Electrocatalysts with high oxygen reduction reaction catalytic activity are essential to enhance the performance of metal-air batteries. Herein, we have developed Co3O4 nanocrystals anchored on MnO2 ...nanorods, synthesized from a two-step hydrothermal method. The well-dispersed Co3O4 nanoparticles are attached onto the surface of MnO2 nanorods. Interestingly, compared with those electrocatalysts, MnO2 nanorods and Co3O4 naoparticles, Co3O4/MnO2 nanorods hybrid material demonstrates much higher ORR catalytic activity and high stability, suggesting a synergy coupling effect between Co3O4 nanoparticles and MnO2 nanorod. The great performance of the Zn-air and Al-air batteries fabricated by Co3O4/MnO2 nanorods hybrid material as catalyst suggests aforesaid hybrid catalyst is a relatively inexpensive and applicative solution for applications.
•The well-dispersed Co3O4 nanoparticles are attached onto the surface of MnO2 nanorods.•Co3O4/MnO2 nanorods demonstrates much higher ORR catalytic activity and high stability compared with Co3O4 nanoparticles and MnO2 nanorods.•This high-performance Co3O4/MnO2 nanorods is very promising for application in metal-air batteries as oxygen reduction electrocatalyst.
Invited for this month′s cover is the group of Lilac Amirav at Technion—Israel Institute of Technology. The image shows the sustainable solar‐driven photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water ...using a molecular metallocorrole–nanorod photocatalytic system. The Research Article itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202200804.
“We utilize redox species as charge transfer shuttle…” This and more about the story behind the research that inspired the Cover image is presented in the Cover Profile. Read the full text of the corresponding research at 10.1002/cssc.202200804. View the Front Cover here: 10.1002/cssc.202201524.
Self‐assembly of anisotropic plasmonic nanomaterials into ordered superstructures has become popular in nanoscience because of their unique anisotropic optical and electronic properties. Gold ...nanorods (GNRs) are a well‐defined functional building block for fabrication of these superstructures. They possess important anisotropic plasmonic characteristics that result from strong local electric field and are responsive to visible and near‐IR light. There are recent examples of assembling the GNRs into ordered arrays or superstructures through processes such as solvent evaporation and interfacial assembly. In this Minireview, recent progress in the development of the self‐assembled GNR arrays is described, with focus on the formation of oriented GNR arrays on substrates. Key driving forces are discussed, and different strategies and self‐assembly processes of forming oriented GNR arrays are presented. The applications of the oriented GNR arrays in optoelectronic devices are also overviewed, especially surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
Oriented gold nanorod (GNR) arrays possess important anisotropic plasmonic characteristics that result from strong local electric field and are responsive to visible and near infrared light. This Minireview summarizes different strategies and self‐assembly processes of forming oriented GNR arrays and their applications in optoelectronic devices especially surface enhanced Raman scattering.
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•Nanorod-like CoMoO4 at MPC supports were prepared by a simple method.•CoMoO4/MPC hybrids were acted as an effective sensing platform for non-enzymatic glucose detection.•The novel ...CoMoO4/MPC hybrids will hold promise in development of electrode materials.
Glucose is a popular biosensor target due to its closely with diabetes or hypoglycemia in blood. Designing efficiency electrocatalysts for the determination of glucose is vital to develop glucose detection devices. CoMoO4, as a kind of bimetallic oxide material, exhibits unique electrochemical properties. 3D macroporous carbon (MPC) has large specific surface area and excellent electrical conductivity, providing an effective support for loading other nano-entities to form novel composite with good synergetic effects. Herein, nanorod-like CoMoO4 anchored onto MPC support was synthesized for the development of a promising electrochemical sensing platform for glucose. Attributing to the synergic effects between the good electrocatalytic performance of CoMoO4 nanorods and the extraordinary electrical conductivity of 3D layered MPC, the novel CoMoO4/MPC composites non-enzymatic sensor shows excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxidation of glucose. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed CoMoO4/MPC hybrids provided a reliable linear range of 5 × 10−7 to 1.08 × 10−4 M with a low limit of detection (0.13 μM) for the detection of glucose. Meanwhile, the CoMoO4/MPC sensing platform shows fast response time of 1.76 s, good stability and selectivity for detecting glucose. Moreover, this non-enzymatic sensor also has been successfully applied to measure glucose level in human blood samples. Therefore, the developed sensor holds a new promise for the construction of facile and sensitive non-enzymatic glucose analytical platform.
•A novel RGO/WO3-nanohybrids were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method.•The bandgap was found to be reduced from 2.80 to 2.32 eV with the incorporation of RGO into WO3 matrix.•The WRG-40 ...nanocomposite exhibited high mineralization ability for RhB and CIP degradation.•The maximum photocatalytic activity of RhB (96%) and CIP (90%) was observed by WRG-40 composite.
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This proposed work suggests the fabrication of hybrid WO3/reduced graphene oxide (WRG) composites with rod-like structures through the facile hydrothermal method. The WO3 nanorod has been grown on the GO sheet, concurrent reduction of GO has been made, and the as-prepared WRG is employed as photocatalyst. The fabricated samples structural and morphological properties were scrutinized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The chemical composition and surface binding energy were monitored by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The WRG composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for decomposing organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) & antibiotic pollutants like Ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation. The adequate loading of GO on WO3 matrix reduced the charge carrier's recombination and enhanced the degradation performance. Hybrid photocatalyst exhibit higher rate constant values; 2.76 × 10−2 min−1 and 2.07 × 10−2 min−1 for RhB and CIP pollutants, respectively.
The miniaturization of gold nanorods exhibits a bright prospect for intravital photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and the hollow structure possesses a better plasmonic property. Herein, miniature hollow ...gold nanorods (M‐AuHNRs) (≈46 nm in length) possessing strong plasmonic absorbance in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) window (1000–1350 nm) are developed, which are considered as the most suitable range for the intravital PAI. The as‐prepared M‐AuHNRs exhibit 3.5 times stronger photoacoustic signal intensity than the large hollow Au nanorods (≈105 nm in length) at 0.2 optical density under 1064 nm laser irradiation. The in vivo biodistribution measurement shows that the accumulation in tumor of miniature nanorods is twofold as high as that of the large counterpart. After modifying with a tumor‐targeting molecule and fluorochrome, in living tumor‐bearing mice, the M‐AuHNRs group gives a high fluorescence intensity in tumors, which is 3.6‐fold that of the large ones with the same functionalization. Moreover, in the intravital PAI of living tumor‐bearing mice, the M‐AuHNRs generate longer‐lasting and stronger photoacoustic signal than the large counterpart in the NIR‐II window. Overall, this study presents the fabrication of M‐AuHNRs as a promising contrast agent for intravital PAI.
Miniature hollow gold nanorods (M‐AuHNRs) with a mean length about 46 nm are developed, which exhibit an outstanding effect for photoacoustic imaging in the second near‐infrared window in living tumor‐bearing mice. Their accumulation in tumors and photoacoustic signal intensity at 0.2 optical density is twofold and 3.5‐fold of that of the large AuHNRs counterpart, respectively.
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•Various nanostructures of BaSnO3 and brookite TiO2 were used as transport layer.•Importance of morphology tuning was analyzed for carbon perovskite solar cells.•Rod-shaped ...nanostructures showed better interfacial charge transport.•Suitable fabrication engineering of ETLs were examined for efficient devices.•Superb photovoltaic performance and stability were achieved in ambient conditions.
Designing alternatives to TiO2 electron-transport layers (ETLs) for facile electron extraction and transport to enhance the efficiency of n-i-p structured carbon perovskite solar cells (CPSC) is still a less explored research interest. In this work, the combined effect of the phase and morphology of BaSnO3 (BSO) and brookite TiO2 (BTO) nanostructured materials are explored as alternative electron transport layers (ETLs) instead of dominating anatase TiO2 in CPSC. The highest power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of CPSCs with rod-shaped BTO and BSO were recorded at ∼15.02% and ∼13.4%, respectively, which claims the highest efficiency for BTO and BSO CPSCs in ambient conditions to the best of our knowledge. In addition, our findings indicate that the CPSC's with rod structured BTO and BSO exhibited decreased charge recombination and improved efficiency compared to concerning spherical morphologies (12.5% for BSO nanoparticles) and cubic particles (14% for BTO nanocubes) due to the superior photogenerated charge-carrier extraction and enhanced interface quality. This research will open the door for various morphologies of alternative ETL materials and their physicochemical understanding toward achieving high-efficiency ambient CPSCs.
Hierarchical superstructures in nano/microsize have attracted great attention owing to their wide potential applications. Herein, a self‐templated strategy is presented for the synthesis of a ...spherical superstructure of carbon nanorods (SS‐CNR) in micrometers through the morphology‐preserved thermal transformation of a spherical superstructure of metal–organic framework nanorods (SS‐MOFNR). The self‐ordered SS‐MOFNR with a chestnut‐shell‐like superstructure composed of 1D MOF nanorods on the shell is synthesized by a hydrothermal transformation process from crystalline MOF nanoparticles. After carbonization in argon, the hierarchical SS‐MOFNR transforms into SS‐CNR, which preserves the original chestnut‐shell‐like superstructure with 1D porous carbon nanorods on the shell. Taking the advantage of this functional superstructure, SS‐CNR immobilized with ultrafine palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (Pd@SS‐CNR) exhibits excellent catalytic activity for formic acid dehydrogenation. This synthetic strategy provides a facile method to synthesize uniform spherical superstructures constructed from 1D MOF nanorods or carbon nanorods for applications in catalysis and energy storage.
Fabrication of 3D spherical superstructures composed of 1D nanorods is a challenge. A 3D chestnut‐shell‐like superstructure assembled by 1D metal–organic framework (MOF) nanorods is synthesized via the hydrothermal transformation of MOF nanoparticles, which are carbonized to a spherical superstructure of carbon nanorods (SS‐CNR). The SS‐CNR shows excellent performance for immobilizing Pd nanoparticles with high catalytic activity for formic acid dehydrogenation.
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Metal free heterojunctions have shown promising applicability as potential photocatalyst materials. Like the commonly explored metal-non metal heterojunctions, ...semiconductor-semiconductor junctions are also capable of facilitating charge separation and improved lifetimes, leading to augmented surface reaction efficacy. However, unlike the metal carrying heterojunctions, they are much economical and easier to fabricate and tune. Through this study, we present a facile one step hydrothermal route to synthesize CuO-Cu2O nanorods/TiO2 nanoparticles heterostructures (CTHS) with their potential application as a low cost photocatalytic alternative. The average size of the synthesized heterojunction components, as estimated from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) evaluation was 13 and 5 nm respectively for the nanorod length and width, while the functionalizing TiO2 nanoparticles were averaged around 10 nm. Heterojunction formation was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high resolution TEM, and elemental mapping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data marked with presence of Cu+ and Cu+2 state of CuO in CuXO-TiO2 also supported junction formation. Optical characteristics of the heterojunction were studied using UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Compared to TiO2 nanoparticles, CTHS exhibited superior sunlight-induced photodegradation activity. CuXO/TiO2 heterojunction could also remediate toxic waste water containing model antibiotic residue (Oxytetracycline hydrochloride, 0.4 mg/mL) and organic pollutant (methylene blue, 10 µM) in 20 and 60 min respectively. Ultra-fast degradation using a nonmetal heterojunction nanohybrid, like ours, finds negligible mention in literature. Improved visible light absorption and reduction in recombination rate for CuXO-TiO2 nanohybrids were ascribed as major contributing factors towards their enhanced photocatalytic potential. The charge separation mechanism for nanohybrids has been studied and elaborated in detail.
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