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Vacancy defects of catalysts have been extensively studied and proven to be beneficial to various electrocatalytic reactions. Herein, an ultra‐stable three‐dimensional PtCu nanowire network (NNW) with ultrafine size, self‐supporting rigid structure, and Cu vacancy defects has been developed. The vacancy defect‐rich PtCu NNW exhibits an outstanding performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with a mass activity 14.1 times higher than for the commercial Pt/C catalyst (20 %.wt, JM), which is currently the best performance. The mass activity of the PtCu NNW for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is 17.8 times higher than for the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the introduction of Cu vacancies enhances the adsorption capacity of Pt atoms to the HO* intermediate and simultaneously weakens the adsorption for the O* intermediate. This work presents a facile strategy to assemble efficient electrocatalysts with abundant vacancy defects, at the same time, provides an insight into the ORR mechanism in acidic solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phosphors of nanoparticles LaSrAl3O7:RE3+(REave been prepared by a sol–gel method. The structure and luminescent properties of LaSrAl3O7:Eu3+ and LaSrAl3O7:Tb3+ phosphors were characterized by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra were utilized. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, it is indicated that the phosphor LaSrAl3O7 forms without impurity phase at 900°C. From atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, it is shown that the crystal size of the phosphores are about 60–80nm. Upon excitation with UV irradiation, it is shown that there is a strong emission at around 617nm corresponding to the forced electric dipole 5D0–7F2 transition of Eu3+, and at around 545nm corresponding to the 5D4–7F5 transition of Tb3+. The dependence of photoluminescence intensity on Eu3+(or Tb3+) concentration and annealing temperature were also studied in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: By using metal nitrates as starting materials, SrAl2B2O7: Tb3+ and SrAl2B2O7: Ce3+, Tb3+ powder phosphors were prepared by sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence excitation and emission, as well as kinetic decays were employed to characterize the resulting samples. The results show that energy transfers from Ce3+ to Tb3+ ions. The emission intensity of Tb3+ ions in SrAl2B2O7 could be greatly intensified when Ce3+ ions are doped into SrAl2B2O7: Tb3+. The decay times of SrAl2B2O7: Tb3+ were prolonged when Ce3+ ions were doped. The doping of Ce3+ ions not only improved the luminescent intensity, but also made the materials gets stable luminescent properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Selective structure and shape of Eu3+-doped monoclinic LaPO4and hexagonal LaPO4·1.5H2O nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. It was found that the pH and temperature of the growth solution are two crucial factors in determining the structure and morphology of LaPO4nanocrystals. The properties of the Eu3+-doped LaPO4nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS and UV-vis spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Large-scale well-aligned rod-like and flower-like YVO4:Eu3+ crystals were prepared on glass substrates by a hydrothermal method in a controllable way with additive ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt [Na2H2L·2H2O]. No extra surfactants or templates were used. In the synthesis process, well-aligned YVO4:Eu3+ microrods were fabricated on YVO4:Eu3+-seed-coated substrates. The YVO4:Eu3+ seed precursor was prepared by a sol–gel reaction. And well-defined flower-like YVO4:Eu3+ microstructures were fabricated on bare substrates. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL). TEM and SEM studies reveal that the flower-like superstructure is composed of dozens of radially oriented rhombus-shaped microrods and the crystalline microrods with rectangle cross-sections and well-defined crystallographic faces are grown directly onto the substrates. This convenient method may be applicable to prepare other orthovanadate phosphors with 3D morphologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Phosphors of nanoparticles LaSrAl3O7:RE3+ (RE = Eu, Tb) have been prepared by a sol–gel method. The structure and luminescent properties of LaSrAl3O7:Eu3+ and LaSrAl3O7:Tb3+ phosphors were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra were utilized. From XRD patterns, it is indicated that the phosphor LaSrAl3O7 forms without impurity phase at 900 °C. From AFM images, it is shown that the crystal size of the phosphors are about 60–80 nm. Upon excitation with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, it is shown that there is a strong emission at around 617 nm corresponding to the forced electric dipole 5D0–7F2 transition of Eu3+, and at around 543 nm corresponding to the 5D4–7F5 transition of Tb3+. The dependence of photoluminescence intensity on Eu3+ (or Tb3+) concentration and annealing temperature were also studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phosphors of nanoparticles YP X V1− X O4:Dy3+ (0⩽X⩽1) have been prepared by a citrate sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra were utilized to characterize the phosphors. The results of XRD showed that a solid solution formed in YP X V1− X O4:Dy3+ phosphor series from X=0 to X=1 with zircon structure. TEM and SEM studies revealed that the obtained YP X V1− X O4:Dy3+ nanocrystals appeared to be spherical with some agglomeration and their sizes ranged from 30 to 80nm. Upon short ultraviolet excitation, the optical properties of all the powder presented that the characteristic transitions of Dy3+ due to 4F9/2–6H15/2 (blue) and 4F9/2–6H13/2 (yellow) were detected. Besides this, in the system of YP X V1− X O4:Dy3+, the yellow-to-blue intensity ratio (Y/B) depended on the value of P/V greatly, with the increasing of X value and the decreased Y/B value. The phosphor found to yield white light when the value of X in the range of X=0.775–0.85, the optimum concentration for Dy3+ is 1mol% of Y in the host, and the emission intensity increased with the annealing temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: By using metal nitrates as starting materials and citric acid as complexing agent, GdCaAl3O7:Eu3+ and GdCaAl3O7:Tb3+ powder phosphors were prepared by a citrate-gel method. Thermal analysis (TG–DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence excitation and emission, as well as kinetic decays were employed to characterize the resulting samples. The results of the XRD indicated the precursor samples began to crystallize at 800°C and the crystallinity increased with elevation the annealing temperature. TEM images showed that the phosphor particles were basically of spherical shape, with good dispersion about a particle size of around 40–70nm. Upon excitation with UV irradiation, it is shown that there is a strong emission at around 617nm corresponding to the forced electric dipole 5D0–7F2 transition of Eu3+, and at around 543nm corresponding to the 5D4–7F5 transition of Tb3+. The dependence of photoluminescence intensity on Eu3+ (or Tb3+) concentration and annealing temperature were also studied in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vacancy defects of catalysts have been extensively studied and proven to be beneficial to various electrocatalytic reactions. Herein, an ultra-stable three-dimensional PtCu nanowire network (NNW) with ultrafine size, self-supporting rigid structure, and Cu vacancy defects has been developed. The vacancy defect-rich PtCu NNW exhibits an outstanding performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with a mass activity 14.1 times higher than for the commercial Pt/C catalyst (20 %.wt, JM), which is currently the best performance. The mass activity of the PtCu NNW for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is 17.8 times higher than for the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the introduction of Cu vacancies enhances the adsorption capacity of Pt atoms to the HO* intermediate and simultaneously weakens the adsorption for the O* intermediate. This work presents a facile strategy to assemble efficient electrocatalysts with abundant vacancy defects, at the same time, provides an insight into the ORR mechanism in acidic solution., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)