Challenging thermodynamics: combining immiscible elements in a single-phase nano-ceramic.

The Hume-Rothery rules governing solid-state miscibility limit the compositional space for new inorganic material discovery. Here, we report a non-equilibrium, one-step, and scalable flame synthesis method to overcome thermodynamic limits and incorporate immiscible elements into single phase ceramic nanoshells. Starting from prototype examples including (NiMg)O, (NiAl)O, and (NiZr)O, we then extend this method to a broad range of Ni-containing ceramic solid solutions, and finally to general binary combinations of elements.

Branching phenomena in nanostructure synthesis illuminated by the study of Ni-based nanocomposites.

Branching phenomena are ubiquitous in both natural and artificial crystallization processes. The branched nanostructures' emergent properties depend upon their structures, but their structural tunability is limited by an inadequate understanding of their formation mechanisms. Here we developed an ensemble of Nickel-Based nano-Composites (NBCs) to investigate branching phenomena in solution-phase synthesis with precision and in depth.

Ultrasensitive Room-Temperature NO Detection Using SnS/MWCNT Composites and Accelerated Recovery Kinetics by UV Activation.

High performance with lower power consumption is one among the essential features of a sensing device. Minute traces of hazardous gases such as NO are difficult to detect. Tin disulfide (SnS) nanosheets have emerged as a promising NO sensor.

Humidity-Tolerant Room-Temperature Selective Dual Sensing and Discrimination of NH and NO Using a WS/MWCNT Composite.

Continuous detection of toxic and hazardous gases like nitric oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH) is needed for environmental management and noninvasive diagnosis of various diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, dual detection of these two gases has not been previously reported. To address the challenge, we demonstrate the design and fabrication of low-cost NH and NO dual gas sensors using tungsten disulfide/multiwall carbon nanotube (WS/MWCNT) nanocomposites as sensing channels which maintained their performance in a humid environment.

A General Route to Flame Aerosol Synthesis and In Situ Functionalization of Mesoporous Silica.

Mesoporous silica is a versatile material for energy, environmental, and medical applications. Here, for the first time, we report a flame aerosol synthesis method for a class of mesoporous silica with hollow structure and specific surface area exceeding 1000 m  g . We show its superior performance in water purification, as a drug carrier, and in thermal insulation.

Magnetically Controllable Flowerlike, Polyhedral Ag-Cu-CoO for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Syntheses of Cu-, Ag-, and Ag-Cu-CoO nanomaterials are of interest for a wide range of applications including electrochemistry, thermal catalysis, energy storage, and electronics. However, CoO-based nanomaterials have not been explored for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we present Cu-, Ag-, and Ag-Cu-CoO nanomaterials of a hierarchical flower shape comprising two separate phases: a pure Cu or Ag core and multiple CoO branches, in which the optical properties of the core and the magnetic properties of the branches are integrated.