Fractal Pt-based materials with hierarchical structures and high self-similarity have attracted more and more attention due to their bioinspiring maximum optimization of energy utilization and mass transfer. However, their high-efficiency design of the mass-and electron-transfer still remains to be a great challenge. Herein, fractal PtPdCu hollow sponges (denoted as PtPdCu-HS) facilitating both directed mass-and electron-transfer are presented. Such directed transfer effects greatly promote electrocatalytic activity, regarded as 3.9 times the mass activity, 7.3 times the specific activity, higher poison tolerance, and higher stability than commercial Pt/C for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). A new "directed mass-and electron-transfer" concept, characteristics, and mechanism are proposed at the micro/nanoscale to clarify the structural design and functional enhancement of fractal electrocatalyst. This work displays new possibilities for designing novel nanomaterials with high activity and superior stability toward electrocatalysis or other practical applications.

Rh@CTF-1 nanomaterial is a highly active (TOF ∼ 31 000 h−1) heterogeneous catalyst for the efficient hydrogenation of benzene under mild and solvent-free conditions.

Inspired by the characteristics of cells in live organisms, new types of hybrids have been designed comprising live cells and abiotic materials having a variety of structures and functionalities. The major goal of these studies is to uncover hybridization approaches that promote cell stabilization and enable the introduction of new functions into living cells. Single-cells in nanoshells have great potential in a large number of applications including bioelectronics, cell protection, cell therapy, and biocatalysis. In this review, we discuss the results of investigations that have focused on the synthesis, structuration, functionalization, and applications of these single-cells in nanoshells. We describe synthesis methods to control the structural and functional features of single-cells in nanoshells, and further develop their applications in sustainable energy, environmental remediation, green biocatalysis, and smart cell therapy. Perceived limitations of single-cells in nanoshells have been also identified.

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The oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as a four-electron transfer process with large overpotential loss and kinetically sluggish, is one of the most crucial electrochemical processes to convert renewable energy into...