Core–shell nanoparticles (CSNs) have attracted considerable attention because of their promising applications in a wide range of fields. Recently, substantial efforts have been focused on the ...development of facile and versatile methods for preparing CSNs with mesoporous SiO2 or TiO2 shells because of their fascinating properties, such as high surface area, large pore channels and high pore volume. This Research News reviews the recent progress in facile, versatile and reproducible approaches which are simply extended from the well‐known Stöber method to construct mesoporous SiO2 and TiO2 shells for uniform multifunctional core–shell nanostructures. Several strategies, including the surfactant‐templating process, the long‐chain organosilane‐assisted approach, the phase transfer assisted surfactant‐templating process, and the kinetics‐controlled coating approach, are discussed. In addition, new trends in this field for the creation of multifunctional CSNs and novel nanostructures are highlighted.
The Stöber method is a well‐known and versatile process for synthesizing silica spheres with controllable particle size, narrow size distribution, smooth surface, and porosity. This contribution highlights recent advances on the extension of the Stöber method to construct mesoporous SiO2 and TiO2 shells for uniform multifunctional core–shell nanostructures.
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•Strategies for tuning the electronic structure of TMPs are reviewed from different aspects.•Physical structure modification of TMPs are also reviewed.•Fe, Co, Ni-based TMPs as ...bifunctional catalysts for both HER and OER process are summarized.•Nanocarbon/TMPs hybrids as HER or OER catalysts with enhanced catalytic performance.•The challenges and perspectives for TMPs as water splitting electrocatalysts are discussed.
Transition metal phosphides (TMPs), as non-precious metal compounds, have attracted growing interest as heterogeneous electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. They have been studied as robust catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at a wide pH range. In particular, Fe, Co, Ni-based phosphides also showed high performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solutions. This review focuses on the strategies developed for preparing TMPs with enhanced HER or OER performance. These strategies include tuning the stoichiometric ratio of metal and phosphorous, hetero-atom doping or alloying, forming nano-carbon/TMPs hybrids and engineering special structures by modifying surface wettability, forming hetero-structure interfaces and generating porous structures. In terms of elemental doping strategy, the reported performance of Fe, Co, Ni-based alloying phosphides as bifunctional catalysts for both HER and OER are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for TMPs in water splitting application are briefly discussed.
Intricate hollow structures garner tremendous interest due to their aesthetic beauty, unique structural features, fascinating physicochemical properties, and widespread applications. Here, the recent ...advances in the controlled synthesis are discussed, as well as applications of intricate hollow structures with regard to energy storage and conversion. The synthetic strategies toward complex multishelled hollow structures are classified into six categories, including well‐established hard‐ and soft‐templating methods, as well as newly emerging approaches based on selective etching of “soft@hard” particles, Ostwald ripening, ion exchange, and thermally induced mass relocation. Strategies for constructing structures beyond multishelled hollow structures, such as bubble‐within‐bubble, tube‐in‐tube, and wire‐in‐tube structures, are also covered. Niche applications of intricate hollow structures in lithium‐ion batteries, Li–S batteries, supercapacitors, Li–O2 batteries, dye‐sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, and fuel cells are discussed in detail. Some perspectives on the future research and development of intricate hollow structures are also provided.
Intricate hollow structures attract tremendous interest due to their aesthetic beauty, unique structural features, fascinating physicochemical properties, and widespread applications. A comprehensive overview on the controlled synthesis of intricate hollow structures is given, along with their niche applications in secondary batteries, supercapacitors, dye‐sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, and fuel cells.
Carbon dots (CDots), an emerging class of photoluminescent materials, exhibit excellent optical, electrical and chemical properties with many potential applications. Hetero-atom doping in CDots ...represents a robust and versatile technique to further improve the chemical composition and structure properties of CDots. In this review, we provide an updated roadmap of the hetero-atom-doped CDots. Various up-to-date synthetic strategies, starting with different raw materials to synthetic methods to doping elements, are surveyed. Furthermore, the catalysis, optical properties, biological properties and the potential applications of hetero-atom doped CDots, including nano-probes, optoelectronic devices, catalysis, and biomedicine are also reviewed. We further provide an outlook towards future developments of the hetero-atom-doped CDots. This review will provide a summary of the latest progress of hetero-atom-doped CDots and is expected to inspire further developments in this exciting class of materials.
Functional mesoporous materials have gained tremendous attention due to their distinctive properties and potential applications. In recent decades, the self-assembly of micelles and framework ...precursors into mesostructures on the liquid-solid, liquid-liquid, and gas-liquid interface has been explored in the construction of functional mesoporous materials with diverse compositions, morphologies, mesostructures, and pore sizes. Compared with the one-phase solution synthetic approach, the introduction of a two-phase interface in the synthetic system changes self-assembly behaviors between micelles and framework species, leading to the possibility for the on-demand fabrication of unique mesoporous architectures. In addition, controlling the interfacial tension is critical to manipulate the self-assembly process for precise synthesis. In particular, recent breakthroughs based on the concept of the "monomicelles" assembly mechanism are very promising and interesting for the synthesis of functional mesoporous materials with the precise control. In this review, we highlight the synthetic strategies, principles, and interface engineering at the macroscale, microscale, and nanoscale for oriented interfacial assembly of functional mesoporous materials over the past 10 years. The potential applications in various fields, including adsorption, separation, sensors, catalysis, energy storage, solar cells, and biomedicine, are discussed. Finally, we also propose the remaining challenges, possible directions, and opportunities in this field for the future outlook.
Hollow periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) with molecularly homogeneous organic functional groups in the inorganic pore walls are attracting more and more attention due to the high surface ...areas, tunable pore sizes, low densities, large cavities in the center, permeable thin shells, and versatile organic–inorganic hybrid frameworks, which make them promising in a variety of applications including adsorption, catalysis, drug delivery, and nanotheranostics. Herein, recent advances in the synthesis of hollow PMO nanoparticles with various organic moieties are summarized, and the mechanism and new insights of synthesis approaches, including hard‐core templating methods, liquid‐interface assembly methods, and the interfacial reassembly and transformation strategy are discussed in‐depth. Meanwhile, the design principles, properties, and synthetic strategies for some smart hollow architectures such as multishelled hollow PMOs, yolk–shell structured PMOs, and nonspherical hollow PMOs are discussed. Moreover, the typical applications of hollow PMO nanomaterials as nanoreactors for chemical transformations and nanoplatforms for biomedicine are summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the future development of hollow PMOs are described.
Hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (PMOs) with unique organic–inorganic hybrid frameworks and well‐defined nanostructures attract significant attention. A comprehensive overview of the synthetic strategies and recent developments of hollow PMOs and their applications as nanoreactors for chemical transformations and nanoplatforms for biomedicine, along with future directions for the material design and synthesis, is presented.
Ordered mesoporous materials have inspired prominent research interest due to their unique properties and functionalities and potential applications in adsorption, separation, catalysis, sensors, ...drug delivery, energy conversion and storage, and so on. Thanks to continuous efforts over the past two decades, great achievements have been made in the synthesis and structural characterization of mesoporous materials. In this review, we summarize recent progresses in preparing ordered mesoporous materials from the viewpoint of interfacial assembly and engineering. Five interfacial assembly and synthesis are comprehensively highlighted, including liquid‐solid interfacial assembly, gas‐liquid interfacial assembly, liquid‐liquid interfacial assembly, gas‐solid interfacial synthesis, and solid‐solid interfacial synthesis, basics about their synthesis pathways, princples and interface engineering strategies.
The interfaces derived from two phases, including liquid‐solid, gas‐liquid, liquid‐liquid, gas‐solid and solid‐solid interface, provides a plentiful and crucial space for adsorption, assembly, synthesis and catalysis. In this review, we summarize recent developments in preparing mesoporous materials based on the interfacial assembly and engineering.
Developing high‐performance electrode materials is an urgent requirement for next‐generation energy conversion and storage systems. Due to the exceptional features, mesoporous materials have shown ...great potential to achieve high‐performance electrodes with high energy/power density, long lifetime, increased interfacial reaction activity, and enhanced kinetics. In this Essay, applications of mesoporous materials are reviewed in electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. The synthesis, structure, and properties of mesoporous materials and their performance in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and electrolyzers are discussed, providing practical details and enlightening comments on the construction of high‐performance mesoporous electrodes. Lastly, the research challenges and perspectives on mesoporous materials for the future development of energy conversion and storage devices are assessed.
The synthesis, structure, andproperties of mesoporous materials and their performance in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and electrolyzers are discussed. In addition, the research challenges and perspectives on mesoporous materials for the future development of energy conversion and storage devices are assessed.
Persistent luminescence is not affected by background autofluorescence, and thus holds the promise of high-contrast bioimaging. However, at present, persistent luminescent materials for in vivo ...imaging are mainly bulk crystals characterized by a non-uniform size and morphology, inaccessible core-shell structures and short emission wavelengths. Here we report a series of X-ray-activated, lanthanide-doped nanoparticles with an extended emission lifetime in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm). Core-shell engineering enables a tunable NIR-II persistent luminescence, which outperforms NIR-II fluorescence in signal-to-noise ratios and the accuracy of in vivo multiplexed encoding and multilevel encryption, as well as in resolving mouse abdominal vessels, tumours and ureters in deep tissue (~2-4 mm), with up to fourfold higher signal-to-noise ratios and a threefold greater sharpness. These rationally designed nanoparticles also allow the high-contrast multiplexed imaging of viscera and multimodal NIR-II persistent luminescence-magnetic resonance-positron emission tomography imaging of murine tumours.
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