Solvent-Induced Growth of Free-Standing 2D Si Nanosheets.

2D Si nanomaterials draw great interest owing to their fascinating properties and potential applications in electronic devices, catalysts, and energy storage and conversion devices. However, high-quality and large-scale synthesis of Si nanosheets remains a big challenge, despite the limited reports on their preparations via chemical exfoliation of layered Zintl silicide, magnesiothermic reduction of layered silicon oxide, and chemical vapor deposition. In this work, a facile, solution method to produce free-standing Si nanosheets in high yields and low cost, based on the reaction of commercial magnesium powder with trichlorosilane and tripropylamine in dichloromethane under mild conditions, is reported.

One-pot solution synthesis of carbon-coated silicon nanoparticles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Carbon-coated silicon nanoparticles were in situ synthesized via a facile one-pot solution synthesis method, which delivered an excellent cycling performance with a retained discharge capacity of 1120 mA h g-1 and almost no capacity decay after 500 cycles at 2 A g-1 when evaluated as an anode material in lithium ion batteries.

An Extra-Large-Pore Pure Silica Zeolite with 16×8×8-Membered Ring Pore Channels Synthesized using an Aromatic Organic Directing Agent.

Extra-large-pore zeolites for processing large molecules have long been sought after by both the academia and industry. However, the synthesis of these materials, particularly extra-large-pore pure silica zeolites, remains a big challenge. Herein we report the synthesis of a new extra-large-pore silica zeolite, designated NUD-6, by using an easily synthesized aromatic organic cation as structure-directing agent.

Ionothermal Synthesis of Crystalline Nanoporous Silicon and Its Use as Anode Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Silicon has great potential as an anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This work reports a facile, high-yield, and scalable approach to prepare nanoporous silicon, in which commercial magnesium silicide (MgSi) reacted with the acidic ionic liquid at 100 °C and ambient pressure. The obtained silicon consists of a crystalline, porous structure with a BET surface area of 450 m/g and pore size of 1.

Solution Synthesis of Porous Silicon Particles as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Nanostructured silicon-based materials with porous structures have recently been found to be impressive anode materials with high capacity and cycling performance for lithium-ion batteries. However, the current methods of preparing porous silicon have generally been confronted with the requirement for multiple steps and complex synthesis. In the present study, porous silicon with high surface area was prepared by using a high yielding and simple reaction in which commercial magnesium powder readily reacts with HSiCl with the help of an amine catalyst under mild conditions.

Nickel Molybdenum Nitride Nanorods Grown on Ni Foam as Efficient and Stable Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Overall Water Splitting.

Non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for water splitting hold great promises for developing sustainable and clean energy sources. Herein, a highly efficient bifunctional electrode consisting of Ni-doped molybdenum nitride nanorods on Ni foam is prepared through topotactic transformation of NiMoO nanorods that are in situ hydrothermally grown on Ni foam. The electrode not only contains rich, accessible, electrochemically active sites but also possesses extraordinary chemical stability.