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Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a highly promising photocatalyst that facilitates efficient water splitting and hydrogen production under light conditions. In this study, Cu2O thin film photocathodes were prepared through electro-deposition, with the inclusion of NO 3 - ions resulting in the formation of a flower-like microstructure. The size, distribution and roughness of these clusters were found to be greatly influenced by the concentration of the NO 3 - ions as confirmed by SEM and AFM characterizations. When 0.4 M NO 3 - ions were used, a flat and compact structure with the smallest 'flower bud' was obtained. This structure achieved a maximum photocurrent density of − 2.90 mA/cm2 @0 V vs. RHE, which is 2.2 times greater than that of bare Cu2O. UV–Vis absorption, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and EIS measurements suggest that the compact microstructure facilitates enhanced ultraviolet absorption and separation of photogenerated holes and electrons. This results in a lower charge transfer resistance and a significant increase in photocurrent density. Additionally, a growth mechanism for the flower-like Cu2O was proposed. The XPS and EDS analyses indicate that the addition of NO 3 - during Cu2O formation results in the adsorption of NO 3 - onto the surface of the initial Cu2O grain. This, in turn, catalyses the electrocatalytic reduction of NO 3 - on the surface of Cu2O, leading to the formation of NH + 4 ions as evidenced by XPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous advancements in electronics towards downsizing and integration, efficient thermal dissipation from chips has emerged as a critical factor affecting their lifespan and operational efficiency. The fan-less chip cooling system has two critical interfaces for thermal transport, which are the contact interface between the base and the chip dominated by thermal conduction, and the surface of the fins dominated by thermal radiation. The different thermal transfer modes of these two critical interfaces pose different requirements for thermal management materials. In the study, a novel approach was proposed by developing graphene thermal transport functional material whose morphology could be intentionally designed via reformed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) methods to meet the diverse requirements of heat transfer properties. Specifically, graphene with multilevel branching structure of vertical graphene (BVG) was fabricated through the hydrogen-assisted PECVD (H2-PECVD) strategy, which contributed a high emissivity of ∼ 0.98. BVG was deposited on the fins' surface and functioned as the radiation enhanced layer to facilitate the rapid radiation of heat from the heat sinks into the surrounding air. Meanwhile, the well-oriented vertical graphene (OVG) was successfully prepared through the vertical electric field-assisted PECVD process (EF-PECVD), which showed a high directional thermal conductivity of ∼ 53.5 W·m−1·K−1. OVG was deposited on the contact interface and functioned as the thermal conduction enhanced layer, allowing for the quick transmission of heat from the chip to the heat sink. Utilizing this design concept, the two critical interfaces in the chip cooling system can be jointly enhanced, resulting in a remarkable cooling efficiency enhancement of ∼ 30.7%, demonstrating that this novel material possessed enormous potential for enhancing the performance of cooling systems. Therefore, this research not only provided new design concepts for the cooling system of electronic devices but also opened up new avenues for the application of graphene materials in thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly organised arrangements of vertically aligned nanostructures are crucial foundational elements in creating versatile devices. Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) offer many remarkable applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and electromechanical nanodevices. This review examines recent advancements in synthesising arrays of ZnO nanorods. This manuscript explores the significance of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods in creating versatile devices. It discusses the properties of vertical ZnO nanorods, including their high aspect ratio, large surface area, tunable optical properties, piezoelectricity, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. Recent methods for synthesising vertically aligned ZnO nanorods are detailed, such as using colloidal lithography and a sol-gel-prepared ZnO seed layer. Various studies highlight the controlled growth of ZnO nanorods through top-down fabrication approaches like nanoimprint lithography, electron beam lithography, colloidal lithography, and laser interference lithography, followed by hydrothermal methods. It also includes nanostructure growth using a nanoporous polycarbonate template via electrodeposition. These nanofabrication techniques offer simplicity, uniformity across large wafer-scale areas, and the ability to precisely control the growth of vertical ZnO nanorods, which holds potential for the fabrication of high-performance devices. The last chapter highlights various potential applications of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods, including energy conversion, optoelectronics, sensors, bio-medics, and environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights : A unique approach is proposed: constructing a polymer fiber rigid network with high glass transition temperature. Frozen bulk heterojunction morphology impeded deterioration of exciton quenching, charge transport, and charge extraction properties during thermal aging. The strategy is universal and can be further optimized for enhanced thermal stability and improved mechanical resilience. Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) need to overcome limitations such as insufficient thermal stability to be commercialized. The reported approaches to improve stability either rely on the development of new materials or on tailoring the donor/acceptor morphology, however, exhibiting limited applicability. Therefore, it is timely to develop an easy method to enhance thermal stability without having to develop new donor/acceptor materials or donor–acceptor compatibilizers, or by introducing another third component. Herein, a unique approach is presented, based on constructing a polymer fiber rigid network with a high glass transition temperature (Tg) to impede the movement of acceptor and donor molecules, to immobilize the active layer morphology, and thereby to improve thermal stability. A high-Tg one-dimensional aramid nanofiber (ANF) is utilized for network construction. Inverted OPVs with ANF network yield superior thermal stability compared to the ANF-free counterpart. The ANF network-incorporated active layer demonstrates significantly more stable morphology than the ANF-free counterpart, thereby leaving fundamental processes such as charge separation, transport, and collection, determining the device efficiency, largely unaltered. This strategy is also successfully applied to other photovoltaic systems. The strategy of incorporating a polymer fiber rigid network with high Tg offers a distinct perspective addressing the challenge of thermal instability with simplicity and universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-scheme possesses superior redox capabilities compared with the II-scheme, providing an effective method to solve the innate defects of g-C3N4 (CN). In this study, S-doped g-C3N4/g-C3N4 (SCN-tm/CN) S-scheme homojunction was constructed by rationally integrating morphology control with interfacial engineering to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. In-situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) confirms the transport of photo-generated electrons from CN to SCN. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the generation of a built-in electric field between SCN and CN enables the carrier separation to be more efficient and effective. Femtosecond transient absorption spectrum (fs-TAS) indicates prolonged lifetimes of SCN-tm/CN3 (τ1: 9.7, τ2: 110, and τ3: 1343.5 ps) in comparison to those of CN (τ1: 4.86, τ2: 55.2, and τ3: 927 ps), signifying that the construction of homojunction promotes the separation and transport of electron hole pairs, thus favoring the photocatalytic process. Under visible light irradiation, the optimized SCN-tm/CN3 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity with the hydrogen evolution rate of 5407.3 µmol·g−1·h−1, which is 20.4 times higher than that of CN (265.7 µmol·g−1·h−1). Moreover, the homojunction also displays an apparent quantum efficiency of 26.8% at 435 nm as well as ultra-long and ultra-stable cycle ability. This work offers a new strategy to construct highly efficient photocatalysts based on the metal-free conjugated polymeric CN for realizing solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimerized small-molecule acceptors (SMAs) built by the conventional connection of terminal groups of monomers have contributed to exciting long-term stabilities of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, device efficiencies, especially fill factors (FFs), still need to be improved. This probably originates from unsymmetrical molecular structure/conformation-determined less compact/ordered molecular stackings, such as ineffective stackings of constraint terminals. Herein, an exotic dimerized SMA of BC-Th is established by bridging the branched groups (BC-type, branch coupling) of two monomers rather than conventional terminal units (TC-type, terminal coupling). Benefiting from the three-dimensional conformation and more uncurbed terminals, BC-Th exhibits multiple molecular orientations along with a larger dielectric constant and electron mobility compared with TC-Th. Finally, an efficiency of 17.43% is achieved by BC-Th-based OSCs, along with the highest FF of 79.13% among all dimerized SMAs-based OSCs to date. When introducing L8-BO as the third component, overall enhanced efficiency of 18.05% and FF of 80.11% are further afforded. Contrarily, TC-Th-based OSCs exhibit much inferior PCE of 16.29% and FF of 74.81%, demonstrating the great advantages of "branch coupling" over "terminal coupling" when building dimerized SMAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of CeO2/CdS photocatalysts were prepared by simple solvothermal and auxiliary calcination using cerium nitrate as the precursor. Two different forms of CeO2 (nanosheets (NF-CeO2) and nanorods (NR-CeO2)) were successfully prepared and used to degrade rhodamine B (RhB) to study the photocatalytic activity of the composites. On this basis, the effects of composite proportion and preparation technology on the photocatalytic activity of the composites were studied. The morphology, structure, photoelectric properties and chemical composition of the composites were analyzed. Compared with single photocatalysts (NR-CeO2 and CdS), the NF-CeO2/CdS and NR-CeO2/CdS composite catalyst have stronger photocatalytic performance. In addition, capture experiments and ESR showed that both ∙ O 2 - and h+ impacted on the RhB degradation. After four repeated cycles, NR-CeO2/CdS (1:6) showed stable RhB degradation activity. In the aspect of catalyst interface design, this work not only provides an effective method for the preparation of catalysts with high photodegradation rate and good reuse, but also provides a feasible idea for further research on the degradation of emerging pollutants by photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slot-die coating is recognized as the most compatible method for the roll-to-roll (R2R) processing of large-area flexible organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the photovoltaic performance of the large-area flexible all-polymer solar cells was significantly lagging behind that of polymer donors with small molecule non-fullerene acceptors devices. In this work, the 1 cm2 flexible device of an all-polymer system, PTQ10:PYF-T-o, fabricated by slot-die coating, achieves an excellent efficiency of 11.24% via controlling the coating temperatures. It is found that, compared with the donor, the crystallinity of PYF-T-o plays a crucial role in device performance. The all-polymer flexible devices show superior mechanical bending stability, maintaining an efficiency of over 95% of the initial value during a 1000-cycle bending test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs) and perovskite (PVSCs) has increased to over 19% and 25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the long-term stability of OSCs and PVSCs was also significantly improved with a better understanding of the degradation mechanism and the improvement of materials, morphology, and interface stability. As both the efficiency and lifetime of solar cells are approaching the commercialization limit, fabrication methods for large-area OSCs and PVSCs that can be directly transferred from lab to fab become essential to promote the industrialization of OSCs and PVSCs. Compared with the coating methods, inkjet printing is a mature industrial technology with the advantages of random digital patterning, excellent precision and fast printing speed, which is considered to have great potential in solar cell fabrication. Many efforts have been devoted to developing inkjet-printed OSCs and PVSCs, and much progress has been achieved in the last few years. In this review, we first introduced the working principle of inkjet printing, the rheology requirements of inks, and the behaviors of the droplets. We then summarized the recent research progresses of the inkjet-printed OSCs and PVSCs to facilitate knowledge transfer between the two technologies. In the end, we gave a perspective on inkjet-printed OSCs and PVSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave absorbing materials (MAMs) are playing an increasingly essential role in the development of wireless communications, high-power electronic devices, and advanced target detection technology. MAMs with a broad-bandwidth response are particularly important in the area of communication security, radiation prevention, electronic reliability, and military stealth. Although considerable progress has been made in the design and preparation of MAMs with a broad-bandwidth response, a number of challenges still remain, and the structure–function relationship of MAMs is still far from being completely understood. Herein, the advances in the design and research of MAMs with a broad-bandwidth response are outlined. The main strategies for expanding the effective absorption bandwidth of MAMs are comprehensively summarized considering three perspectives: the chemical combination strategy, morphological control strategy, and macrostructure control strategy. Several important results as well as design principles and absorption mechanisms are highlighted. A coherent explanation detailing the influence of the chemical composition and structure of various materials on the microwave absorption properties of MAMs is provided. The main challenges, new opportunities, and future perspectives in this promising field are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of POMs/EuF3 (POMs = α-PMo12, α-PW9) nanocrystals with uniform morphologies have been successfully synthesized under mild solution conditions by introducing different polyoxometalates as dopants and shape modifiers. Detailed experiments reveal that the morphologies and size of the EuF3 nanocrystals could be finely tuned by changing the fluorine source, type and amount of polyoxometalates. Moreover, the emissions of EuF3 nanoplates are disappeared partially during the photoluminescence tests, indicating polyoxometalates plays a key role in the regulation of the fluorescence characteristics of EuF3 nanoplates. Therefore, the strategy of doping polyoxometalates can provide a new idea to adjust the morphologies and fluorescence characteristics of rare earth fluoride. It is worth to expect this kind of nanomaterial could be finely applied as an active material in fluorescent chemical sensors, optoelectronic devices or bio-imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties, the microstructure design of the absorber is critical. In this work, six kinds of N-Ni/C nanostructures with different morphologies were prepared by one-step hydrothermal method and high temperature carbonization by adjusting the types of nickel salts and reaction solvents. The EMW absorption performance of six different morphologies of N-Ni/C nanostructures was compared and analyzed. Among them, it is found that the nanoflower-like N-Ni/C composite has excellent dielectric loss and magnetic loss synergistic effect due to its polycrystalline structure, and can obtain excellent EMW absorption performance. The minimum reflection loss value at a thickness of 1.9 mm is −59.56 dB at 16.88 GHz, and the effective absorption bandwidth value reaches 6.0 GHz at a thickness of 2.2 mm. Our research shows that different morphologies and multiple lattice structures of nanostructures with the same composition have a significant influence on EMW absorption performance, which provides new research ideas for developing high-performance EMW absorbing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt nanowires with different shapes and sizes were synthesized by reduction of carboxylate salts of CoII in 1, 2-butanediol using a solvothermal chemical process. The well-crystallized Co nanowires with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase are observed and the (002) crystalline direction is along the long axis of nanowires. The morphology control is strongly dependent on the reaction parameters. By varying the amount of capping agent in proper ranges, the effect of reaction parameters on controlling the size and shape of Co nanowires is demonstrated. With the amount of capping agent increasing, the aspect ratio of Co nanowires increases remarkably. However, the magnetic measurement of cobalt nanowires shows that the coercivity of the Co nanocrystals does not increase with the increase in aspect ratio monotonously, which suggests that the tip shape and microstructure also play an important role in the magnetization reversal process of the Co nanocrystals, and the aspect ratio plays a much less role as the ratio value exceeds 11. To further understand the effect of size on the magnetic properties in the Co nanowires, micromagnetic simulations were performed, which confirms that the magnetic properties are barely affected by the aspect ratio larger than 10. The highest coercivity of 624 kA·m−1 is obtained for ellipsoid nanowires with a mean length of 200 nm, which also displays a strong magnetic anisotropy. As a result, the highest energy product of the wires reaches 248 kJ·m−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates how purging the reaction medium with argon, oxygen, or CO during the liquid-phase synthesis affects the transformation dynamics of the Pt(IV) into Pt(0)x as well as the morphology of the Pt/C obtained. The reaction media studied are typical for the polyol and formic acid synthesis methods. The real-time monitoring of the Pt(0)x formation in these systems has been studied by the potentiometric and colorimetric measurements. The nature of a gas has been shown to affect the size of the small Pt particles formed as well as their different spatial distribution over the carbon support surface. Therefore, a gas is supposed to provide an additional control over both the formation of colloidal Pt and the microstructure of the Pt/C obtained. Moreover, this study illustrates a novel approach to using a platinum indicator electrode for the estimation of the reaction system's redox state during the synthesis of Pt nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free bismuth-based halide perovskites and their analogues have attracted research interest for their high stability and optoelectronic properties. However, the morphology-controlled synthesis of bismuth-based perovskite nanocrystals has been rarely demonstrated. Herein, we report the colloidal synthesis of zero-dimensional (0D) Cs3BiCl6 nanosheets (NSs), Cs3Bi2Cl9 NSs/nanoplates (NPs) and Cs4MnBi2Cl12 NPs through a hot-injection method. We demonstrate that the Cs3BiCl6 NSs, as an initial product of Cs3Bi2Cl9 and Cs4MnBi2Cl12 NPs, can transform into Cs3Bi2Cl9 NSs or Cs4MnBi2Cl12 NPs via Cl-induced metal ion insertion reactions under the templating effect of Cs3BiCl6. This growth mechanism is also applicable for the synthesis of Cs4CdBi2Cl12 nanoplates. Furthermore, the alloying of Cd2+ into Cs4MnBi2Cl12 lattice could weaken the strong coupling effect between Mn and Mn, which leads to a prolonged photoluminescence lifetime and an enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). As a proof of concept, the alloyed Cs4MnxCd1−xBi2Cl12 NPs are used as a scintillator, which show a lowest detection limit of 134.5 nGy/s. The X-ray imaging results display a high spatial resolution of over 20 line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm). These results provide new insights in the synthesis of anisotropic bismuth-based perovskite nanocrystals and their applications in radiation detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PLGA porous microspheres (a porous structure and the characteristics of low-quality density and high pore rate) are widely used in the medical field. Here, we report a preparation of PLGA porous microspheres by a solvent evaporation method, introducing alkanes as porogen. Various morphologies of microspheres can be regulated by controlling parameters such as alkane segment, content, polymer concentration, and temperature. The results show that the phase separation is caused by the incompatibility of the three alkane porogens of 60–90 petroleum ether, n-dodecane, and paraffin liquid. After the hydrophobic alkanes were eluted and pore-formed in situ, the PLGA microspheres could obtain different morphologies. Porous structures range from network porous to hollow. Interfacial tension and polymer phase separation work together on the microsphere morphology. In addition, the shell thickness and surface flatness of the microspheres can be regulated by polymer concentration and temperature, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast-laser irradiated surfaces are self-organizing systems that form intricated micropatterns and nanopatterns. Different shapes of randomly and periodically dispersed nanostructures emerge from a homogenous metal surface, resulting in a remarkable display of dissipative structures. Under femtosecond laser irradiation with a controlled amount of energy, the formation of nanobreath-figure, nanocrosshatch, nanopeaks, nanohumps, nanobumps, nanocavities and nanolabyrinthine patterns are reported. The fabrication of these 2D different nanostructures may allow for novel surface functionalizations aimed at controlling mechanical, biological, optical, or chemical surface characteristics on a nanometric scale. We demonstrate that using crossed-polarized double laser pulses adds a new dimension to the nanostructuring process since the laser energy dose and multi-pulse feedback modify the energy gradient distribution, crossing key levels for surface self-organization regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid submerged fermentation is an effective strategy to achieve large-scale production of active ingredients by macrofungi, and controlling mycelium morphology is a key factor restricting the development of this technology. Mining for superior morphological regulatory factors and elucidation of their regulatory mechanisms are vital for the further development of macrofungal fermentation technology. In this study, microparticles were used to control the morphology of Paraisaria dubia (P. dubia) in submerged fermentation, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms were revealed by transcriptomic. The relative frequency of S-type pellet diameter increased significantly from 7.14 to 88.31%, and biomass increased 1.54 times when 15 g/L talc was added. Transcriptome analysis showed that the morphological regulation of filamentous fungi was a complex biological process, which involved signal transduction, mycelium polar growth, cell wall synthesis and cell division, etc. It also showed a positive impact on the basic and secondary metabolism of P. dubia. We provided a theoretical basis for controlling the mycelium morphology of P. dubia in submerged fermentation, which will promote the development of macrofungal fermentation technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing a high-performance Ni-rich single-crystal cathode for Li-ion batteries is challenging. This is because calcination must be performed at a high temperature to achieve particle sintering; however, Ni-rich layered cathode materials are damaged if calcination is performed at very high temperatures. Therefore, reducing the calcination temperature required for the synthesis of single-crystal cathodes can improve the performance of the cathode. In this study, a Ni-rich single-crystal Li[Ni0.9Co0.05Mn0.05]O2 (NCM90) cathode was successfully synthesized at a calcination temperature 50 °C lower than its optimal calcination temperature by introducing a Ce dopant. Depending on their properties, dopants affect the growth and sintering behaviors of cathode materials during calcination. W prevents the formation of single-crystal particles by retarding the growth and sintering of grains, whereas Ce promotes the formation of single-crystal particles. Leveraging this feature of Ce, a Ce-doped NCM90 cathode was synthesized at a calcination temperature of 800 °C; at this temperature, the pristine (undoped) NCM90 cathode remains polycrystalline. The Ce-doped NCM90 cathode delivers an initial capacity of 199.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C; moreover, cycled at 0.5 C, it retains 80.5% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles, demonstrating better cycling stability than a pristine NCM90 cathode. The reduced capacity loss of the Ce-doped NCM90 cathode is due to the protraction of the detrimental H2–H3 phase transition, as revealed by differential capacity analysis, and its superior thermal stability, which is attributed to the presence of Ce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolites, an important class of microporous crystals, have been widely utilized in the fields of catalysis, ion-exchange, separation, and sorption for a long time. In general, zeolites are synthesized in the presence of costly organic templates under hydrothermal conditions by trial-and-error method, which is not only environmentally unfriendly but also labor-intensive. In recent years, novel concepts of design for zeolite synthesis, which are sustainable, cheap, simple, and efficient, have been developed. In this review, the recent advances in design for zeolite synthesis will be briefly summarized, mainly including the design of organic templates for directing the formation of zeolites, design of organotemplate-free route for zeolite synthesis, design of solvent-free strategy for zeolite synthesis, design for novel interzeolite transformation, and targeted control of zeolite morphologies. This review might be helpful for developing sustainable routes for targeted synthesis of zeolites in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) have significantly improved long-term stability and mechanical stretchability. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of all-PSCs has been rapidly improved from ∼1% to now over ∼17%, driven by rational molecular design, blend morphology optimization, and device engineering. However, most all-PSCs are generally processed with halogenated solvents, hazardous for human health and the global environment. Achieving high-performance all-PSCs with halogen-free solvent processing remains a challenge. This feature article presents recent advances in green-solvent-processable all-PSCs from the material design and morphological control perspective, and further reviews progress in using more environmentally friendly solvents (i.e., water or alcohol) to achieve genuinely sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing all-PSCs. Finally, we provide an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for large-scale manufacturing of green-solvent-processable all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi branched spherical MnCO3 was synthesized by solvothermal method with MnSO4 as manganese source and sodium citrate as surfactant. The morphology of the materials was characterized electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized by constant current charge discharge method. The electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized by constant current charge discharge method. The morphology of multi branched spherical MnCO3 is affected by CA(citric acid)/OH– molar ratio, reaction temperature and time, the type of solvent. The result shows, the multi branched spherical MnCO3 with a diameter of about 1–2 μm is obtained when CA/OH– is 1/2.5, reaction temperature and time is 180°C/18 h, added 30 mL deionized water. The sample synthesized at the optimized condition exhibited the first specific capacity of 2301.6 mA h g–1 at the current density of 100 mA g–1 and a good rate performance. The morphology of manganese carbonate is expected to be used as the precursor of anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The processing methods of functional polymer composites (FPCs) are systematically summarized in "Toolbox". The relationship of processing method-structure-property is discussed and the selection and combination of tools in processing among different FPCs are analyzed. A promising prospect is provided regarding the design principle for high performance FPCs for further investigation. Functional polymer composites (FPCs) have attracted increasing attention in recent decades due to their great potential in delivering a wide range of functionalities. These functionalities are largely determined by functional fillers and their network morphology in polymer matrix. In recent years, a large number of studies on morphology control and interfacial modification have been reported, where numerous preparation methods and exciting performance of FPCs have been reported. Despite the fact that these FPCs have many similarities because they are all consisting of functional inorganic fillers and polymer matrices, review on the overall progress of FPCs is still missing, and especially the overall processing strategy for these composites is urgently needed. Herein, a "Toolbox" for the processing of FPCs is proposed to summarize and analyze the overall processing strategies and corresponding morphology evolution for FPCs. From this perspective, the morphological control methods already utilized for various FPCs are systematically reviewed, so that guidelines or even predictions on the processing strategies of various FPCs as well as multi-functional polymer composites could be given. This review should be able to provide interesting insights for the field of FPCs and boost future intelligent design of various FPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, achieving the electrochemical trace detection (picomole per liter level) with high sensitivity of quercetin is rare. In this work, the nickel-doped zinc-based zeolite imidazole framework with a four-point star morphology (Ni-ZIF-8-S) was successfully prepared through simple stirring and pH adjusting at room temperature. The strategies of nickel doping and morphology control endow Ni-ZIF-8-S with a large specific surface area, a unique hierarchical pore structure comprising both micropores and mesopores, abundant active sites, and excellent electron transport ability. Therefore, under optimal conditions, the electrochemical sensor based on Ni-ZIF-8-S can detect quercetin with a very high sensitivity of 622.0 μA μM−1 and a limit of detection as low as 48 pM, enabling ultra-sensitive quantitative determination of quercetin in picomole per liter level. In addition, the proposed sensor also shows other excellent analytical performances, including good reproducibility, anti-interference, and stability. Importantly, the electrochemical sensor based on Ni-ZIF-8-S can also perform quantitative detection of quercetin in complex real samples, such as urine and honey, with acceptable results. The prepared sensor has the potential to be applied in monitoring and quality control of quercetin.Graphical abstract: At present, achieving the electrochemical trace detection (picomole per liter level) with high sensitivity of quercetin is rare. In this work, the nickel-doped zinc-based zeolite imidazole framework with a four-point star morphology (Ni-ZIF-8-S) was successfully prepared through simple stirring and pH adjusting at room temperature. The strategies of nickel doping and morphology control endow Ni-ZIF-8-S with a large specific surface area, a unique hierarchical pore structure comprising both micropores and mesopores, abundant active sites, and excellent electron transport ability. Therefore, under optimal conditions, the electrochemical sensor based on Ni-ZIF-8-S can detect quercetin with a very high sensitivity of 622.0 μA μM−1 and a limit of detection as low as 48 pM, enabling ultra-sensitive quantitative determination of quercetin in picomole per liter level. In addition, the proposed sensor also shows other excellent analytical performances, including good reproducibility, anti-interference, and stability. Importantly, the electrochemical sensor based on Ni-ZIF-8-S can also perform quantitative detection of quercetin in complex real samples, such as urine and honey, with acceptable results. The prepared sensor has the potential to be applied in monitoring and quality control of quercetin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise control of the crystal morphology of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables optimization of its adsorptive properties, as well as enables better integration within functional devices. However, the influence of such modifications on the dynamic properties of flexible MOFs is poorly understood. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of Cu2(bdc)2(bpy) (bdc2− = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine) crystals having an unusual picture frame-like morphology that results from a restriction in the quantity of bpy pillars added to the reaction mixture during the intercalation of the Cu2(bdc)2(MeOH)2 layers. The width of the frames is found to correlate with the quantity of bpy, and importantly, causes the dynamic properties of the resulting Cu2(bdc)2(bpy) material to vary between rigid, elastic, and shape memory modes. In all, the results demonstrate the potential for the properties of MOFs to be optimized via subtle manipulations in the crystal morphology rather than changes in the overall material composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction is important for many renewable energy applications. In particular, strain engineering has been demonstrated as a powerful strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance of catalysts; however, the required complex catalyst preparation process restricts the implementation of strain engineering. Herein, we report a simple self-template method to prepare hierarchical porous Co3O4 nanowires (PNWs) with tunable compressive strain via thermal-oxidation-transformation of easily prepared oxalic acid-cobalt nitrate (Co(NO3)2) composite nanowires. Based on the complementary theoretical and experimental studies, the selection of proper solvents in the catalyst preparation is not only vital for the hierarchical structural evolution of Co3O4 but also for regulating their compressive surface strain. Because of the rich surface active sites and optimized electronic Co d band centers, the PNWs exhibit the excellent activity and stability for oxygen evolution reaction, delivering a low overpotential of 319 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 in 1 M KOH with a mass loading 0.553 mg·cm−2, which is even better than the noble metal catalyst of RuO2. This work provides a cost-effective example of porous Co3O4 nanowire preparation as well as a promising method for modification of surface strain for the enhanced electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of ZnO–SiO2 (ZS) composite found to be a great challenge owing to the disadvantage of the recent method such as high temperature and multistep process. To this end, a new and rapid method for fabricating zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZS composite particles by the simple electrospray method was developed. Results from this method provide a free agglomeration and smaller particle size of ZS composite (compared with pure ZnO) with an increase in the applied voltage, which correlates with the charge repulsion within the particles. The presence of silica inhibited the ZnO particles and crystal growth. The XRD and FTIR spectra indicated that silica covered the ZnO particles. Smaller ZS molar ratio with higher applied voltage had a significant role in minimizing the agglomeration of particle production. This suggested a morphological control of the composite through electrospray. The results of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution revealed that the presence of silica effectively inhibited the photocatalytic activity of ZnO particles in which the degradation rates of ZnO without and with silica were 85% and 63%, respectively. The effect of silica on the ultraviolet (UV) shielding property of ZnO particles also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suggest a combination of morphological control and the introduction of an additive as a strategy to completely convert thermally grown a PbI2 layer into the perovskite structure for inverted organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs). For 2-step PSCs based on thermal evaporation, the complete conversion of PbI2 into the perovskite structure is a key parameter for device performance. To achieve complete conversion, we regulated the morphology of the PbI2 layer by controlling the growth rate. Compared to rapidly grown PbI2 layers, a PbI2 layer grown at a slow rate contained pinholes that enhanced the diffusion of methyl ammonium iodide (MAI) from the PbI2 surface. Despite the assistance of the pinholes, the conversion of the PbI2 was incomplete due to the limited interaction between the MAI and PbI2. Complete conversion of the pinhole-rich PbI2 occurred by introducing an additive into the MAI solution. The conversion of PbI2 was measured by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering using synchrotron X-rays. By controlling the incidence angle of the X-rays, we quantitatively compared the amount of PbI2 as a function of the X-ray penetration depth. Using a completely converted 50 nm-thick PbI2 layer, we obtained a power conversion efficiency of 9.44%. Graphic Absract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have sought to improve the electrocatalytic performance of tungsten nitride through synthetic control over chemical composition and morphology. In particular, we have generated a thermodynamically unstable but catalytically promising nitrogen-rich phase of tungsten via a hydrothermal generation of a tungsten oxide intermediate and subsequent annealing in ammonia. The net product consisted of three-dimensional (3D) micron-scale flower-like motifs of W2N3; this architecture not only evinced high structural stability but also incorporated the favorable properties of constituent two-dimensional nanosheets. From a performance perspective, as-prepared 3D W2N3 demonstrated promising hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities, especially in an acidic environment with a measured overpotential value of −101 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. To further enhance the electrocatalytic activity, small amounts of precious metal nanoparticles (such as Pt and Au), consisting of variable sizes, were uniformly deposited onto the underlying 3D W2N3 motifs using a facile direct deposition method; these composites were applied towards the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). A highlight of this series of experiments was that Au/W2N3 composites were found to be a much more active HER (as opposed to either a CO2RR or a methanol oxidation reaction (MOR)) catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(4,4'-oxydiphenylene pyromellitimide) (PMDA/ODA) hollow fiber membranes with regular morphologies have been successfully prepared through a two-step dry-jet wet spinning method. The morphologies of polyimide (PI) hollow fibers were regulated via adjusting the major spinning parameters, including dope/bore flow rate ratio, bore fluid composition, coagulation bath temperature and air gap distance. SEM results show that the morphologies of PI hollow fibers strongly depended on the spinning conditions, and fibers with regular asymmetric structures were finally obtained. The fiber wall thickened with the increase of dope/bore flow rate ratio, and the fibers could well self-support when the dope/bore flow rate ratio ranged from 3:1 to 4:1. While higher DMAc content in the bore fluid was conducive to the formation of finger-like voids, reduced amount of DMAc would result in smaller finger-like voids and thereby lower overall porosities as well as better mechanical properties. Moreover, the finger-like voids and surface defects could be effectively prevented by lowering the coagulation bath temperature or extending the air gap distance. Gas separation and mechanical properties of the hollow fibers were found closely related to these morphological changes. On such basis, regular PI hollow fibers with different microstructures and Young's modulus up to 1040 MPa were successfully fabricated. The prepared polyimide hollow fibers are promising candidates for fine separation under high temperature and high pressure or can be employed as the support of composite membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of mixed cations is beneficial for taking the advantages of cations and achieving highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, the precisely small incorporation of CH(NH2)2 (FA) cations in methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) enables the formation of compact, smooth perovskite film with high crystallinity. Consequently, the short-circuit current and the fill factor of the PSCs based on FAxMA1-xPbI3 perovskite are greatly improved, leading to the enhanced device efficiency. The champion PSC based on FA0.1MA0.9PbI3 exhibits a remarkably high efficiency of 22.02%. Furthermore, the PSCs based on FA0.1MA0.9PbI3 perovskite also show improved device stability. This work provides a simple approach to fabricate high-quality perovskite films and high-performance PSCs with better stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we fabricate poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)-treated Ruddlesden-Popper two-dimensional (quasi-2D) PPA2(CsPbBr3)2PbBr4 perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) and achieved a peak brightness of 10,700 cd m−2 and peak current efficiency of 11.68 cd A−1, threefold and tenfold higher than that of the pristine device (without PVP), respectively. It can be attributed that the additive of PVP can suppress the pinholes of perovskite films owing to the excellent film-forming property, inhibiting the leakage current. Besides, PVP treatment facilitates the formation of compact perovskite films with defect reduction. Our work paves a novel way for the morphology modulation of quasi-2D perovskite films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise control of the crystal morphology of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables optimization of its adsorptive properties, as well as enables better integration within functional devices. However, the influence of such modifications on the dynamic properties of flexible MOFs is poorly understood. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of Cu2(bdc)2(bpy) (bdc2− = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine) crystals having an unusual picture frame-like morphology that results from a restriction in the quantity of bpy pillars added to the reaction mixture during the intercalation of the Cu2(bdc)2(MeOH)2 layers. The width of the frames is found to correlate with the quantity of bpy, and importantly, causes the dynamic properties of the resulting Cu2(bdc)2(bpy) material to vary between rigid, elastic, and shape memory modes. In all, the results demonstrate the potential for the properties of MOFs to be optimized via subtle manipulations in the crystal morphology rather than changes in the overall material composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, CdSe nanorods were prepared via solvothermal synthesis, the effect of surface ligands on the morphology of nanorods was investigated under the premise by tuning the percentage of surface ligands in the precursors. Experimental results show that the absorption and emission spectrum of CdSe nanorod with different aspect ratio varying from 4:1 to 2:1 have a red-shift, and the aspect ratio gradually decreases as the percentage of tetradecylphosphoric acid (TDPA) in the precursor increases. In addition, the CdSe optical stability improves as the percentage of TDPA increases. It is also shown that the crystal surface, which is not covered by TDPA, has an increased surface energy, which results in rapid growth of the crystal face and the formation of a rod-like structure. As a result, the effects of anisotropic absorption and emission, along the long axis properties can find many applications in the fields of optics, optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using boron powder as additive, the preparation of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) by carbothermal reduction was investigated. The results show that the carbothermal reduction cannot be completely done until the temperature is more than 1900 °C. The ZrB2 particles prepared without boron (B) additive at 1900 °C for 3 h are rodlike and show a preferential grain growth along [001] direction. B additive changes the heat effect of the raw materials. With B additive, the morphology of ZrB2 particles turns to be regular shape. The average particle size is about 3.6 μm with 2.5 wt% B additives. With more B additive, the shape of particles turns to be round like and the average particle size is decreased to 2.3 μm when 5 wt% B is added. The existence of oxides in grain boundary is a key factor to keep ZrB2 ceramic from deep densification. Using ZrB2 powder prepared with 5 wt% B additives, by controlling carbon content in ZrB2 powder, ZrB2 ceramic with 93% relative density is hot-pressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Al2O3 powders with different morphologies, namely fibrous, sheet-like, and spherical, were prepared by the hydrothermal-thermolysis method. Subsequently, polycrystalline, transparent cerium doped lutetium aluminum garnet (Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+) green phosphors were synthesized by high temperature solid-state method using commercial lutetium(III) oxide, cerium(III) oxide, and as-prepared Al2O3 powders with different morphologies. The phases, morphologies, and photoluminescent properties of the prepared phosphors were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL). Moreover, the influences of the morphologies of α-Al2O3 on the types of crystal structure, morphologies, and photoluminescent properties of LuAG:Ce3+ green phosphors were investigated. The results indicated that the morphologies and particle sizes of the α-Al2O3 powders could be controlled by the additives and parameters. Notably, the spherical α-Al2O3 powders with good dispersibility were found to be the excellent base materials of LuAG:Ce3+ green phosphors for white light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the shapes of TiO2 were regulated by changing the solvent and hydrothermal temperature. CeO2-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were further synthesized by impregnation method and used for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx. By a series of regulations, the SCR performance was improved by the further modulation of TiO2 shape. The results showed that with the hydrothermal temperature increase from 80 to 200 °C, and the shape of catalysts emerged particle state, rod-like structure, flower-like structure and large particle state, respectively. The formation process of flower-like TiO2 was proposed according to the shape change with the increase of hydrothermal temperature. Prominently, the shape of TiO2 precursor would change the crystallographic plane of CeO2-WO3/TiO2-A catalysts. When the hydrothermal temperature was 120 °C, the catalysts showed the best SCR performance. This might be due to the high surface atomic ratio of Oα/(Oα + Oβ) and the high transformation of Ce3+ and Ce4+, which were beneficial for the SCR performance. CeO2-WO3/TiO2-A-120 also exhibited an excellent resistance of H2O. However, when enduring the SO2 or both enduring the SO2 and H2O, the activity of catalysts had an obvious decrease due to the production of Ce2(SO4)3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, copper-based metal organic frameworks Cu3(BTC)2 (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylatle), were applied in the conversion of toxic oxynitride into nitrogen at low temperature. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XRD) and other characterization methods were employed to fully understand the properties of the catalysts. We introduced acetic acid into the synthesis process as the modulator of the crystal structure and morphology. The catalytic assessment indicated that compared with the prototype, modified Cu-MOFs materials obtain enhanced catalytic activity for the SCR reaction. Besides, several thermolysis experiments were conducted to explain structure-function relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape-controllable polyaniline (PANI) nanostructures were synthesized using phenol or hydroquinone as morphology-control agent. Various morphologies of PANI nanostructures, such as, one-dimensional fibers, two-dimensional lamellar structures, and three-dimensional flower-like structures, were obtained through altering the mole ratio of phenol or hydroquinone to aniline. Scanning electron microscopy was applied to observe the morphologies of the products. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra demonstrate that the ratio between quinoid structure and benzene structure was affected by the amount of phenol or hydroquinoid used in the synthesis process. This simple approach has opened a controllable synthesis route to fabricate advanced functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the shapes of TiO2 were regulated by changing the solvent and hydrothermal temperature. CeO2-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were further synthesized by impregnation method and used for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx. By a series of regulations, the SCR performance was improved by the further modulation of TiO2 shape. The results showed that with the hydrothermal temperature increase from 80 to 200 °C, and the shape of catalysts emerged particle state, rod-like structure, flower-like structure and large particle state, respectively. The formation process of flower-like TiO2 was proposed according to the shape change with the increase of hydrothermal temperature. Prominently, the shape of TiO2 precursor would change the crystallographic plane of CeO2-WO3/TiO2-A catalysts. When the hydrothermal temperature was 120 °C, the catalysts showed the best SCR performance. This might be due to the high surface atomic ratio of Oα/(Oα + Oβ) and the high transformation of Ce3+ and Ce4+, which were beneficial for the SCR performance. CeO2-WO3/TiO2-A-120 also exhibited an excellent resistance of H2O. However, when enduring the SO2 or both enduring the SO2 and H2O, the activity of catalysts had an obvious decrease due to the production of Ce2(SO4)3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled synthesis of structurally anisotropic rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) with macroscopically uniform and strictly monolayer thickness as well as tunable domain shape/size is of great interest for electronics-, optoelectronics-, and electrocatalysis-related applications. Herein, we describe the controlled synthesis of uniform monolayer ReSe2 flakes with variable morphology (sunflower- or truncated-triangle-shaped) on SiO2/Si substrates using different ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) setups. The prepared polycrystalline ReSe2 flakes were transferred intact onto Au foil electrodes and tested for activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Interestingly, compared to the compact truncated-triangle-shaped ReSe2 flakes, their edge-abundant sunflower-shaped counterparts exhibited superior electrocatalytic HER activity, featuring a relatively low Tafel slope of ∼76 mV/dec and an exchange current density of 10.5 μA/cm2. Thus, our work demonstrates that CVD-grown ReSe2 is a promising two-dimensional anisotropic material for applications in the electrocatalytic HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on shape-controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles, using the green reducing agent l-Tryptophan ( l-Trp), which is non-toxic and eco-friendly. This specific agent was investigated to realize certain morphology controlling effects by changing the relative growth rates among various crystal planes. Experimental samples were characterized by transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for size and morphological information. The effects of the specific additives of PVP ((CHNO)), CTAB (CH(CH)NBr), and KBr were examined for their morphological control individually and synergistically in this system. Hexagonal gold nanoparticles were successfully obtained via the PVP/CTAB and PVP/KBr systems. Particular amounts of PVP/KBr produced various polyhedron structures, such as cubes, and others with triangular and rhombic straight-side cross sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various morphologies of polyaniline are grown on carbon fibers derived from natural hollow cellulose by in situ polymerization of aniline. The morphologies of nanofibers, pyramid-like, nanorods and nanowires can be facilely controlled by the doping of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, phosphoric acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid, respectively. The perchloric acid doped composite shown the maximum specific capacitance of 580 F g at 1.0 A g. Remarkably, the all solid-state supercapacitors based on this sample deliver a maximum energy density of 13.3 Wh kg. The excellent performance is attributed to the unique morphology and hollow structure of the conductive substrate, which can drastically facilitate the ion diffusion and improve the utilization of the electroactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile synthetic protocol was used to prepare morphology controlled Pd nanocrystals with spherical and cubic shapes of different sizes. Carbon-supported catalysts were prepared from the as-synthesised nanocrystals and their catalytic ability in a tandem dehydrogenation/hydrogenation reaction composed by the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, serving as a hydrogen source, and the subsequent hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) was assessed. The catalytic performance was strongly dependent on the nanocrystals morphology and the spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 5.5 nm displayed the best performance among investigated. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT : Synopsis: Colloidal synthesis was used to prepare morphology-controlled Pd nanocrystals with spherical and cubic shapes and different sizes. They were loaded on a carbon support and tested in a tandem dehydrogenation/hydrogenation reaction based on the hydrogen production from $$\hbox {NH}_{3}\hbox {BH}_{3}$$ and hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol. The catalytic activity was dependent on the nanocrystal morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to acquire polymethyl methacrylate/Boehmite hybrid nanoparticles with well-controlled morphology synthesized directly from their relevant precursors (methyl methacrylate and aluminum nitrate) via an aqueous one-pot process is proposed which considerably shorten the number of steps and render substantial commercial benefits. Silane coupling agent was applied to yield a better compatibility between the organic-inorganic counterparts that confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra with the chemical bond of Si-O-Al as the main link between organic and inorganic moieties. Thermal stability, morphology study, and microhardness of (polymethyl methacrylate/Boehmite) nanohybrids were also evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Vickers hardness experiments. Field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the formation of polymethyl methacrylate/Boehmite nanostructure with an excellent dispersion of inorganic particles in an organic matrix with high uniformity. The uniform particles including different morphologies (cauliflower, semispherical, and bean-like particles) obtained by adjusting pH, surfactant, and sequence of precursor addition. Under acidic pH 4 and basic pH 8, the cauliflower and semispherical particles were made while bean-like particles obtained when polymethyl methacrylate particles formed after boehmite. The presence of boehmite improved the thermal stability and microhardness of hybrid. The microhardness of hybrid increased more than 44% with increasing just 5% boehmite. Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icosahedral gold nanocrystals (AuNCs) were synthesized by using the ionic liquid (IL) 1-(10-bromodecyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide as a morphology-controlling reagent. The novel IL 1,3-di-(3-mercaptopropyl)-imidazolium bromide was employed as a bifunctional monomer to integrate the AuNCs onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with gold nanoparticles. After interaction with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and activation of the carboxy groups, the antibody against squamous cell carcinoma antigen was immobilized on the modified GCE. Residual active sites were blocked with bovine serum albumin. The new materials and the steps for immunosensor fabrication were fully characterized. The reduction in peak current (using hexacyanoferrate as an electrochemical probe) due to the recognition of SCCA is linearly related to the SCCA concentration in the 0.02 to 10 ng mL concentration range. The detection limit is as low as 12.6 pg mL (at an S/N ratio of 3). The assay was applied to the quantitation of SCCA in human serum samples. The accuracy was validated by comparison with an ELISA method. The two methods displayed excellent consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) have attracted considerable research interest because of their well-defined porosity, high surface area, lightweight nature, and tunable surface chemistry. The morphology of MOPs are demonstrated to play a significant role in various applications although limited examples manifesting the importance of the MOP morphology in numerous applications have been reported. This review summarizes the recent progress in the design of MOPs using different techniques, including hard and soft template and direct synthesis methods. In addition, their applications, which possibly attribute to their shape, are discussed. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of different methods are discussed, as well as their development and future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation of micro- and nanoparticles of calcium carbonate onto lignocellulosic microfibers was investigated at different microfiber concentrations with and without polyacrylic acid (PAA), i.e. a polymer commonly used to form polymer-induced liquid precursors of CaCO. Concentrations of PAA, Ca(OH), CO and microfiber were varied in order to study the impact of reaction conditions on PCC formation in a batch reactor operated at ambient temperature. High resolution scanning electron micrographs of the samples show that both microfiber concentration and PAA dosage affected the nucleation and crystal growth of PCC filler on cellulosic fiber. Interestingly, at higher microfiber concentrations, larger amount of nano-sized spherical crystals were formed on the microfibers. A higher dosage of PAA, on the other hand, resulted in less nucleation on the microfiber, suggesting a preferential bulk nucleation mechanism. A higher concentration of PAA during the precipitation also led to the formation and stabilization of amorphous CaCO, which was supported by SEM images and XRD analysis (lack of characteristic crystal structure). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of pH on the growth pathways and final morphology of the plasmonic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesized using natural Citrus limon extract was in the spotlight. In acidic medium (pH 2.5-5), the growth of AuNPs is fast and involves an intermediate aggregation stage, whereas pH 7-9 results in much slower nucleation-growth route. The synthesis at pH 5 was shown to be the most appropriate for preparation of 8-nm gold nanospheres with narrow size distribution and amazingly bright surface plasmon resonance. The reported findings contribute to better understanding of the processes in 'green' AuNP synthesis using C. limon extract and can promote its implementation in sustainable industry. Pronounced plasmonic properties and eco-friendly precursors of the AuNPs make them an essential material for biological tagging and cell visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnSb nanoparticles are dispersed in carbon nanofibers by electrospinning technology and different SnSb precursors, including Sn0.92Sb0.08O2.04 nanoparticles, Sn(CH3COO)2/Sb(CH3COO)3, and SnCl4·5H2O/SbCl3, are used to tune the morphology of the resultant SnSb/C nanofibers. Porous SnSb/C nanofibers are formed during carbonization Sn0.92Sb0.08O2.04 nanoparticles and Sn(CH3COO)2/Sb(CH3COO)3 are used as precursors of SnSb, while solid nanofibers are observed with SnCl4·5H2O/SbCl3 as the precursor indicating the formation mechanism is closely related to the properties of SnSb precursors. Excellent cycling preference (99% capacity retention after 200 cycles) and high coulombic efficiency (above 99% after 10 cycles) are obtained for the SnSb/C nanofibers using Sn0.92Sb0.08O2.04 as precursor, due to its high surface area and stable SnSb/C structure. It is demonstrated that the uniquely designed composite nanofiber structure with excellent lithium storage performance can be realized simply by selecting precursors with appropriate dissolution and decomposition properties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]