High Voltage Magnesium-ion Battery Enabled by Nanocluster Mg3Bi2 Alloy Anode in Noncorrosive Electrolyte.

Currently, developing high voltage (beyond 2 V) rechargeable Mg-ion batteries still remains a great challenge owing to the limit of corrosive electrolyte and low compatibility of anode material. Here we report a facile one step solid state alloying route to synthesize nanoclustered Mg3Bi2 alloy as a high-performance anode to build up a 2 V Mg-ion battery using noncorrosive electrolyte. The fabricated nanoclustered Mg3Bi2 anode delivers a high reversible specific capacity (360 mAh g-1) with excellent stability (90.7% capacity retention over 200 cycles) and high Coulombic efficiency (average 98%) at 0.1 A g-1. The good performance is attributed to the stable nanostructures, which effectively accommodate the reversible Mg2+ ion insertion/deinsertion without losing electric contact among clusters. Significantly, the nanoclustered Mg3Bi2 anode can be coupled with high voltage cathode Prussian Blue to assemble a full cell using noncorrosive electrolyte, showing a stable cycling (88% capacity retention over 200 cycles at 0.2 A g-1) and good rate capability (103 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and 58 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1). The energy and power density of the as-fabricated full cell can reach up to 81 Wh kg-1 and 2850 W kg-1, respectively, which are both the highest values among the reported Mg-ion batteries using noncorrosive electrolytes. This study demonstrates a cost-effective route to fabricate stable and high voltage rechargeable Mg-ion battery potentially for grid-scale energy storage.

Coupling Microbial Growth with Nanoparticles: A Universal Strategy To Produce Functional Fungal Hyphae Macrospheres.

Macroscale assembly of nanoscale building blocks is an intriguing way to translate the unique characteristics of individual nanoparticles into macroscopic materials. However, the lack of the efficient universal assembly strategy seriously hinders the possibility of macroscale architectures in practical applications. Herein, we develop a general, environment-friendly, and scalable microbial growth method for the construction of macroscopic composite assemblies with excellent mechanical strength by in situ integrating various types of nanoparticles into fungal hyphae (FH) macrospheres. Notably, the size of the FH-based composite spheres and the loading amount of the nanoparticles with different dimensions can be well tuned by controlling the cultivation time and the dosage of nanoparticles, respectively. Interestingly, bifunctional FH-based core-shell macrospheres can also be achieved by programmed assembling two different kinds of nanoparticles in the cultivation process. The produced multifunctional FH-based composite spheres exhibit wide potential applications in magnetic actuation, photothermal therapy, and contaminant adsorption, etc.

Intrinsic Peroxidase Catalytic Activity of Fe7 S8 Nanowires Templated from [Fe16 S20 ]/Diethylenetriamine Hybrid Nanowires.

Iron sulfide compounds are emerging as an important family of functional materials owing to their important properties and their applications in different technical fields. Well-defined Fe7 S8 nanowires templated by thermal decomposition of [Fe16 S20 ]/diethylenetriamine hybrid nanowires under an argon atmosphere are reported. As-prepared Fe7 S8 nanowires show typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics and good affinity to both H2 O2 and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine. At pH 7.0, the constructed UV/Vis sensor showed a linear range for the detection of H2 O2 from 0.5 to 150 µM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The H2 O2 sensor based on the Fe7 S8 nanowires shows a highly sensitive response and has better stability than horseradish peroxidase when exposed to solutions with different pH values and temperatures. These excellent properties make the as-prepared Fe7 S8 nanowires powerful tools for potential applications as an "artificial peroxidase" in biosensors and biotechnology.

Sacrificial templating synthesis of hematite nanochains from [Fe18S25](TETAH)14 nanoribbons: their magnetic, electrochemical, and photocatalytic properties.

Unique hematite nanochains self-assembled from α-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles can be synthesized by thermal decomposition of [Fe(18)S(25)](TETAH)(14) as an appropriate nanoribbon precursor (TETAH = protonated triethylenetetramine). Magnetic studies have revealed greatly enhanced coercivity of the 1D hematite nanochains compared with that of dispersed α-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles at low temperature, which may be attributed to their increased shape anisotropy and magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The photocatalytic properties of the hematite nanochains have been studied, as well as their electrochemical properties as cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries. The results have shown that both properties are dependent on the BET specific surface areas of the 1D hematite nanochains.

Selective synthesis of Fe7Se8 polyhedra with exposed high-index facets and Fe7Se8 nanorods by a solvothermal process in a binary solution and their collective intrinsic properties.

Fe(7)Se(8) polyhedra with high-index facets and Fe(7)Se(8) nanorods can be selectively synthesized by a solvothermal reaction in a mixed solvent of diethylenetriamine (DETA) and deionized water (DIW). It is found that the morphologies of Fe(7)Se(8) nanocrystals can be effectively controlled by adjusting the volume ratio of DETA and DIW. The unusual polyhedral crystals are bounded by two {001} and twelve {012} facets. The intrinsic properties of Fe(7)Se(8) nanocrystals have been investigated. Magnetic measurements indicate that the obtained polyhedra and nanorods show a weak ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature. In particular, a new photoluminescence emission at 403 nm from the Fe(7)Se(8) nanocrystals has been observed. The described solvothermal reaction in a mixed solvent may be extended to the synthesis of other transition-metal chalcogenide crystals with controlled shape, facets, and structure, which may bring new functionalities.

Selective synthesis of Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se nanobelts and nanotubes from [Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se](DETA)0.5 nanbelts in solution (x = 0-0.15) and their EPR and optical properties.

Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se (x = 0-0.15) nanobelts and nanotubes can be synthesized via the removal of diethylenetriamine (DETA) in 1-octadecene (ODE) and ethylene glycol (EG), respectively, using [Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se](DETA)(0.5) nanobelts as a template. The as-prepared ZnSe nanobelts are single-crystalline and grown along the [001] direction, and the ZnSe nanotubes consist of nanoparticles assembled along the [001] direction. In addition, Mn(2+)-doped Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) nanotubes are prepared for the first time if doped [Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se](DETA)(0.5) nanobelts are used as the template. The formation process of Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se nanobelts and nanotubes has been studied, and a plausible mechanism is proposed. Photoluminescence (PL) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se nanobelts and Zn(1 - x)Mn(x)Se nanotubes have been investigated.

Synthesis of unique ultrathin lamellar mesostructured CoSe2-amine (protonated) nanobelts in a binary solution.

Unique ultrathin CoSe(2)-DETA (protonated) mesostructured nanobelts with multiple stacked layers which are highly parallel to the axial direction have been first prepared in a binary solution composed of organic amine and water under mild solvothermal conditions. This synthesis strategy may open new avenues toward the syntheses of other new mesostructured nanomaterials, which may bring new nontrivial functionalities.

Controllable synthesis of zinc-substituted alpha- and beta-nickel hydroxide nanostructures and their collective intrinsic properties.

A new controllable homogeneous precipitation approach has been developed to synthesize zinc-substituted nickel hydroxide nanostructures with different Zn contents from a zinc nanostructured reactant. As typical layered double hydroxides (LDHs), zinc-substituted nickel hydroxide nanostructures can be formulated as NiZnx(Cl)y(OH)2(1+x)-y.z H2O (x=0.34-0.89, y=0-0.24, z=0-1.36). The structure and morphology of zinc-substituted nickel hydroxide nanostructures can be systematically controlled by adjustment of the zinc content. The effects of temperature and the amounts of ammonia and zinc nanostructured precursor on the reaction were systematically investigated. In our new method, although zinc-substituted alpha-and beta-nickel hydroxides have the typical 3D flowerlike architecture and stacks-of-pancakes nanostructures, respectively, their growth processes are different from those previously reported. A coordinative homogeneous precipitation mechanism is proposed to explain the formation process of zinc-substituted nickel hydroxide nanostructures. The zinc-substituted nickel hydroxide nanostructures exhibit some interesting intrinsic properties, and changing the zinc content can effectively tune their optical, magnetic, and electrical properties.

Architectural control syntheses of CdS and CdSe nanoflowers, branched nanowires, and nanotrees via a solvothermal approach in a mixed solution and their photocatalytic property.

Wurtzite CdS and CdSe nanostructures with complex morphologies such as urchin-like CdS nanoflowers, branched nanowires, and fractal nanotrees can be produced via a facile solvothermal approach in a mixed solution made of diethylenetriamine (DETA) and deionized water (DIW). The morphologies of CdS and CdSe nanocrystals can be easily controlled via tuning the volume ratio of DETA and DIW. Urchin-like CdS nanoflowers made of CdS nanorods are in a form of highly ordered hierarchical structures, while the nanowires are branched nanowires, and the fractal CdS nanotrees are a buildup of branched nanopines. The results demonstrated that solvothermal reaction in a mixed amine/water can access a variety of complex morphologies of semiconductor materials. The photocatalytic activity of CdS particles with different morphologies has been tested by the degradation of acid fuchsine under both UV and visible light, showing that the as-prepared branched CdS nanowires exhibit high photocatalytic activity for degradation of acid fuchsine.

Formation of uniform CuO nanorods by spontaneous aggregation: Selective synthesis of CuO, Cu2O, and Cu nanoparticles by a solid-liquid phase arc discharge process.

Uniform and monodisperse CuO nanorods have been synthesized by directional aggregation and crystallization of tiny CuO nanoparticles generated from a solid-liquid arc discharge process under ambient conditions in the absence of any surfactants. Uniform CuO nanorods with sharp ends are formed from tiny nanoparticles via a process that involves the rapid oxidation of Cu nanoclusters, the spontaneous aggregation of CuO nanoparticles, and the Ostawald ripening process. The spontaneous aggregation and oriented attachment of tiny CuO nanoparticles contributed obviously to the formation of these kinds of nanostructures. By choice of suitable reducing agent to prevent the oxidation of Cu nanoclusters, Cu and Cu2O nanoparticles can be selectively synthesized.