Highly Dispersed Ni-Pt Bimetallic Cocatalyst: The Synergetic Effect Yields Pt-Like Activity in Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Achieving high photocatalytic activity with the lowest possible platinum (Pt) consumption is crucial for reducing the cost of Pt-based cocatalysts and enabling large-scale applications. Bimetallic Ni-Pt cocatalysts exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance and are considered one of the most promising photocatalysts capable of replacing pure Pt for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the synergistic photocatalytic mechanism between bimetallic Ni-Pt cocatalysts needs to be further investigated.

Largely enhanced dielectric constant of PVDF nanocomposites through a core-shell strategy.

Core-shell structured TiO@carbon nanowire (TiO@C NW) hybrids with different carbon shell thicknesses were synthesized by a combination of a hydrothermal reaction and the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Pristine TiO NWs with a high aspect ratio were obtained by a hydrothermal reaction and the as-synthesized TiO NWs were subsequently employed as the template for carbon shell deposition during the CVD procedure. The obtained TiO@C NW hybrids have a uniform carbon shell and the thickness of the carbon shell could be precisely designed from 4 nm to 40 nm by controlling the deposition time.

Quantitative Study of Interface/Interphase in Epoxy/Graphene-Based Nanocomposites by Combining STEM and EELS.

A quantitative study of the interphase and interface of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)/epoxy and graphene oxide (GO)/epoxy was carried out by combining scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). The interphase regions between GNPs and epoxy matrix were clearly identified by the discrepancy of the plasmon peak positions in the low energy-loss spectra due to different valence electron densities. The spectrum acquisitions were carried out along lines across the interface.

Morphogenesis mechanisms in the solvothermal synthesis of BaTiO3 from titanate nanorods and nanotubes.

A rich variety of single crystalline BaTiO3 (BT) nanostructures have been synthesized by two different routes using titanate nanorods and nanotubes as precursors. Free standing, mixed or agglomerated nanotori, solid or hollow nanospheres and nanocubes were obtained. A careful analysis of the shape evolution of the resulting BT nano-objects obtained with both types of precursors and different parameters (precursor composition and shape, temperature, Ba/Ti molar ratio) allowed an improved understanding of the nanostructure formation.