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Nanorods of triniobium hydroxide heptaoxide, Nb3 O7 (OH), were synthesized by means of a hydrothermal method. Subsequently, Pt and CuO nanoparticles were introduced on the surface of Nb3 O7 (OH) nanorods by a microwave-assisted solvothermal nucleation and growth technique. The resulting Pt- and CuO-decorated Nb3 O7 (OH) nanorods demonstrated uniform particle dispersion and were fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, the solar-powered photocatalytic hydrogen production properties of these heteronanostructures were studied. The solar-driven H2 formation rate over Pt-Nb3 O7 (OH) was determined to be 710.4 ± 1.7 μmol g(-1) h(-1) with a quantum efficiency of ϕ=5.40% at λ=380 nm. Interestingly, the as-prepared CuO-Nb3 O7 (OH) heteronanostructure was found to be inactive under solar irradiation during an induction phase, whereupon it undergoes an in situ photoreduction process to form the photocatalytically active Cu-Nb3 O7 (OH). This restructuring process was monitored by an in situ measurement of the time-evolution of the optical absorption spectra. The solar-powered H2 production for the restructured compound was determined to be 290.3 ± 5.1 μmol g(-1) h(-1) ., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) is a material widely used in photodetectors and relatively new as a possible material for thermoelectric applications. Taking advantage of the new properties after nanoscale fabrication, this material shows great potential for the development of efficient low temperature thermoelectric devices. Here we study the synthesis, the crystal properties and the thermal and thermoelectric transport response of Sb2Se3 hexagonal nanotubes (HNT) in the temperature range between 120 and 370 K. HNT have a moderate electrical conductivity ∼102 S m−1 while maintaining a reasonable Seebeck coefficient ∼430 μV K−1 at 370 K. The electrical conductivity in Sb2Se3 HNT is about 5 orders of magnitude larger and its thermal conductivity one half of what is found in bulk. Moreover, the calculated figure of merit (ZT) at room temperature is the largest value reported in antimony selenide 1D structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery that non-carbon nanotubes can also be synthesized like those of carbon there has been a lot of interest generated in this area, specifically in the case of the transition metal chalcogenide nanotubes. This paper will showcase MoS nanotubes, addressing the advances in terms of the synthesis, properties, and applications that have been observed so far. An update on the current status of the field, including the use of aberration-corrected microscopic techniques in understanding the structure and bonding of these nanotubes, which have been proved to be elusive until recently, will be highlighted. Finally, the catalytic properties of these nanotubes will be addressed in the context of the other possible applications as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two challenges for effectively exploiting the remarkable properties of single-Walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are the isolation of intact individual nanotubes from the raw material and the assembly of these isolated SWNTs into useful structures. In this study, we present atomic force microscopy (AFM) evidence that we can isolate individual peptide-wrapped SWNTs, possibly connected end-to-end into long fibrillar structures, using an amphiphilic α-helical peptide, termed nano-1. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and well-resolved absorption spectral features further corroborate nano-1 `s ability to debundle SWNTs in aqueous solution. Peptide-assisted assembly of SWNT structures, specifically in the form of Y-, X-, and intraloop junctions, was observed in the AFM and TEM images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]