High-power sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with long-term cycling attract increasing attention for large-scale energy storage. However, traditional SIBs toward practical applications still suffer from low rate capability and poor cycle induced by pulverization and amorphorization of anodes at high rate (over 5 C) during the fast ion insertion/extraction process. The present work demonstrates a robust strategy for a variety of (Sb-C, Bi-C, Sn-C, Ge-C, Sb-Bi-C) freestanding metal-carbon framework thin films via a space-confined superassembly (SCSA) strategy. The sodium-ion battery employing the Sb-C framework exhibits an unprecedented performance with a high specific capacity of 246 mAh g, long life cycle (5000 cycles), and superb capacity retention (almost 100%) at a high rate of 7.5 C (3.51A g). Further investigation indicates that the unique framework structure enables unusual reversible crystalline-phase transformation, guaranteeing the fast and long-cyclability sodium storage. This study may open an avenue to developing long-cycle-life and high-power SIBs for practical energy applications.

Nowadays, it is of great significance and a challenge to design a noble-metal-free catalyst with high activity and a long lifetime for the reduction of aromatic nitro-compounds. Here, a 2D structured nanocomposite catalyst with graphene supported CuNi alloy nanoparticles (NPs) is prepared, and is promising for meeting the requirements of green chemistry. In this graphene/CuNi nanocomposite, the ultra-small CuNi nanoparticles (∼2 nm) are evenly anchored on graphene sheets, which is not only a breakthrough in the structures, but also brings about an outstanding performance in activity and stability. Combined with a precise optimization of the alloy ratios, the reaction rate constant of graphene/Cu61Ni39 reached a high level of 0.13685 s(-1), with a desirable selectivity as high as 99% for various aromatic nitro-compounds. What's more, the catalyst exhibited a unprecedented long lifetime because it could be recycled over 25 times without obvious performance decay or even a morphology change. This work showed the promise and great potential of noble-metal-free catalysts in green chemistry.

The NiCo/NiO–CoOx ultra-thin layered catalyst exhibits high-performance towards H2 generation from N2H4·H2O without alkali as a catalyst promoter at 25 °C.

Constructing hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) mesostructures with unique pore structure, controllable morphology, highly accessible surface area, and appealing functionality remains a great challenge in materials science. Here, we report a monomicelle interface confined assembly approach to fabricate an unprecedented type of 3D mesoporous N-doped carbon superstructure for the first time. In this hierarchical structure, a large hollow locates in the center (∼300 nm in diameter), and an ultrathin monolayer of spherical mesopores (∼22 nm) uniformly distributes on the hollow shells. Meanwhile, a small hole (4.0–4.5 nm) is also created on the interior surface of each small spherical mesopore, enabling the superstructure to be totally interconnected. Vitally, such interconnected porous supraparticles exhibit ultrahigh accessible surface area (685 m2 g–1) and good underwater aerophilicity due to the abundant spherical mesopores. Additionally, the number (70–150) of spherical mesopores, particle size (22 and 42 nm), and shell thickness (4.0–26 nm) of the supraparticles can all be accurately manipulated. Besides this spherical morphology, other configurations involving 3D hollow nanovesicles and 2D nanosheets were also obtained. Finally, we manifest the mesoporous carbon superstructure as an advanced electrocatalytic material with a half-wave potential of 0.82 V (vs RHE), equivalent to the value of the commercial Pt/C electrode, and notable durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Novel Cu@ZnO core–shell nanobrushes exhibit high-performance photocatalytic selective degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under UV irradiation.

In flexible electronics, appropriate inlaid structures for stress dispersion to avoid excessive deformation that can break chemical bonds are lacking, which greatly hinders the fabrication of super‐foldable composite materials capable of sustaining numerous times of true‐folding. Here, mimicking the microstructures of both cuit cocoon possessing super‐flexible property and Mimosa leaf featuring reversible scatheless folding, super‐foldable C‐web/FeOOH‐nanocone (SFCFe) conductive nanocomposites are prepared, which display cone‐arrays on fiber structures similar to Mimosa leaf, as well as non‐crosslinked junctions, slidable nanofibers, separable layers, and compressible network like cuit cocoon. Remarkably, the SFCFe can undergo over 100 000 times of repeated true‐folding without structural damage or electrical conductivity degradation. The mechanism underlying this super‐foldable performance is further investigated by real‐time scanning electron microscopy folding characterization and finite‐element simulations. The results indicate its self‐adaptive stress‐dispersion mechanism originating from multilevel biomimetic structures. Notably, the SFCFe demonstrates its prospect as a super‐foldable anode electrode for aqueous batteries, which shows not only high capacities and satisfactory cycling stability, but also completely coincident cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge curves throughout the 100 000 times of true‐folding. This work reports a mechanical design considering the self‐adaptive stress dispersion mechanism, which can realize a scatheless super‐foldable electrode for soft‐matter electronics.

New Cu2O-on-Cu nanowires (NWs) are constructed to develop the visible-light-driven activity of photocatalysts via the facile self-assembly of Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) on a Cu NW surface assisted by a structure director, followed in situ reduction. In the resultant Cu2O-on-Cu NWs, the Cu2O NPs, with a diameter of 10 nm, show good distribution on the 50 nm-sized Cu single-crystal NWs. Owing to the band-gap adjusting effect and high electron transportation, the coupling of narrow-band-gap semiconductor Cu2O and excellent conductor Cu can lead to the markedly enhanced high visible light photocatalytic activity of Cu2O-on-Cu NWs toward the degradation of dye pollutants including Rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and methyl blue (MB). The as-designed Cu2O-on-Cu heterostructured NWs exhibit higher performance for the catalytic degradation of dye compounds than pure Cu2O. Nearly 60%, 100%, and 85% conversion with reaction rate constants (k) of 0.0137, 0.0746 and 0.0599 min(-1) can be achieved for the degradation of RhB, MO and MB, respectively. Besides the highly efficient transportation of electrons, Cu NWs have a strong capacity for oxygen activation, which results in the gathering of negative charges and rich chemisorbed oxygen onto the surface. This may be responsible for the high catalytic efficiency of the Cu2O-on-Cu NWs toward the degradation of organic pollutants.

Manipulating the super-assembly of polymeric building blocks still remains a great challenge due to their thermodynamic instability. Here, we report on a type of three-dimensional hierarchical core-satellite SiO 2 @monomicelle spherical superstructures via a previously unexplored monomicelle interfacial super-assembly route. Notably, in this superstructure, an ultrathin single layer of monomicelle subunits (~18 nm) appears in a typically hexagon-like regular discontinuous distribution (adjacent micelle distance of ~30 nm) on solid spherical interfaces (SiO 2 ), which is difficult to achieve by conventional super-assembled methods. Besides, the number of the monomicelles on colloidal SiO 2 interfaces can be quantitatively controlled (from 76 to 180). This quantitative control can be precisely manipulated by tuning the interparticle electrostatic interactions (the intermicellar electrostatic repulsion and electrostatic attractions between the monomicelle units and the SiO 2 substrate). This monomicelle interfacial super-assembly strategy will enable a controllable way for building multiscale hierarchical regular micro- and/or macroscale materials and devices.