N-regulated three-dimensional turf-like carbon nanosheet loaded with FeCoNi nanoalloys as bifunctional electrocatalysts for durable zinc-air batteries.

N-regulated three-dimensional (3D) turf-like carbon material loaded with FeCoNi nanoalloys (F-CNS-CNT), composed of carbon nanotubes (CNT) grown in situ on carbon nanosheets(CNS), was synthesized using a low-temperature solution combustion method and organic compounds rich in pyridinic-N. This distinct structure significantly expands the effective electrochemical surface area, revealing an abundance of active sites and enhancing the mass transfer capability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Both experimental observations and theoretical calculations corroborate that the synergy between the FeCoNi nanoalloy and the highly pyridinic N-doped carbon substrate optimizes the adsorption and desorption-free energy of oxygen intermediates, resulting in a remarkable improvement of intrinsic ORR/OER activity.

Significant hydrogen generation photo-mechanical coupling in flexible methylammonium lead iodide nanowires.

The flexoelectric effect, which refers to the mechanical-electric coupling between strain gradient and charge polarization, should be considered for use in charge production for catalytically driving chemical reactions. We have previously revealed that halide perovskites can generate orders of higher magnitude flexoelectricity under the illumination of light than in the dark. In this study, we report the catalytic hydrogen production by photo-mechanical coupling involving the photoflexoelectric effect of flexible methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI) nanowires (NWs) in hydrogen iodide solution.

Direct photolithography of ultra-stable CsPbBr quantum dot arrays based on crosslinking polymerization.

CsPbX (X = Br, Cl, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are the rising star for various display applications owing to their excellent opto-electrical properties, such as an adjustable spectrum, narrow emission linewidth and high quantum yield. However, these PQDs are well known to suffer from intrinsic instability under atmospheric conditions. In this work, a novel photosensitive ligand, phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (XBPO), was employed as a dual-functional reagent for PQD surface engineering.

Dynamic Observations on Formation of Coffee-Ring Structures from the Degradation of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Nanomaterials of halide perovskites have attracted increasing attention for their remarkable potential in optoelectronic devices, but their instability to environmental factors is the core issue impeding their applications. In this context, the microscopic understanding of their structural degradation mechanisms upon external stimuli remains incomplete. Herein, we took an emerging member of this material family, CsPbBr nanocrystals (NCs), as an example and investigated the degradation pathways as well as underlying mechanisms under an electron beam by using in situ transmission electron microscopy.

Visualization of Bubble Nucleation and Growth Confined in 2D Flakes.

The nucleation and growth of bubbles within a solid matrix is a ubiquitous phenomenon that affects many natural and synthetic processes. However, such a bubbling process is almost "invisible" to common characterization methods because it has an intrinsically multiphased nature and occurs on very short time/length scales. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy to explore the decomposition of a solid precursor that emits gaseous byproducts, the direct observation of a complete nanoscale bubbling process confined in ultrathin 2D flakes is presented here.

Fluorescence-enhanced Cs PbBr /CsPbBr composites films synthesized by double-films solid phase reaction method.

Due to indispensable ligands, polluted organic solution, or complex vapour deposition, stable CsPbBr film is hard to be prepared directly using a simple and environmentally friendly method. To improve the stability of CsPbBr film and its synthesis methods, the double-films solid phase reaction was developed, and Cs PbBr /CsPbBr composites were designed. Although the synthesized particle had a size of 2-5 μm, much larger than that of quantum dots, in ambient conditions the composites films still showed good photoluminescence properties, with the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of 80%.