Exfoliated 2H molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has unique properties and potential applications in a wide range of fields, but corresponding studies have been hampered by the lack of effective routes to it in bulk quantities. This study presents a rapid and efficient route to obtain exfoliated 2H MoS2, which combines fast sonication-assisted lithium intercalation and infrared (IR) laser-induced phase reversion. We found that the complete lithium intercalation of MoS2 with butyllithium could be effected within 1.5 h with the aid of sonication. The 2H to 1T phase transition that occurs during the lithium intercalation could be also reversed by IR laser irradiation with a DVD optical drive.

The electrolysis of CO 2 to syngas (CO + H 2 ) using nonprecious metal electrocatalysts was studied in bipolar membrane-based electrochemical cells. Electrolysis was carried out using aqueous bicarbonate and humidified gaseous CO 2 on the cathode side of the cell, with Ag or Bi/ionic liquid cathode electrocatalysts. In both cases, stable currents were observed over a period of hours with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte and NiFeO x electrocatalyst on the anode side of the cell. In contrast, the performance of the cells degraded rapidly when conventional anionand cation-exchange membranes were used in place of the bipolar membrane. In agreement with earlier reports, the Faradaic efficiency for CO 2 reduction to CO was high at low overpotential. In the liquid-phase bipolar membrane cell, the Faradaic efficiency was stable at about 50% at 30 mA/cm 2 current density. In the gas-phase cell, current densities up to 200 mA/cm 2 could be obtained, albeit at lower Faradaic efficiency for CO production. At low overpotentials in the gas-phase cathode cell, the Faradaic efficiency for CO production was initially high but dropped within 1 h, most likely because of dewetting of the ionic liquid from the Bi catalyst surface. The effective management of protons in bipolar membrane cells enables stable operation and the possibility of practical CO 2 electrolysis at high current densities.

Rheotaxis is a common phenomenon in nature that refers to the directed movement of micro-organisms as a result of shear flow. The ability to mimic natural rheotaxis using synthetic micro/nanomotors adds functionality to enable their applications in biomedicine and chemistry. Here, we present a hybrid strategy that can achieve both positive and negative rheotaxis of synthetic bimetallic micromotors by employing a combination of chemical fuel and acoustic force. An acoustofluidic device is developed for the integration of the two propulsion mechanisms. Using acoustic force alone, bimetallic microrods are propelled along the bottom surface in the center of a fluid channel. The leading end of the microrod is always the less dense end, as established in earlier experiments. With chemical fuel (HO) alone, the microrods orient themselves with their anode end against the flow when shear flow is present. Numerical simulations confirm that this orientation results from tilting of the microrods relative to the bottom surface of the channel, which is caused by catalytically driven electro-osmotic flow. By combining this catalytic orientation effect with more powerful, density-dependent acoustic propulsion, both positive and negative rheotaxis can be achieved. The ability to respond to flow stimuli and collectively propel synthetic microswimmers in a directed manner indicates an important step toward practical applications.

The controlled exfoliation of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) into pristine single- or few-layer nanosheets remains a significant barrier to fundamental studies and device applications of TMDs. Here we report a novel strategy for exfoliating crystalline MoS2 into suspensions of nanosheets with retention of the semiconducting 2H phase. The controlled reaction of MoS2 with substoichiometric amounts n-butyllithium results in intercalation of the edges of the crystals, which are then readily exfoliated in a 45 vol % ethanol-water solution. Surprisingly, the resulting colloidal suspension of nanosheets was found (by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy) to consist mostly of trilayers. The efficiency of exfoliation of the pre-intercalated sample is increased by at least 1 order of magnitude relative to the starting MoS2 microcrystals, with a mass yield of the dispersed nanosheets of 11-15%.

Microstructured Ni/PPy (PPy: polypyrrole) core/shell composites were prepared from an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole (Py) monomer in the presence of Ni powder, with ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant and citric acid (C6H8O7) as dopant. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analyses indicate that there is no chemical interaction between Ni powder and protonated PPy. The mass percentages of PPy, calculated from the remanent weight percentages of Ni/PPy composites after thermogravimetric analysis, are in consistent with those as designed. The prepared Ni/PPy composites are soft and ferromagnetic materials, where a linear increase of saturation magnetization (MS) and remanent magnetization (MR) as a function of Ni powder content is proposed. The permeability of Ni/PPy composites presents a natural magnetic resonance at 6.0 GHz, and Cole-Cole semicircle was applied to explain the permittivity. Electromagnetic absorption less than -10 dB is found for Ni/Py=4:1 (11-15.4 GHz) and Ni/Py=2:1 (12-17.5 GHz). The ternary Debye relaxations for enhanced dielectric loss induced by PPy coatings and proper electromagnetic impedance matching due to the synergetic consequence of the Ni cores and PPy shells contribute to the improvement of the electromagnetic absorption of the Ni/PPy core/shell composites. It is important to notice that dielectric loss and electrical conductivity should be considered simultaneously in designing dielectric-type electromagnetic absorbing materials.

Visible light driven CuO-Au micromotors exhibit rapid on/off switching and speed control. Electrochemical measurements confirm that the light-induced movement of the CuO-Au micromotors involves a self-electrophoresis mechanism modulated by the photoconductivity of CuO. This study extends the utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum for micro/nanomotors into the visible range.

It is of great interest and big challenge to control the collective behaviors of nanomotors to mimic the aggregation/separation behavior of biological systems. Here, a light‐acoustic combined method is proposed to control the aggregation/separation of artificial nanomotors. It is shown that nanomotors aggregate at the pressure node in acoustic field and afterward present a collective “firework” separation behavior induced by light irradiation. The collective behavior is found to be applicable for metallic materials and polymers even different light wavelengths are used. Physical insights on the collective firework behavior resulting from the change of acoustic streaming caused by optical force are provided. It is found that diffusion velocity and diffusion region of cluster can be controlled by adjusting light intensity and acoustic excitation voltage, and irradiation direction, respectively. This harmless, controllable, and widely applicable method provides new possibilities for groups of nanomachines, drug release, and cargo transport in nanomedicine and nanosensors.

We report the synthesis and properties of rod-shaped gold/iron oxide nanomotors that are powered by visible light in dilute hydrogen peroxide solutions. Electrochemical measurements confirmed that the light-driven nanomotors operate by a self-electrophoretic mechanism, modulated by the photovoltage and the photoconductivity of gold/iron oxide. Due to the magnetism of iron oxide, the nanomotors can be steered by an external magnetic field without incorporating additional magnetic materials into the nanomotors.