_2O_4(M = Zn and Ni),with the simple and noble use of polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP) as growth modifier and surface stabilizer during the synthesis of nanoparticles in our previous reports,which shown high electrocatalytic activity and strong stability.Due to the good performance of our PVP modified MCo_2O_4 towards pseudocapacitor and oxygen evolution reaction applications,we decided to extend our research study to methanol oxidation reaction.Remarkably,PVP modified Ni Co_2O_4 electrode directly grown on nickel foam substrate via a simple hydrothermal process exhibited better performance compared with PVP modified ZnCo_2O_4 and NiCo_2O_4 without PVP.It had obtained a remarkably low onset potential of 0.285 V and high current density of 280 m A cm^(-2),and shown great stability and high poison tolerance during a continuous CV cycling and Chronoamperometry test,which attained high efficiency of 86.86%and 98.52%,respectively.These positive results of PVP modified Ni Co_2O_4 electrode towards MOR might be attributed to its hierarchical 3 D nanostructures with highly mesoporous surface and large surface area which may have provided numerous electroactive sites,and the exceptional corrosion stability of Ni Co_2O_4 electrode in alkaline solution.展开更多
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 ...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.展开更多
Micron sized hexagon- and flower-like nanostructures of lead oxide(α-PbO2) have been synthesized by very simple and cost effective route of anodic oxidation of lead sheet. These structures were easily obtained by t...Micron sized hexagon- and flower-like nanostructures of lead oxide(α-PbO2) have been synthesized by very simple and cost effective route of anodic oxidation of lead sheet. These structures were easily obtained by the simple variation of applied voltage from 2-6 V between the electrodes. Lead sheet was used as an anode and platinum sheet served as a cathode. Anodic oxidation at 2 V resulted in the variable edge sized(1-2 μm) hexagon-like structures in the electrolyte. When the applied potential was increased to 4 V a structure of distorted hexagons consisting of some flower-like structures were obtained. Further increment of potential up to 6 V resulted in flower like structures of α-PbO2 having six petals. The diameter of the flower-like structures was 200-500 nm and the size of a petal was 100-200 nm.展开更多
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 widel...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.展开更多
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)nanow...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.展开更多
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 elect...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.展开更多
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...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.展开更多
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 synthe...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.展开更多
The shape of nanostructure has important effects on their properties, therefore in this study, we have prepared and characterized three different morphologies of WO_3 nanostructures i.e. nanorod, nanosphere and nanopl...The shape of nanostructure has important effects on their properties, therefore in this study, we have prepared and characterized three different morphologies of WO_3 nanostructures i.e. nanorod, nanosphere and nanoplate for surveying shape effect on their photocatalytic properties toward degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. Obtained results show that nanoplate WO_3 in comparison with others has the best photocat- alytic activity. According to SEM, and photocatalytic degradation results, the reason for this behavior is the sharp edges and corners of WO_3 nanoplates. Because of their low coordination number, atoms located in the edges and comers of the WO_3 nanoplates have more activity, adsorb more RhB and therefore give more photocatalytic activity to the WO_3 nanoplates. Using of different scavengers showed that hydroxyl radicals are mainly responsible for photocatalytic activity of WO_3 nanoplates and nangspheres but for WO_3 nanorods, superoxide radicals are the main photocatalytic degradation agents.展开更多
基金financial supports for this research from the National Basic Research Program of China(2018YFB1502104)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51571179 and 51671173)the Open Fund of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advance Energy Storage Materials。
文摘Magnesium hydride has been seen as a potential material for solid state hydrogen storage,but the kinetics and thermodynamics obstacles have hindered its development and application.Three-dimensional flower-like TiO2@C and TiO2 were synthesized as the catalyst for MgH2 system and great catalytic activities are acquired in the hydrogen sorption properties.Experiments also show that the flower-like TiO2@C is superior to flower-like TiO2 in improving the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2.The hydrogen desorption onset and peak temperatures of flower-like TiO2 doped MgH2 is reduced to 199.2℃and 245.4℃,while the primitive MgH2 starts to release hydrogen at 294.6℃and the rapid dehydrogenation temperature is even as high as 362.6℃.The onset and peak temperatures of flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 are further reduced to 180.3℃and 233.0℃.The flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 composite can release6.0 wt%hydrogen at 250℃within 7 min,and 4.86 wt%hydrogen at 225℃within 60 min,while flowerlike TiO2 doped MgH2 can release 6.0 wt%hydrogen at 250℃within 8 min,and 3.89 wt%hydrogen at225℃within 60 min.Hydrogen absorption kinetics is also improved dramatically.Moreover,compared with primitive MgH2 and the flower-like TiO2 doped MgH2,the activation energy of flower-like TiO2@C doped MgH2 is significantly decreased to 67.10 kJ/mol.All the improvement of hydrogen sorption properties can be ascribed to the flower-like structure and the two-phase coexistence of TiO2 and amorphous carbon.Such phase composition and unique structure are proved to be the critical factor to improve the hydrogen sorption properties of MgH2,which can be considered as the new prospect for improving the kinetics of light-metal hydrogen storage materials.
基金support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.50433020,50673083 and 50520150165)the developing program of Changjiang Scholar and Innovation Team from Ministry of Education of China(No.IRT0651)the Doctoral Program of Higher Education in China(No.20060335078).
文摘Nanobelts, flower-like and rhizoid-like nanostructures of pure polyaniline (PANI) doped with sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid were prepared via electrospinning by using a coagulation bath as the collector after optimizing the fabrication parameters. The morphologies of these nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The possible formation mechanisms were discussed.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.91122001 and 21021062)the National Basic Research Program of China(No. 2010CB923303)
文摘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<sup>-1</sup>) 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.
基金National Research Foundation of Korea,Grant/Award Numbers:2021M3H4A1A03057403,2021R1A6A3A03039988,2021R1A6A3A13046700,2021R1A2B5B03001851。
文摘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.
基金The authors greatly acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51873126)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,as well as the funding from the Science&Technology Department(No.2021YFH0123)of Sichuan Province.
文摘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.
基金Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (Grant No. 18ZR1403300)。
文摘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.
基金the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China(92163117,52072389,52172058,51972006)。
文摘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.
基金supported by the Special Actions for Developing High-performance Manufacturing of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology(Grant No.:TC200H02J)the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Ad-ministrative Region,China(Project No.:PolyU 152125/18E)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project No.:U19A20104)the Research Committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University(Project Code G-RK2V).
文摘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.
基金supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) - Grants funded by the Ministry of Trade,Industry and Energy (MOTIE) (No.20174010201160)the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) - Grant funded by the Ministry of Education (No.20090093816),Republic of Korea
文摘Up to this date,researchers are still facing difficulties to expand the technology of direct methanol fuel cells(DMFCs) because of the high overpotential required to oxidize the methanol and its relatively poor performance due to CO poisoning of the leading-high cost anode catalyst.In line with this,we have successfully modified the morphological structure and composition of low cost cobalt based-metal oxides,MCo_2O_4(M = Zn and Ni),with the simple and noble use of polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP) as growth modifier and surface stabilizer during the synthesis of nanoparticles in our previous reports,which shown high electrocatalytic activity and strong stability.Due to the good performance of our PVP modified MCo_2O_4 towards pseudocapacitor and oxygen evolution reaction applications,we decided to extend our research study to methanol oxidation reaction.Remarkably,PVP modified Ni Co_2O_4 electrode directly grown on nickel foam substrate via a simple hydrothermal process exhibited better performance compared with PVP modified ZnCo_2O_4 and NiCo_2O_4 without PVP.It had obtained a remarkably low onset potential of 0.285 V and high current density of 280 m A cm^(-2),and shown great stability and high poison tolerance during a continuous CV cycling and Chronoamperometry test,which attained high efficiency of 86.86%and 98.52%,respectively.These positive results of PVP modified Ni Co_2O_4 electrode towards MOR might be attributed to its hierarchical 3 D nanostructures with highly mesoporous surface and large surface area which may have provided numerous electroactive sites,and the exceptional corrosion stability of Ni Co_2O_4 electrode in alkaline solution.
基金Funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University(No.RG-21-09-53)。
文摘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.
基金financial support from USACH-Chile, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University Grant Commission (UGC) New Delhi, India
文摘Micron sized hexagon- and flower-like nanostructures of lead oxide(α-PbO2) have been synthesized by very simple and cost effective route of anodic oxidation of lead sheet. These structures were easily obtained by the simple variation of applied voltage from 2-6 V between the electrodes. Lead sheet was used as an anode and platinum sheet served as a cathode. Anodic oxidation at 2 V resulted in the variable edge sized(1-2 μm) hexagon-like structures in the electrolyte. When the applied potential was increased to 4 V a structure of distorted hexagons consisting of some flower-like structures were obtained. Further increment of potential up to 6 V resulted in flower like structures of α-PbO2 having six petals. The diameter of the flower-like structures was 200-500 nm and the size of a petal was 100-200 nm.
基金supported by NSTIP strategic technologies programs,number(12-NAN2551-02)in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
文摘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.
基金financial supports provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.51104194 and 51104121)International S&T Cooperation Projects of Chongqing(CSTC 2013 gjhz90001)+1 种基金National Key laboratory of Fundamental Science of Micro/Nano-device and System Technology(2013MS06,Chongqing University)State Education Ministry and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Project no.CDJZR14135501 and CDJZR13130036,Chongqing University,PR China)
文摘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.
基金The authors acknowledge the support from the National Major Project of Fundamental Research:Nanomaterials and Nanostructures(Grant No.2005CB623603)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.10304018,10574131)Special Fund for President Scholarship,Chinese Academy of Sciences.
文摘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.
基金financial support from Ningbo Municipal Government (Innovation Team 2012882011,3315 Plan,2014A35001-1)the EPSRC (EP/J000582/1,GR/R68078)
文摘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.
基金support from Australian Research Council (ARC, FT150100450, IH150100006 and CE170100039)support from the MCATM and the FLEET+1 种基金the support from Shenzhen Nanshan District Pilotage Team Program (LHTD20170006)support from Guangzhou Science and Technology Program (Grant No. 201804010322)
文摘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.
文摘The shape of nanostructure has important effects on their properties, therefore in this study, we have prepared and characterized three different morphologies of WO_3 nanostructures i.e. nanorod, nanosphere and nanoplate for surveying shape effect on their photocatalytic properties toward degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. Obtained results show that nanoplate WO_3 in comparison with others has the best photocat- alytic activity. According to SEM, and photocatalytic degradation results, the reason for this behavior is the sharp edges and corners of WO_3 nanoplates. Because of their low coordination number, atoms located in the edges and comers of the WO_3 nanoplates have more activity, adsorb more RhB and therefore give more photocatalytic activity to the WO_3 nanoplates. Using of different scavengers showed that hydroxyl radicals are mainly responsible for photocatalytic activity of WO_3 nanoplates and nangspheres but for WO_3 nanorods, superoxide radicals are the main photocatalytic degradation agents.