Separation of Highly Pure Semiconducting Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Alkane Solvents via Double Liquid-Phase Extraction.

This study delves into the distinctive selective property exhibited by a non-conjugated cholesterol-based polymer, poly(CEM--EHA), in sorting semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) within isooctane. Comprised of 11 repeating units of cholesteryloxycarbonyl-2-hydroxy methacrylate (CEM) and 7 repeating units of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), this non-conjugated polymer demonstrates robust supramolecular interactions across the sp surface structure of carbon nanotubes and graphene. When coupled with the Double Liquid-Phase Extraction (DLPE) technology, the polymer effectively segregates s-SWCNTs into the isooctane phase (nonpolar) while excluding metallic SWCNTs (m-SWCNTs) in the water phase (polar).

Photopolymerization of Limonene Dioxide and Vegetable Oils as Biobased 3D-Printing Stereolithographic Formulation.

Epoxidized vegetable oils and limonene dioxide, a bis-epoxide derived from the terpene limonene, are photo-copolymerized to yield highly crosslinked networks with high conversion of all epoxide groups at ambient temperature. However, the slow polymerization of such biobased formulation polymerizes is not compatible for a use in a commercial SLA 3D printer. Adding an acrylated epoxidized vegetable oil to the bis-epoxide leads to a decrease of curing time and an increase in LDO conversion to polymer.

In Operando Photoswitching of Cu Oxidation States in Cu-Based Plasmonic Heterogeneous Photocatalysis for Efficient H Evolution.

Metal nanoparticles (NP) supported on TiO are known to be efficient photocatalysts for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. While TiO decorated with copper NPs has the potential to become an attractive system, the poor oxidative stability of Cu severely limits its applicability. In this work, we demonstrate that, when Cu NPs supported on TiO nanobelts (NBs) are engaged in the photocatalytic generation of H from water under light illumination, Cu is not only oxidized in CuO but also dissolved under the form of Cu/Cu ions, leading to a continuous reconstruction of nanoparticles via Ostwald ripening.

Effect of the metal-support interaction in platinum anchoring on heteroatom-doped graphene for enhanced oxygen reduction reaction.

Three kinds of Pt anchoring on heteroatom-doped graphene were synthesised and their effects on catalytic performance were discussed. The introduction of N and P into graphene is helpful to decrease the Pt particle size with a homogeneous distribution and favor the electronic configuration for the ORR.

Mechanical Strength and Chloride Ions' Penetration of Alkali-Activated Concretes (AAC) with Blended Precursor.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the properties of hardened alkali-activated concrete, which is considered an eco-friendly alternative to Portland cement concrete. In this paper, the precursors for alkali-activated concrete preparations are blends of fly ash and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag in three slag proportions: 5%, 20%, and 35%, expressed as a percentage of fly ash mass. Thus, three concretes were designed and cast, denominated as AAC5, AAC20, and AAC35.

Carbon Dots for Carbon Dummies: The Quantum and The Molecular Questions Among Some Others.

Carbon Dots (CDs) are carbon nanoparticles which were discovered in 2004. Despite two decades of intensive work from the scientific community and a colossal amount of gathered experimental data, no definitive consensus exists to date on several key aspects such as the actual definition of CDs and the origin of their emissive properties. This review proposes a critical evaluation of these fundamental questions.

Ultra-High T Thermoset Fibers Obtained by Electrospinning of Functional Polynorbornenes.

Insertion polynorbornenes (PBNEs) are rigid-rod polymers that have very high glass transition temperatures (T). In this study, two functional PNBEs were electrospun in the presence of a variety of cross-linkers, resulting in fibers with Ts greater than 300 °C. The fibers are long (several mm), rigid, and with diameters that can be tuned in the range 300 nm-10 μm.

The Unusual Conductivity of Na in PEO-Based Statistical Copolymer Solid Electrolytes: When Less Means More.

The low conductivity of Na electrolytes in solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) curtails the development of Na polymer batteries. In this study, NaClO (3-24 wt %, 90-9:1 O:Na) is dissolved in statistical copolymers of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) (0-20 mol %). Remarkably, the conductivity of these SPEs increases as the concentration of Na decreases, thus departing from the usual Nernstian behavior.

Graphitic Dots Combining Photophysical Characteristics of Organic Molecular Fluorophores and Inorganic Quantum Dots.

Thanks to their photophysical properties, both organic molecular fluorophores (MFs) and inorganic quantum dots (QDs) are extensively used for bioimaging applications. However, limitations such as photobleaching for the former or blinking, size, and toxicity for the latter still constitute a challenge for numerous applications. We report here that embedding MFs in graphitic carbon dots (GDs) results in fluorophores which entirely tackle this challenge.

Enhancement of Scattering and Near Field of TiO-Au Nanohybrids Using a Silver Resonator for Efficient Plasmonic Photocatalysis.

Recently, localized surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used to construct plasmonic nanohybrids for heterogeneous photocatalysis. For example, the combination of plasmonic Au NPs and TiO provides pure TiO visible-light activity. The SPR effect induces an electric field and consequently enhances light scattering and absorption, favoring the transfer of photon energy to hot carriers for catalytic reactions.

One-Dimensional CdS/Carbon/Au Plasmonic Nanoarray Photoanodes via In Situ Reduction-Graphitization Approach toward Efficient Solar Hydrogen Evolution.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen evolution has been acknowledged as a promising "green" technique to convert solar energy into clean chemical fuel. Photoanodes play a key role in determining the performance of PEC systems, spurring numerous efforts to develop advanced materials as well as structures to improve the photoconversion efficiency. In this work, we report the rational design of a plasmonic hierarchical nanorod array, composed of oriented one-dimensional (1D) CdS nanorods decorated with a uniformly wrapped graphite-like carbon (C) layer and Au nanoparticles (Au NPs), as highly efficient photoanode materials.

N, P-Codoped Graphene Dots Supported on N-Doped 3D Graphene as Metal-Free Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction.

Nitrogen and phosphorus-codoped graphene dots supported on nitrogen-doped three-dimensional graphene (N, P-GDs/N-3DG) have been synthesized by a facile freeze-annealing process. On the surface of the 3D interconnected porous structure, the N, P-GDs are uniformly dispersed. The as-prepared N, P-GDs/N-3DG material served as a metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an alkaline medium and evaluated by a rotating ring-disk electrode.

Lanthanide dodecyl sulfates, a potent family of catalysts for the preparation of biobased epoxy thermosets.

Lanthanide dodecyl sulfates, LnDS, are remarkably effective to catalyze the reaction of diepoxides with diamines in the liquid and solid states, a key reaction in the formation of epoxy thermosets. Among all lanthanides, the lanthanum complex LaNa(DS)(HO) is the most active, allowing a decrease of 60 kJ mol of the activation energy between polyethylene imine and limonene dioxide, a biobased epoxy monomer.

Enantioselective hydrogenation of cyclic tetrasubstituted-olefinic dehydroamino acid derivatives.

An efficient asymmetric hydrogenation of cyclic tetrasubstituted-olefinic dehydroamino acid derivatives has been achieved with a Rh-ArcPhos catalyst, affording a series of α-acylamino-β-alkyl tetrahydropyranones with two contiguous chiral centers in up to 96% ee and 1000 TON.

Asymmetric Hydroesterification of Diarylmethyl Carbinols.

An efficient asymmetric hydroesterfication of diarylmethyl carbinols is developed for the first time with a Pd-WingPhos catalyst, resulting in a series of chiral 4-aryl-3,4-dihydrocoumarins in excellent enantioselectivities and good yields. The method features mild reaction conditions, a broad substrate scope, use of easily accessible starting materials, and low palladium loadings. A plausible stereochemical model is also proposed with the Pd-WingPhos catalyst.

Recent Progress in Two-Dimensional Layered Double Hydroxides and Their Derivatives for Supercapacitors.

High-performance supercapacitors have attracted great attention due to their high power, fast charging/discharging, long lifetime, and high safety. However, the generally low energy density and overall device performance of supercapacitors limit their applications. In recent years, the design of rational electrode materials has proven to be an effective pathway to improve the capacitive performances of supercapacitors.

Diffusion Control of Organic Cathode Materials in Lithium Metal Battery.

Organic cathode materials for lithium batteries are becoming increasingly popular because they have high theoretical redox voltage, high gravimetric capacity, low cost, easy processing and sustainability. However, their development is limited by their solubility in the electrolyte, which leads to rapid deterioration of the battery upon cycling. We developed a Janus membrane, which consists of two layers - a commercial polypropylene separator (Celgard) and a 300-600 nm layer of exfoliated graphite that was applied by a simple and environmentally friendly process.

Water and Carbon Dioxide: A Unique Solvent for the Catalytic Polymerization of Ethylene in Miniemulsion.

The catalytic polymerization of ethylene is performed in water pressurized with CO . The size of the initial monomer droplets and of the resulting polymer particles can be varied by simply changing the CO pressure. Furthermore, at identical ethylene partial pressure, the polymerizations performed in the presence of CO are significantly faster than in its absence.

A Simple and Efficient Protocol for the Catalytic Insertion Polymerization of Functional Norbornenes.

Norbornene can be polymerized by a variety of mechanisms, including insertion polymerization whereby the double bond is polymerized and the bicyclic nature of the monomer is conserved. The resulting polymer, polynorbornene, has a very high glass transition temperature, Tg, and interesting optical and electrical properties. However, the polymerization of functional norbornenes by this mechanism is complicated by the fact that the endo substituted norbornene monomer has, in general, a very low reactivity.

Efficient Upconverting Multiferroic Core@Shell Photocatalysts: Visible-to-Near-Infrared Photon Harvesting.

We report the two-step synthesis of a core@shell nanohybrid material for visible-to-near-infrared (NIR) photocatalysis. The core is constituted of NaGdF:Er, Yb upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs). A bismuth ferrite (BFO) shell is assembled around the UCNPs via a hydrothermal process.

Colloidal Metal Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser Ablation and their Applications.

This review article highlights the recent advances of the synthesis and application of metal nanoparticles (NPs) fabricated via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) phase and also introduces relevant NP formation mechanisms. Although wet-chemical approaches have been well established to synthesize colloidal metal NPs with various components and structures, some inherent drawbacks, such as reaction residuals and/or contaminations, largely limit some of their applications. The PLAL method has recently been developed as an alternative approach and received increasing attention for colloidal NP preparation, without involving complicated chemical reactions.

Controlled-release of formulations encapsulated in light-resistant colloidosomal microcapsules for the management of lepidopteran pests of crops.

() based formulations have been widely used to control lepidopteran pests in agriculture and forestry. One of their weaknesses is their short residual activity when sprayed in the field. Using Pickering emulsions, mixtures of spores and crystals from three serovars were successfully encapsulated in colloïdosomal microparticles (50 μm) using innocuous chemicals (acrylic particles, sunflower oil, iron oxide nanoparticles, ethanol and water).

Eu/Tb codoped spindle-shaped fluorinated hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for dual-color cell imaging.

Lanthanide doped fluorinated hydroxyapatite (FAp) nanoparticles are promising cell imaging nanomaterials but they are excited at wavelengths which do not match the light sources usually found in a commercial confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). In this work, we have successfully prepared spindle-shaped Eu/Tb codoped FAp nanoparticles by a hydrothermal method. Compared with single Eu doped FAp, Eu/Tb codoped FAp can be excited by a 488 nm laser, and exhibit both green and red light emission.

Bright YAG:Ce Nanorod Phosphors Prepared via a Partial Wet Chemical Route and Biolabeling Applications.

Cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) nanorods were prepared via a partial wet chemical route followed by a calcination process by using Al2O3 nanorods as both templates and the reactant. These novel well-crystallized YAG:Ce phosphors with a 200-300 nm diameter and a 2-3 μm length have a high specific surface area while being virtually devoid of surface defects. The YAG:Ce nanorod phosphors possess good luminescent properties compared with granular YAG:Ce phosphors.

Engineering the Absorption and Field Enhancement Properties of Au-TiO2 Nanohybrids via Whispering Gallery Mode Resonances for Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Recently, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effects have been widely used to construct photocatalysts which are active in the visible spectral region. Such plasmonic photocatalysts usually comprise a semiconductor material transparent in the visible range (such as TiO2) and plasmonic nano-objects (e.g.