Carbon-reinforced NiS/TiCT MXene composite as an anode for superior-performance lithium-ion capacitors.

Lithium ion capacitors (LICs) are a new generation of energy storage devices that combine the super energy storage capability of lithium ion batteries with the satisfactory power density of supercapacitors. The development of high-performance LICs still faces great challenges due to the unbalanced reaction kinetics at the anode and cathode. Therefore, it is an inevitable need to enhance the electron/ion transfer capability of the anode materials.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Co-Doped NiSe₂ Nanowire for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Co@NiSe₂ electrode materials were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method by using nickel foam in situ as the backbone and subsequently characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and a specific surface area analyzer. Results show that the Co@NiSe₂ electrode exhibits a nanowire structure and grows uniformly on the nickel foam base. These features make the electrode show a relatively high specific surface area and electrical conductivity, and thus exhibit excellent electrochemical performance.

The Difference Se Makes: A Bio-Inspired Dppf-Supported Nickel Selenolate Complex Boosts Dihydrogen Evolution with High Oxygen Tolerance.

Inspired by the metal active sites of [NiFeSe]-hydrogenases, a dppf-supported nickel(II) selenolate complex (dppf=1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) shows high catalytic activity for electrochemical proton reduction with a remarkable enzyme-like H evolution turnover frequency (TOF) of 7838 s under an Ar atmosphere, which markedly surpasses the activity of a dppf-supported nickel(II) thiolate analogue with a low TOF of 600 s . A combined study of electrochemical experiments and DFT calculations shed light on the catalytic process, suggesting that selenium atom as a bio-inspired proton relay plays a key role in proton exchange and enhancing catalytic activity of H production. For the first time, this type of Ni selenolate-containing electrocatalyst displays a high degree of O and H tolerance.

[PbCuI(phen)]: a novel organic-inorganic hybrid ferromagnetic semiconductor.

An iodoplumbate-based organic-inorganic hybrid ferromagnetic semiconductor, [PbCuI(phen)], has been solvothermally synthesized. The ferromagnetic exchange interaction is resulting from the multiple aromatic π-π stacking interactions between the adjacent phen molecules.

Silver-Sulfur Hybrid Supertetrahedral Clusters: The Hitherto Missing Members in the Metal-Chalcogenide Tetrahedral Clusters.

The synthesis of Group 11 metal chalcogenide supertetrahedral clusters (SCs) still remains a great challenge mainly due to the high tendency of metal aggregation through metallophilicity and global charge balance. Demonstrated herein are the preparation, crystallographic characterization, and optical properties of two stable silver-sulfur SCs through ligand-control; one as a discrete zero-dimensional (0D) V3,4-type cluster and the other as a one-dimensional (1D) zigzag chain extended by alternating V3,2-type clusters. The notation Vn,m (where n is the number of metal layers, and m is the number of vacant corners) is used to describe a new series of vacant-corner SCs, which can be derived from the regular Tn clusters.

A square-planar nickel dithiolate complex as an efficient molecular catalyst for the electro- and photoreduction of protons.

A square-planar nickel(ii) dithiolate complex is an active molecular catalyst for both photoreduction of protons from water with a turnover number (>1500) and electroreduction of protons from weakly acidic solutions with remarkable turnover frequencies (5575 s at -1.92 V and 1441 s at -1.61 V vs.

Fine Tuning of Nanocrystal and Pore Sizes of TiO2 Submicrospheres toward High Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In general, the properties and performance of mesoporous TiO2 are greatly dependent on its crystal size, crystallinity, porosity, surface area, and morphology; in this regard, design and fine-tuning the crystal and pore sizes of the TiO2 submicrospheres and investigating the effect of these factors on the properties and photoelectric performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is essential. In this work, uniform TiO2 submicrospheres were synthesized by a two-step procedure containing hydrolysis and solvothermal process. The crystal and pore sizes of the TiO2 submicrospheres were fine-tuned and controlled in a narrow range by adjusting the quantity of NH4OH during the solvothermal process.

Photocatalytic water reduction from a noble-metal-free molecular dyad based on a thienyl-expanded BODIPY photosensitizer.

A noble-metal-free molecular dyad was constructed by anchoring a thienyl-expanded BODIPY photosensitizer (PS) to a cobaloxime catalyst, which gives a 2.5-fold increase in the TON, and a 3-fold enhancement in the quantum efficiency as compared to the multicomponent catalytic system for the generation of hydrogen via the reduction of water. The stability of PS was expected to improve by introducing the thienyl moiety into the BODIPY core.

The relationship between the boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) structure and the effectiveness of homogeneous and heterogeneous solar hydrogen-generating systems as well as DSSCs.

A series of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes (B1–B5) having H atoms at 2,6-positions or heavy-atom I at 2-/2,6-positions, and an ortho- or a para-COOH substituted phenyl moiety at the 8-position on the BODIPY core were synthesized and characterized. These organic dyes were applied for investigating the relationship between the BODIPY structure and the effectiveness of homogeneous and heterogeneous visible-light-driven hydrogen production as well as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For the homogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen production systems with a cobaloxime catalyst, the efficiency of hydrogen production could be tuned by substituting with heavy atoms and varying carboxyl group orientations of BODIPYs.

Noble-metal-free BODIPY-cobaloxime photocatalysts for visible-light-driven hydrogen production.

In this study a series of supramolecular BODIPY-cobaloxime systems Co-Bn (n = 1-4): [{Co(dmgH)2Cl}{4,4-difluoro-8-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene}] (Co-B1), [{Co(dmgH)2Cl}{4,4-difluoro-8-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-2,6-diiodo-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene}] (Co-B2), [{Co(dmgH)2Cl}{4,4-difluoro-8-(3-pyridyl)-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene}] (Co-B3), and [{Co(dmgH)2Cl}{4,4-difluoro-8-(3-pyridyl)-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-2,6-diiodo-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene}] (Co-B4) (BODIPY = boron dipyrromethene, dmgH = dimethylglyoxime) have been synthesized by replacing one axial chlorine of cobaloxime moieties with the pyridine residues of BODIPYs, and structurally characterized. Absorption spectra show that the optical properties of the BODIPY-cobaloximes are essentially the sum of their constituent components, indicating weak interactions between the cobaloxime units and BODIPY chromophores in the ground state. If any, electronic communications may take place through the intramolecular electron transfer across their orthogonal structures.

Discovery of polymorphism-dependent emission for crystalline boron-dipyrromethene dye.

4-Methoxycarbonylphenyl-substituted BODIPY (boron-dipyrromethene) dye gives, in the solid state, three polymorphs. In spite of the absence of any strong intermolecular interactions in all crystalline forms, the three polymorphs show different photoluminescence properties. This behavior highlights the importance of molecular arrangements of the BODIPY moieties in the crystalline state in perturbing their photophysical properties.

Poly[[diaqua-bis-(μ(3)-isonicotinato-κN:O:O')bis-(μ(2)-isonicotinato-κN:O)gadolinium(III)disiliver(I)] nitrate monohydrate].

In the title compound, {[Ag(2)Gd(C(6)H(4)NO(2))(4)(H(2)O)(2)]NO(3)·H(2)O}(n), the Gd(III) ion is coordinated by eight O atoms from six isonicotinate ligands and two water mol-ecules in a distorted square anti-prismatic geometry. Two Ag(I) ions are each bonded to two N atoms from two isonicotinate ligands in a linear or bow-like fashion [N-Ag-N angles = 178.6 (2) and 147.

Poly[diaqua-tris(μ(4)-isophthalato)dilanthanum(III)].

In the title coordination polymer, [La(2)(C(8)H(4)O(4))(3)(H(2)O)(2)](n), there are two independent La(III) atoms which are coordinated differently in slightly distorted penta-gonal-bipyramidal and slightly disorted bicapped trigonal-prismatic environments. The La(III) ions are bridged by μ(4)-isophthalate ligands, forming two-dimensional layers. In the crystal structure, these layers are connected by inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network.

Bis(μ-N,N-dimethyl-dithio-carbamato-κS,S':S)bis-[(N,N-dimethyl-dithio-carbamato-κS,S')copper(II)].

In the centrosymmetric dimeric title compound, [Cu(2)(C(3)H(6)NS(2))(4)], the Cu(II) atom is five-coordinate in a square-pyramidal environment. The basal coordination positions are occupied by four S atoms from two dimethyl-dithio-carbamate ligands and the apical coordination position is occupied by an S atom also bonded to the other Cu atom.

(N,N-Diethyl-dithio-carbamato-κS,S')iodido(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')copper(II).

The copper(II) atom in the title compound, [Cu(C(5)H(10)NS(2))I(C(12)H(8)N(2))], is chelated by the N-heterocycle and the dithio-carbamate anion in a slightly distorted tetragonal coordination. The tetragonal-pyramidal coorination is completed by the iodine atom in the apical position. One ethyl group is disordered over two positions with site occupancies of 0.

(2,2'-Bipyridine-κN,N')iodido(pyrrol-idine-1-dithio-carboxyl-ato-κS,S')copper(II).

In the title compound, [Cu(C(5)H(8)NS(2))I(C(10)H(8)N(2))], the Cu(II) ion is coordinated by one iodide ion, two N atoms of the bipyridine ligand and two S atoms from the pyrrolidine-1-dithio-carboxyl-ate ligand in a distorted square-pyramidal environment.

The layered compound poly[mu2-4,4'-bipyridyl-di-mu2-chlorido-mercury(II)].

The title compound, [HgCl2(C(10)H(8)N(2))]n, features two-dimensional [HgCl2(4,4'-bipy)]n neutral networks (4,4'-bipy is 4,4'-bipyridine), based on an octahedral Hg atom coordinated by four mu2-Cl atoms and two mu2-4,4'-bipy ligands in trans positions, yielding a HgCl(4)N(2) octahedron. The structure has mmm symmetry about the Hg atoms, with most of the atoms on at least one mirror plane, but the unsubstituted C atoms of the 4,4'-bipy rings are disordered across a mirror plane. Photoluminescent investigations reveal that the title compound displays a strong emission in the green region, which probably originates from a ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer transition.

catena-Poly[[diiodozinc(II)]-mu-4,4'-bipyridine-kappa2N:N'].

The title compound, [ZnI2(bipy)]n (bipy is 4,4'-bipyridine, C10H8N2), has been prepared by the hydrothermal reaction of ZnI2 and bipy at 433 K. Each Zn atom is coordinated by two N atoms from two different bipy ligands and by two I atoms in a distorted tetrahedral geometry, with Zn-N distances ranging from 2.068 (7) to 2.