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The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) underpins many aspects of energy storage and conversion in modern industry and technology, but which still be suffering from the dilemma of sluggish reaction kinetics and poor electrochemical performance. Different from the viewpoint of nanostructuring, this work focuses on an intriguing dynamic orbital hybridization approach to renormalize the disordering spin configuration in porous noble-metal–free metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to accelerate the spin-dependent reaction kinetics in OER. Herein, we propose an extraordinary super-exchange interaction to reconfigure the domain direction of spin nets at porous MOFs through temporarily bonding with dynamic magnetic ions in electrolytes under alternating electromagnetic field stimulation, in which the spin renormalization from disordering low-spin state to high-spin state facilitates rapid water dissociation and optimal carrier migration, leading to a spin-dependent reaction pathway. Therefore, the spin-renormalized MOFs demonstrate a mass activity of 2,095.1 A g metal −1 at an overpotential of 0.33 V, which is about 5.9 time of pristine ones. Our findings provide a insight into reconfiguring spin-related catalysts with ordering domain directions to accelerate the oxygen reaction kinetics.

Mn4+-activated phosphors have become a hotspot in the development of inorganic red phosphors due to the fascinating photoluminescent properties. Herein, the synergetic manipulation of the flux effect and charge compensation was employed to improve the performance of Mn4+-activated CaAl12O19 red phosphors. The crystallinity was improved by appropriate Zn2+-doping, while nonradiative transition between Mn4+ ions is reduced by charge compensation of the formation of Mn4+–Mg2+ pairs with Mg2+ dopants. Thus, the emission of Mn4+-activated CaAl12O19 red phosphors has been remarkably enhanced. The low probability of nonradiative transition between Mn4+ ions was demonstrated by the thermal stability analysis. To depict the luminescent process, the crystal-field strength (Dq), and Racah parameters (B and C) were calculated to determine the sequence of the energy levels. Meanwhile, the warm WLEDs with high CRI and low CCT were obtained using the prepared phosphors as red-emitting composition. Our results clearly suggested that the synergetic strategy by combining the flux effect and charge compensation is an effective method to enhance the luminescence of CaAl12O19:Mn4+, and CaAl12O19:Mn4+/Zn2+/Mg2+ red-emitting phosphors, which have potential application value in warm WLEDs.

To research and develop the potential red emission phosphors for warm white-light-emitting diodes (WLED), we systematically investigated double alkaline rare-earth molybdates KGd1−xEux(MoO4)2 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 1) phosphors. The crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, and photoluminescence properties of the phosphors with different Eu3+ doping concentrations were investigated in detail. The results indicate that Eu3+ doping concentration can affect the crystal structure and morphology of KGd1−xEux(MoO4)2 phosphors. The luminescence performance reveals that KGd1−xEux(MoO4)2 phosphor could emit intense red emission under multiplexed excitations at 362, 382, 394, 465, and 535 nm, which are matched well with the commercial UV, blue and green LED chips. An abnormal quenching behavior was observed in the KGd1−xEux(MoO4)2 phosphors. And the quenching behavior at the excitation of Eu3+–O2− Charge-Transfer band and Eu3+ ions 4f–4f transitions is quite different. Finally, we fabricated a WLED lamp by coating the InGaN blue chip with a mixture of YAG: Ce3+ yellow phosphors and KEu(MoO4)2 red phosphors. The obtained WLED lamps showed warm white light with a lower CCT value (~ 5142 K) than that fabricated without the red phosphors (CCT = 5892 K). These results proved that the KGd1−xEux(MoO4)2 could be a very promising red-emitting phosphor for WLED.

Lead-free Bi4Ti3O12/NiFe2O4 nanocomposite films have been prepared via sol-gel spin-coating route. The successful phase formation of orthorhombic Bi4Ti3O12 and cubic NiFe2O4 has been confirmed using x-ray diffraction without any detectable extra phase. The scanning electron microscopy with EDS measurement reveals homogeneous and dense growth of both phases accompanied by clear interface between the two layers. The loop of magnetization versus magnetic field indicates the ferromagnetic properties at room temperature with saturation magnetization of ~257.48 emu/cm3, coercive field of ~121 Oe and remnant magnetization of ~57.03 emu/cm3. Room-temperature ferroelectric behavior is also obtained along with the good fatigue endurance properties and low leakage current density. The frequency dependence of dielectric constant displays the monotonous decreasing tendency with low dielectric loss. Moreover, evident magnetodielectric behavior is achieved in the nanocomposite films at room temperature. The coexistence of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric behavior including the appearance of magnetodielectric effect proves the room-temperature multiferroic properties in Bi4Ti3O12/NiFe2O4 nanocomposite films, which makes the films meaningful as the lead-free multiferroic systems for device applications at room temperature.

Intergrowth ceramic series Bi4Ti3O12/Bi4.5Na0.5Ti4O15 have been prepared through solid state reaction. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the coexistence of Bi4Ti3O12 and Bi4.5Na0.5Ti4O15 phases with slight lattice distortion. Scanning electron micrographs present the growth of grains and grain boundaries with different contents of Bi4.5Na0.5Ti4O15. The relaxation dielectric properties of the ceramics have been observed. The room-temperature dielectric constant at 100 Hz is initially increased and then decreased with the increase of Bi4.5Na0.5Ti4O15. The impedance spectroscopy and the electrical modulus are also measured for explaining the dielectric behavior. The Nyquist plots display different semicircle arcs at 300 and 600 K. The imaginary part of electrical modulus has two peaks in the range of the measuring temperature. They prove the common influence of grains and grain boundaries on the dielectric properties. For further fitting the experimental data by Arrhenius theory, activation energy is obtained for grains and grain boundaries. Finally, the relaxor dielectric properties are attributed to the competition mechanism from the different growth situation of grains and grain boundaries with increasing Bi4.5Na0.5Ti4O15. Therefore, this kind of ceramics ought to be promising candidates for multifunctional device applications.

Crystal structure, morphology, magnetic, and dielectric properties of (1 − x)Bi2Fe4O9–xMgFe2O4 bicomponent ceramics are investigated in detail. The material has been synthesized via sol–gel method. Analysis of X-ray diffraction data of the bicomponent ceramics shows the coexistence of orthorhombic Bi2Fe4O9 and spinel MgFe2O4 phases with no third phase. Microstructural and surface morphology displays the homogeneous grain distribution with different grain sizes of Bi2Fe4O9 and MgFe2O4. The magnetic measurement shows decreasing coercivity and increasing values of remnant and saturation magnetization with the increase in MgFe2O4. Temperature-dependent dielectric properties and electrical modulus are conducted in the temperature range of 27–527 °C with the frequency ranging from 1 to 30 kHz. Two abnormal peaks are, respectively, observed at low and high temperature ranges. The variation of electric properties is closely related to the composition of MgFe2O4. The results of dielectric and electrical modulus indicate the appearance of dielectric relaxation in (1 − x)Bi2Fe4O9–xMgFe2O4. Combined with the study of activation energy, the dielectric relaxation is mainly induced by different electric responses of various charge carriers intrinsically dominating in a thermally activated process with the incorporation of MgFe2O4. The combination of Bi2Fe4O9 and MgFe2O4 enhances the coexistence of magnetic and electric properties in the present composites. It is quite promising from application point of view.

Black-phase formamide lead iodide (α-FAPbI3), considered one of the most important materials for a solar cell application, is generally poorly stable in air, which leads to not only the inability of photovoltaic devices but also the lack of its fundamental optics research. In this paper, we synthesized a stable α-FAPbI3 film by modifying a previously reported method and investigated its temperature- and excitation intensity-dependent photoluminescences (PLs). It is found that at low temperatures, the crystal phase competition process is unusually complicated and out of order. The temperature range of the biphasic coexistence is at least 30 K, and during this process, the PL intensity of either the high-temperature phase (cubic) or low-temperature phase (tetragonal) changes chaotically. After the complete transition to the tetragonal phase, compared with the cubic monophase, PL resulting from the crystal defects is obviously enhanced. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the complex structural phase transition of halide perovskite and valuable insights into the fundamental optics of α-FAPbI3.

Light-modulated lead-free perovskites-based memristors, combining photoresponse and memory, are promising as multifunctional devices. In this work, lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 films with dense surfaces and uniform grains were prepared by the low-temperature sol-gel method on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. A memory device based on a lead-free double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 film, Pt/Cs2AgBiBr6/ITO/glass, presents obvious bipolar resistive switching behavior. The ROFF/RON ratio under 445 nm wavelength light illumination is ~100 times greater than that in darkness. A long retention capability (&gt, 2400 s) and cycle-to-cycle consistency (&gt, 500 times) were observed in this device under light illumination. The resistive switching behavior is primarily attributed to the trap-controlled space-charge-limited current mechanism caused by bromine vacancies in the Cs2AgBiBr6 medium layer. Light modulates resistive states by regulating the condition of photo-generated carriers and changing the Schottky-like barrier of the Pt/Cs2AgBiBr6 interface under bias voltage sweeping.

Exchange bias behaviors up to room temperature have been observed in NiCo2O4/NiO nanoparticle system. The field-cooled magnetic hysteresis loops exhibit shifts both in the field and magnetization axes simultaneously. The variation of exchange bias field and magnetization shift depends strongly on the measuring temperature. In addition, the dependence of exchange bias effect on measuring temperature is not monotonous, which is reflected in the different tendency during the decrease process of magnetization shift and exchange bias field. The exchange bias field is decreased firstly at the range of 10–50 K followed by an increase of 50–200 K and decreased again of 200–320 K. By analyzing various magnetic measurements, the special exchange bias effect in NiCo2O4/NiO can be owing to the spin glass state and the ferrimagnetic/antiferromagnetic coupling during different temperature ranges.

Epitaxial PbTiO3 films with a smooth and dense surface were fabricated by a promising hydrothermal synthesis on an Nb:SrTiO3(100) substrate. The resulting coated substrate was used to fabricate a Pt/PbTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 heterostructure device. The device exhibited a multilevel storage capacity with an appropriate R OFF / R ON ratio and excellent endurance and retention. An electric conduction analysis indicated that the resistive switching behavior of the device was attributed to the trap controlled space-charge-limited current conduction that was caused by the oxygen vacancies in the PbTiO3 hydrothermal films. The modulation of the Pt/PbTiO3 Schottky-like junction depletion under an applied electric field is thought to be responsible for the resistive switching behavior of the device in the carrier injection-trapped/detrapped process.

The 0.7(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 ) 1- x Ba x TiO 3 -0.3NiFe 2 O 4 samples ( x = 0.02–0.12) have been synthesized through sol-gel method. Structure, micromorphology and the room-temperature multiferroic properties have been investigated, respectively. The characterization of structure and micromorphology reveals the coexistence of two different phases. In addition, lattice deformation and morphology variation can be clearly confirmed with doping Ba ions. Dielectric properties are improved evidently from x = 0.02–0.08 and then weakened from x = 0.08–0.12 with enough low values of dielectric loss for all the samples. The ferroelectric polarization demonstrates that room-temperature ferroelectric properties are monotonously enhanced with increasing content of Ba. The change tendency of magnetic properties is firstly decreasing and then increasing with the special content value of x = 0.08. Room-temperature magnetoelectric coupling effect is verified by the measurement of magnetoelectric coupling coefficient. The variation trend of magnetoelectric coupling coefficient with doping of Ba is similar to that of magnetic properties. The room-temperature multiferroic properties of 0.7(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 ) 1- x Ba x TiO 3 -0.3NiFe 2 O 4 samples are related to the larger ionic radius of Ba. Furthermore, the special multiferroic behavior with x = 0.08 can be attributed to the morphotropic phase boundary effect with doping Ba.

Correction for ‘Enhanced photoluminescence stability and internal defect evolution of the all-inorganic lead-free CsEuCl3 perovskite nanocrystals’ by Yalei Gao et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 18860–18867, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CP01374F.

High-quality CH3NH3PbI 3−xClx (MAPIC) films were prepared using potassium chloride (KCl) as an additive on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates using a simple one-step and low-temperature solution reaction. The Au/KCl-MAPIC/ITO/glass devices exhibited obvious multilevel resistive switching behavior, moderate endurance, and good retention performance. Electrical conduction analysis indicated that the resistive switching behavior of the KCl-doped MAPIC films was primarily attributed to the trap-controlled space-charge-limited current conduction that was caused by the iodine vacancies in the films. Moreover, the modulations of the barrier in the Au/KCl-MAPIC interface under bias voltages were thought to be responsible for the resistive switching in the carrier injection trapping/detrapping process.

Additional file 1 Supporting Information.

To research and develop potential multifunctional nanoprobes for biological application, lanthanide-doped MCM-41 (Ln-MCM-41, Ln = Gd/Eu) silica nanoparticles with excellent pore structure and optical–magnetic properties were synthesized via a facile and economical sol–gel method. The microstructure and pore distribution of Ln-MCM-41 nanoparticles were obviously affected by the Ln-doping. As the Ln/Si mole ratio increased, the specific surface area and total pore volume of Ln-MCM-41 nanoparticles rapidly decreased. However, the Ln-MCM-41 nanoparticles still retained the typical well-ordered mesoporous structure, and exhibited excellent drug release behavior. Moreover, the drug release rate of Ln-MCM-41 was remarkably pH-dependent and increased gradually upon decreasing pH. Additionally, these nanoparticles also exhibit considerable photoluminescence properties, living cells photoluminescence imaging in vitro, and paramagnetism behavior at room temperature due to the Ln3+-ions doping. Our research shows the possibility of our Ln-MCM-41 nanoparticles as multifunctional nanoprobes for application in bioseparation, bioimaging, and drug delivery.

The adsorption and diffusion of F2 molecules on pristine graphene have been studied using first-principles calculations. For the diffusion of F2 from molecular state in gas phase to the dissociative adsorption state on graphene surface, a kinetic barrier is identified, which explains the inertness of graphene in molecular F2 at room temperature, and its reactivity with F2 at higher temperatures. Studies on the diffusion of F2 molecules on graphene surface determine the energy barriers along the optimal diffusion pathways, which help to understand the high stability of fluorographene., 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables

A gram-scale approach has been developed to prepare highly pure graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from Vulcan XC-72 carbon black refluxed with concentrated nitric acid using a home-built experimental system. The weight of the GQDs is high, up to 1.2 g in each run with a yield of 75 wt%, and the purity is 99.96 wt%. The results show that the GQDs exhibit multicolor photoluminescence from green to light red under different excitation wavelengths.

Reduced graphene oxide–carbon nanotube (RGO–CNT) hybrid materials were prepared by a simple catalyst-free route. The thermostability, photoluminescence (PL) and electrical properties of RGO–CNTs were investigated systematically. The results revealed that compared to RGO, RGO–CNTs showed multicolor PL, and higher thermostability and conductivity. The RGO–CNTs therefore have important potential applications in the fields of photonic and electrical devices.

Inducing magnetic moments in graphene is very important for its potential application in spintronics. Introducing sp3-defects on the graphene basal plane is deemed as the most promising approach to produce magnetic graphene. However, its universal validity has not been very well verified experimentally. By functionalization of approximately pure amino groups on graphene basal plane, a spin-generalization efficiency of ~1 μB/100 NH2 was obtained for the first time, thus providing substantial evidence for the validity of inducing magnetic moments by sp3-defects. As well, amino groups provide another potential sp3-type candidate to prepare magnetic graphene.

Inducing robust magnetic moments on the basal plane of the graphene sheet is very difficult and is one of the greatest challenges in the study of physical chemistry of graphene materials. Theoretical studies predicted that introduction of a kind of sp3-type defects formed by OH groups is an effective pathway to achieve this goal [Boukhvalov, D. W. & Katsnelson, M. I. ACS Nano 5, 2440–2446 (2011)]. Here we demonstrate that OH groups can efficiently induce robust magnetic moments on the basal plane of the graphene sheet. We show that the inducing efficiency can reach as high as 217 μB per 1000 OH groups. More interestingly, the magnetic moments are robust and can survive even at 900°C. Our findings highlight the importance of OH group as an effective sp3-type candidate for inducing robust magnetic moments on the basal plane of the graphene sheet.

The long spin diffusion length makes graphene very attractive for novel spintronic devices and thus has triggered a quest for integrating the charge and spin degrees of freedom. However, ideal graphene is intrinsic non-magnetic, due to a delocalized π bonding network. Therefore, synthesis of ferromagnetic graphene or its derivatives with high magnetization is urgent due to both fundamental and technological importance. Here we report that N-doping can be an effective route to obtain a very high magnetization of ca. 1.66 emu/g and can make graphene oxide (GO) to be ferromagnetism with a Curie-temperature of 100.2 K. Clearly, our findings can offer the easy realization of ferromagnetic GO with high magnetization, therefore, push the way for potential applications in spintronic devices.