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To circumvent the bottlenecks of non-flexibility, low sensitivity, and narrow workable detection range of conventional biosensors for biological molecule detection (e.g., dopamine (DA) secreted by living cells), a new hybrid flexible electrochemical biosensor has been created by decorating closely packed dendritic Pt nanoparticles (NPs) on freestanding graphene paper. This innovative structural integration of ultrathin graphene paper and uniform 2D arrays of dendritic NPs by tailored wet chemical synthesis has been achieved by a modular strategy through a facile and delicately controlled oil-water interfacial assembly method, whereby the uniform distribution of catalytic dendritic NPs on the graphene paper is maximized. In this way, the performance is improved by several orders of magnitude. The developed hybrid electrode shows a high sensitivity of 2 μA cm−2 μ m−1, up to about 33 times higher than those of conventional sensors, a low detection limit of 5 n m, and a wide linear range of 87 n m to 100 μ m. These combined features enable the ultrasensitive detection of DA released from pheochromocytoma (PC 12) cells. The unique features of this flexible sensor can be attributed to the well-tailored uniform 2D array of dendritic Pt NPs and the modular electrode assembly at the oil-water interface. Its excellent performance holds much promise for the future development of optimized flexible electrochemical sensors for a diverse range of electroactive molecules to better serve society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, sandwiched Ni2P nanoparticles encapsulated by graphene sheets are first synthesized by directly encapsulating functional units in graphene sheets instead of fabricating separate graphene sheets and then immobilizing the functional components onto the generated surfaces. In this strategy, we use low-cost, sustainable and environmentally friendly glucose as a carbon source and NiNH4PO4 ⋅H2O nanosheets as sacrificial templates. This unique structure obtained here cannot only prevent the nanoparticles from aggregation or loss but also enhance the electronic conductivity compared to the independent nanoparticles. Furthermore, the novel sandwich-like Ni2P/C can be applied in plenty of fields, especially in electrical energy storage. In this paper, a series of electrochemical tests of the sandwich-like Ni2P/C are carried out, which demonstrate the excellent cyclic stability and rate capacity for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general strategy based on the nanoscale Kirkendall effect is developed to grow hollow transition metal (Fe, Co or Ni) oxide nanoparticles on graphene sheets. When applied as lithium‐ion battery anodes, these hollow transition metal oxide based composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with high reversible capacities and long‐term stabilities at a high current density, superior to most transition metal oxides reported to date. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Y. Chen, C. Sun, P. Gao et al. on page 1638 ff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Pd and Pt catalysts with high catalytic efficiency have been fabricated by means of a self‐assembly strategy and are composed of four components, that is, noble metal, CeO2, Fe3O4, and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The as‐obtained Pd and Pt catalysts have relatively high catalytic activity and stability in the selective hydrogenation of p‐nitrophenol; they are also stable in air and exhibit a good magnetic response. For more details see the Full Paper by H. Zhang et al. on page 5169 ff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and general fabrication strategy towards encapsulation of nanoparticles, such as Ni, Co and Co3O4, in sandwiched graphene sheets is reported in the Full Paper by Y. Wang et al. on page 3340 ff. The nanoparticles‐encapsulated sandwiched graphene sheets possess unique structures, in which nanoparticles are strictly confined inside and the graphene sheets are layered on both outer sides like a three‐layered sandwich, and substantially enhanced properties derived from the synergic effect among the individual functional components. The picture also shows the Chongqing University founded in 1929. The Chinese words in silver white mean top left to bottom right: “Unity, Diligence, Truth, Innovation” as the University motto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]