Synthesis of Monodispersed Pd Nanoparticles and Ultrathin Twisty Pd Nanowire Networks for Electrooxidation of Ethanol.

In recent years, preparing precious metal catalysts with a controllable morphology has become a hot research topic for researchers. In this study, monodispersed palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NP) and ultrathin Pd twisty nanowire networks (TNN) were synthesized in a solvothermal system using ,-dimethylformamide (DMF) and oleylamine (OAm) as solvents, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal the successful synthesis of nanoparticles and ultrathin TNN microstructures. Electrochemical data show that the current densities of Pd-NP and Pd-TNN for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) reach 1878 mA mg and 1765 mA mg, respectively.

High-Performance Room Temperature Ammonia Sensors Based on Pure Organic Molecules Featuring B-N Covalent Bond.

Exploring organic semiconductor gas sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity is crucial for the development of sensor technology. Herein, for the first time, a promising chemiresistive organic polymer P-BNT based on a novel π-conjugated triarylboron building block is reported, showcasing an excellent responsivity over 30 000 (Ra/Rg) against 40 ppm of NH, which is ≈3300 times higher than that of its B-N organic small molecule BN-H. More importantly, a molecular induction strategy to weaken the bond dissociation energy between polymer and NH caused by strong acid-base interaction is further executed to optimize the response and recovery time.

High Tribocatalytic Performance of FeOOH Nanorods for Degrading Organic Dyes and Antibiotics.

Tribocatalysis is vitally important for electrochemistry, energy conservation, and water treatment. Exploring eco-friendly and low-cost tribocatalysts with high performance is crucial for practical applications. Here, the highly efficient tribocatalytic performance of FeOOH nanorods is reported.

Revealing the effect of LiOH on forming a SEI using a Co magnetic "probe".

The solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) plays a critical role in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its important influence on electrochemical performance, such as cycle stability, coulombic efficiency, Although LiOH has been recognized as a key component of the SEI, its influence on the SEI and electrochemical performance has not been well clarified due to the difficulty in precisely controlling the LiOH content and characterize the detailed interface reactions. Here, a gradual change of LiOH content is realized by different reduction schemes among Co(OH), CoOOH and CoO. With reduced Co nanoparticles as magnetic "probes", SEI characterization is achieved by magnetometry.

Sm-Doped PIN-PMN-PT Transparent Ceramics with High Curie Temperature, Good Piezoelectricity, and Excellent Electro-Optical Properties.

Transparent piezoelectric materials are capable of coupling several physical effects such as optics, acoustics, electricity, and mechanical deformation together, which expands applications for mechanical-electro-optical multifunctional devices. However, piezoelectricity, transparency, and Curie temperature restrict each other, so it is difficult to achieve high piezoelectricity with both good transparency and a high Curie point. In this paper, Sm-doped 24Pb(InNb)O-42Pb(MgNb)O-34PbTiO (PIN-PMN-PT) transparent ceramic with a high piezoelectric coefficient of 905 pC/N, excellent electro-optical coefficient of 814 pm/V, and high Curie-point of 179 °C is fabricated.

Revealing interfacial space charge storage of Li/Na/K by operando magnetometry.

Interfacial space charge storage between ionic and electronic conductor is a promising scheme to further improve energy and power density of alkali metal ion batteries (AMIBs). However, the general behavior of space charge storage in AMIBs has been less investigated experimentally, mostly due to the complicated electrochemical behavior and lack of proper characterization techniques. Here, we use operando magnetometry to verify that in FeSe AMIBs, abundant Li/Na/K (M) can be stored at MSe phase while electrons accumulate at Fe nanoparticles, forming interfacial space charge layers.

Red Phosphorus/P25 Nanophotosensitizers Coated with Platelet Membrane for Enhancing Cancer Cells Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses targeted photosensitizing drugs, has been regarded as a promising method for cancer therapy. In the present study, photosensitizer red phosphorus modified P25 nanophotosensitizers (P25-RP) were generated, which were coated with platelet membrane (P25-RP@PLT) extracted from platelet rich plasma. The biocompatibility of P25-RP was demonstrated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and optical microscope assay, more than 93 % cells in the concentration of 100 μg/ml of P25-RP suspension after co-incubation for 24 h were still kept alive.

TEM observations of growth mechanisms of PbO nanoparticles from a Sm-doped PMN-PT matrix.

An excess PbO is usually added to raw materials to compensate for PbO volatilization during high-temperature sintering of a (1 - )Pb(MgNb)O-PbTiO (PMN-PT) piezoelectric material. However, the detailed growth mechanism of liquid phase and solid phase PbO due to excess PbO during the sintering process is still unknown. Here, the evolution behavior and growth mechanism of PbO nanoparticles from a Sm-doped 0.

Operando Magnetometry Probing the Charge Storage Mechanism of CoO Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Cobalt oxide (CoO) is a promising electrode for high-energy-density Li-ion batteries (LIBs), where the charge storage is believed to take place solely during the electrochemical oxidation/reduction processes. However, this simple picture has been increasingly challenged by reported anomalously large storage capacities, indicating the existence of undiscovered extra charge reservoirs inside the system. Here, an advanced operando magnetometry technology is employed to monitor the magnetization variation of the CoO LIBs in real time and, in this particular system, it is clearly demonstrated that the anomalous capacity is associated with both the reversible formation of a spin capacitor and the growth of a polymeric film at low voltages.

Assembly of Bimetallic PdAg Nanosheets and Their Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity toward Ethanol Oxidation.

The direct ethanol fuel cells in an alkaline medium have a broad vision of applications because of their large energy density, reasonable power density, and environmentally friendly features. Herein, we present a facile one-step method to synthesize PdAg nanosheet assemblies (NSAs) in a mixed solution of ,-dimethylformamide and water with the addition of molybdenum hexacarbonyl and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Pure Pd NSA shows an irregular shape while PdAg NSAs gradually undergo a process from solid assembly to a hollow structure with the Pd/Ag molar ratio changing from 3:1 to 2:1 to 1:1.

Electron diffraction study of the space group of BiTiFeO multiferroic ceramic.

BiTiFeO (pentabismuth trititanium iron pentadecaoxide), which is a multiferroic four-layer Aurivillius phase compound, has received much attention in recent years. However, three mutually inconsistent orthorhombic space groups, i.e.

Reversible control of magnetization in FeOnanoparticles by a supercapacitor.

The manipulation of magnetism by electrical means is one of the most intensely pursued research topics of recent times aiming at the development of efficient and low-energy consumption devices in spintronics, microelectronics and bioelectronics. Herein, we successfully tuned the saturated magnetization of FeOby a supercapacitor. Through increasing the surface area of magnetic particles and activation of carbon cloth, fully reversible and robust saturation magnetization variation with low power consumption and remarkable switching speed can be realized on FeO/ionic liquid interfaces at room temperature.

Enhanced piezo-photocatalytic performance by piezoelectric and visible light photoexcitation coupling through piezoelectric NaBiTiO micron crystals.

The unique piezoelectric potential of piezoelectrics could lead to performance gains for electrochemical catalysis. Here, a cuboid-like NaBiTiO (NBTO) piezoelectric micron crystal was synthesized by a hydrothermal process. The piezocatalytic and visible light assisted piezo-photocatalytic activities of NBTO were investigated.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Bi₂Fe₄O Photocatalyst with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity.

Submicron Bi₂Fe₄O crystals were successfully synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method and employed effectively as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue dye. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that the as-prepared sample consisted mainly of submicron plates and a small quantity of submicron particles. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of the submicron Bi₂Fe₄O crystals shows two broad absorption edges in the visible region with band gaps of 1.

Electrospun γ-FeO nanofibers as bioelectrochemical sensors for simultaneous determination of small biomolecules.

Nanofibers of α-FeO and γ-FeO have been obtained after the controlled calcination of precursor nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning. α-FeO nanofibers showed an irregular toruloid structure due to the decomposition of poly (4-vinyl) pyridine in air while γ-FeO nanoparticles decorated nanofibers were observed after the calcination under N atmosphere. Electrochemical measurements showed that different electrochemical behaviors were observed on the glassy carbon electrodes modified by α-FeO and γ-FeO nanofibers.

Structural Regulation of PdCu Nanoparticles and Their Electrocatalytic Performance for Ethanol Oxidation.

Two types of PdCu nanoparticles were prepared through one-pot synthesis and a two-step reducing process, named as PdCu-1 and PdCu-2, respectively. The morphology and structure of as-prepared samples were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Results showed that more Pd atoms were buried in the inside of PdCu-1, whereas more available Pd sites were distributed on the surface of PdCu-2.

Novel rod-shaped magnetotactic bacteria belonging to the class Alphaproteobacteria.

Novel large, rod-shaped magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) were discovered in intertidal sediments of the Yellow Sea, China. They biomineralized more than 300 rectangular magnetite magnetosomes per cell. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that they are affiliated with the Alphaproteobacteria and may represent a new genus of MTB.

Hydrothermal synthesis and optical properties of single-crystalline Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 nanoplates of layered-perovskite structure.

Single-crystalline Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 (BNdT) nanoplates of bismuth-layered perovskite structure have been synthesized through hydrothermal process.