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| Open AccessFacile synthesis of ultrahigh-surface-area hollow carbon nanospheres for enhanced adsorption and energy storage
Well-defined, large surface area nanostructures are promising functional materials but can be difficult to fabricate. Here the authors show how to prepare ultrahigh-surface-area hollow carbon nanospheres, via a controlled carbonization route, and assess their organic vapour adsorption and electrochemical performance.
- Fei Xu
- , Zhiwei Tang
- & Dingcai Wu
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| Open AccessPhase and composition controllable synthesis of cobalt manganese spinel nanoparticles towards efficient oxygen electrocatalysis
It is challenging to synthesize cobalt manganese spinels with controlled phase and composition. Here the authors present a solution-based synthesis method for the spinels, which show potential in catalysing oxygen reduction reactions.
- Chun Li
- , Xiaopeng Han
- & Jun Chen
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| Open AccessElectrochemical synthesis of mesoporous gold films toward mesospace-stimulated optical properties
The selective growth of mesoporous gold thin films with control over the porosity is a challenging task. Here, the authors report a soft-templating method allowing the growth of tunable, mesoporous gold films and examine their optical properties
- Cuiling Li
- , Ömer Dag
- & Yusuke Yamauchi
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Strong interactive growth behaviours in solution-phase synthesis of three-dimensional metal oxide nanostructures
It has been suggested that the growth rate of nanocrystals is affected by the size and density of surrounding crystals. Here, the authors study the anisotropic growth of zinc oxide nanorod arrays, and show that rod diameter and height are interdependent, and may be affected by local interactions.
- Jung Min Lee
- , You-Shin No
- & Won Il Park
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Strain-engineered manufacturing of freeform carbon nanotube microstructures
Reproducing complex surface geometries for high-performance composite materials is very desirable, although current synthesis methods are limited. Here, the authors present a technique to produce large-area freeform microstructures via strain-engineered growth of patterned vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
- M. De Volder
- , S. Park
- & A. J. Hart
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Monolithic graphene oxide sheets with controllable composition
Fabrication of large-scale monolithic graphene oxide is desirable in realising future devices. Here, the authors report a physical process for synthesizing monolithic graphene oxide sheets on copper foil from solid carbon.
- Jae Hwan Chu
- , Jinsung Kwak
- & Soon-Yong Kwon
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Direct synthesis of single-walled aminoaluminosilicate nanotubes with enhanced molecular adsorption selectivity
Chemical functionalization of the outer surfaces of single-walled nanotubes is well documented but internal modification is less well explored. Here, the authors fabricate single-walled metal oxide nanotubes with covalently bonded amines on their inner walls and study their gas adsorption properties.
- Dun-Yen Kang
- , Nicholas A. Brunelli
- & Sankar Nair
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Large-scale solution synthesis of narrow graphene nanoribbons
Theory predicts that graphene nanoribbons with width less than 2 nm exhibit bandgaps comparable to silicon, but the fabrication is challenging. Vo et al.report a bottom–up approach to synthesize bulk quantities of these materials with a bandgap of ~1.3 eV, potentially useful for electronic devices.
- Timothy H. Vo
- , Mikhail Shekhirev
- & Alexander Sinitskii
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In situ observation of filamentary conducting channels in an asymmetric Ta2O5−x/TaO2−x bilayer structure
Despite its importance for non-volatile memory, the origin of resistive switching in a metal insulator-metal structure is unclear. Park et al.fabricate such a structure inside a transmission electron microscope to show that switching occurs via oxygen-vacancy migration, which changes the conduction channels.
- Gyeong-Su Park
- , Young Bae Kim
- & Kinam Kim
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Nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials as non-metal electrocatalysts for water oxidation
Efficient and economical water splitting is desirable for energy conversion, but it is limited by high overpotential and the need for noble metals. Zhao et al. report that nitrogen-doped graphite materials function as a promising electrocatalyst, with efficiency comparable to that of benchmark metal oxides.
- Yong Zhao
- , Ryuhei Nakamura
- & Kazuhito Hashimoto
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High-pressure synthesis of a polyethylene/zeolite nano-composite material
Pressure-driven polymerisation reactions in confined environments, such as zeolites, can generate unique composite materials and increase our understanding of confined reactions. Here, a polyethylene–silicate composite is synthesised, and the mechanical properties can be tuned by varying the ethylene content.
- Mario Santoro
- , Federico A. Gorelli
- & Arie van der Lee
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Sulphur–TiO2 yolk–shell nanoarchitecture with internal void space for long-cycle lithium–sulphur batteries
The practical performance of lithium–sulphur batteries is lower than expected because of polysulphide dissolution into the electrolyte over time. Sehet al. show that a yolk–shell nanoarchitecture is able to encapsulate sulphur cathode materials efficiently and thus allows over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles.
- Zhi Wei Seh
- , Weiyang Li
- & Yi Cui
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Magneto-optical properties of trions in non-blinking charged nanocrystals reveal an acoustic phonon bottleneck
Colloidal quantum dots may be used in a variety of emerging technologies, particularly if charged states can be stabilized. Here, cadmium selenide core-shell nanocrystals are engineered for trion emission at low temperatures, and their finite size introduces an acoustic phonon bottleneck, inhibiting spin relaxation.
- Mark J. Fernée
- , Chiara Sinito
- & Brahim Lounis
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Chirality-controlled synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes using vapour-phase epitaxy
The promising electronic properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes are strongly dependent on their chirality. Here a metal catalyst free, vapour-phase epitaxy-type cloning mechanism is shown to yield high purity metallic and semiconducting nanotubes from purified single-chirality seeds.
- Jia Liu
- , Chuan Wang
- & Chongwu Zhou
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| Open AccessHard magnetic ferrite with a gigantic coercivity and high frequency millimetre wave rotation
Permanent magnets based on magnetic ferrites such as Fe3O4 and Fe2O3 are used in a wide range of applications. This study demonstrates that introducing rhodium into nanoparticles consisting of the ε phase of Fe2O3gives rise to a very high coercivity.
- Asuka Namai
- , Marie Yoshikiyo
- & Shin-ichi Ohkoshi
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Anomalous high capacitance in a coaxial single nanowire capacitor
Devices made up of nanowires offer promise for a range of electronic, photonic and energy applications. Liuet al. fabricate a miniature capacitor by employing a thin layer of Cu2O as a separator between layers of carbon and copper.
- Zheng Liu
- , Yongjie Zhan
- & Pulickel M. Ajayan