Mesoporous CuO particles threaded with CNTs for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes.

Mesoporous CuO particles threaded with carbon nanotubes are suggested as a novel class of nanocomposite material for a high-performance anode in the lithium-ion batteries. The nanocomposite electrode exhibits a highly reversible capacity (650 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 C rate) and an excellent C rate capability (580 mA h g(-1) at 5 C, and 500 mA h g(-1) at 10 C).

Shape control of cadmium hydroxides (Cd(OH)2) sensitive to pH quenching depth and massive production of CdSe nanocrystals by their chemical transformation.

This study demonstrates that the structure of cadmium hydroxides (Cd(OH)(2)) precipitated from a basic cadmium nitrate solution can be finely controlled by adjusting the pH of the precursor solution. The synthesis process involves only pouring the saturated solution into pure water to quench the pH and the total process is finished within 30 s. At a shallow pH quenching, the unstable nanoparticles turned into microparticles via a ripening process.

Understanding the epitaxial growth of SexTey@Te core-shell nanorods and the generation of periodic defects.

This study demonstrates solution-processed epitaxial growth of Te on Se(x)Te(y) nanorods and the generation of periodic defects in the core. We investigated Se(x)Te(y)@Te core-shell nanorods with a diameter of 40-50 nm and a length of 600-700 nm. In spite of a large lattice mismatch between the Se(x)Te(y) core and the Te shell, the soft character of the core and the shell at a high reaction temperature allowed epitaxial growth of Te on the Se(x)Te(y) nanorods.

Chemical transformations in ultrathin chalcogenide nanowires.

We have studied the chemical transformations in ultrathin chalcogenide nanowires with an aim to understand the parameters that control the morphology and crystal structure of the product. Ultrathin Te nanowires were transformed into Ag2Te nanowires with preservation of the single crystallinity. The Ag2Te nanowires were then converted into CdTe, ZnTe, and PbTe using cation-exchange reactions, and the CdTe nanowires were further transformed into PtTe2 nanotubes.

Porous networks of CdSe nanocrystal chains from ultrafine Cd(OH)2 nanowires and their composite materials.

Long ultrathin Cd(OH)(2) nanowires have been selectively grown on silica colloids in a basic aqueous condition. The Cd(OH)(2) nanowires could be detached from the surface of the silica colloids by simply applying ultrasonication and then transformed into isolated CdSe nanocrystal chains. When the transformation into CdSe was conducted without detaching the Cd(OH)(2) nanowires, nanoporous CdSe shells composed of wire-like nanocrystal chains were produced.

In-plane growth and directional control of Se nanowires in polymer thin films.

Se nanowires were grown in a confined geometry of polymer thin films by adjusting the coordination strength between the polymer chains and Se atoms, and they were in situ aligned during the reaction in a patterned substrate.

Surface energy-controlled in-plane growth of t-Se nanowires transformed from a-Se colloids.

This study investigated the surface energy-controlled transformation of amorphous Se (a-Se) colloids into trigonal Se (t-Se) crystals on solid substrates. Hydrophilic surfaces generated nanowires laterally grown along the surface of the substrates, while on hydrophobic surfaces the nanowires on the colloidal surface were randomly oriented. The ripening was considered to govern the growth of t-Se nanowires.