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Low energy density hinders the development of supercapacitors in the market of large hybrid power equipment and electric vehicles that demand much higher energy density. Herein, we conduct a facile and environmentally friendly method to modify the electrodes of supercapacitors through coating a dielectric thin film by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique, which profoundly improves the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. In specific, the gravimetric capacitance of the ALD-Ti modified electrodes is characterized by 35% significant promotion comparing to the commercialized pristine counterparts, and the operational voltage window of the ALD treated electrodes can expand to 3.5 V using organic electrolyte with remarkable capacitance retention (over 83%) even after 20000 cycles. Besides, appropriate models are established to discuss the detailed charge storage mechanism and possible reasons for good stability of modified electrodes under higher operational voltage. Moreover, the excellent rate and cycling performance of ALD modified electrodes in flexible electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLCs) at the bending state substantiates the application superiority of ALD modified electrodes in flexible devices. The unusual combination of charge storage mechanisms of dielectric capacitors and EDLCs established in our work represents specific properties in great need for energy storage applications.

Chains of superparamagnetic (SPM) Ni nanoparticles of 20 and 33 nm in diameter are synthesized by a facile, template-free, wet chemical method in magnetic field. The blocking temperature for the sample of 20 nm appears at T(B) approximately 255 K, above which the sample exhibits SPM behaviors by a M(H) measurement. At T < T(B), the temperature dependent coercivity, Hc(T), is beyond the description by the simple two-well model proposed by Neel and Brown in the early day. In contrast, for the Ni nanochains of diameter larger than the coherence length, Lcoh approximately 25 nm, the magnetization reversal properties are well described by this model. The magnetization reversal behavior of the SPM Ni nanochains with the diameter much smaller than the coherence length is one of the interesting points to study. Possible transition from the localized magnetization reversal mode in the high temperature end to the coherently rotational mode at low temperature is discussed.

We present a facile and controllable method for the large-scale fabrication of highly-ordered octahedral Fe3O4 colloidal “single crystals” without the assistance of a substrate. Oleic acid is used to reduce the solubility of the nano-building blocks in colloidal solution and to induce a “crystallization” process. Our colloidal crystals are of multimicron size and show typical crystallographic characteristics. They have a very robust structure and can serve as a novel ordered magnetic mesoporous material with a relatively narrow pore size distribution. The sample possesses an extremely high Verwey transition temperature (T V) of 100 K and a high saturation magnetization (M S) of 86 emu/g at 5 K based on its good crystallinity, as well as the interparticle dipolar interaction behavior arising from its unique structure. Electrochemical measurements have demonstrated the excellent capacity of the mesoporous colloidal crystals when used in lithium-ion batteries.

Peapodlike Ni/Ni3S2 chains of about 30 nm in outer diameter, with Ni cores of 10–15 nm, can be synthesized by a sacrificial template route. The Ni3S2 shell exhibits paramagnetic properties with a mass susceptibility of χ ≈ 5 × 10−5 emu (gOe)−1, while the ferromagnetic Ni cores show a superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature of TB ≈ 130 K. The shape anisotropy of the chainlike structure is determined as 5.0 × 104 J·m−3, which is larger than the bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy by one order of magnitude. The demagnetization factor is determined as ΔN = 0.29. The sample provides an ideal structure for studying the magnetization reversal property by the chain-of-sphere model. The observations on the formation of the peapod structure verify a growth mechanism of the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Based on the preparation of peapod chains, a series of nickel sulfide hollow chains with average diameters of 25, 50, and 100 nm are fabricated. In addition, the phase transition for hollow chains from Ni3S2 to NiS is studied.

Polycrystalline magnetite hollow spheres with diameter of about 200 nm and shell thickness of 30–60 nm were prepared via a facile solution route. For the reaction, ethylene glycol (EG) served as the reducing agent and soldium acetate played the role of precipitator. In addition, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) served as a surface stabilizer. The morphologies and structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The intermediate products at different stages were also studied to shed light on the evolution of phase formation. It revealed that the hollow structure formed via self-assembly of nanocrystallites (about 15 nm) using sodium acetate as mild precipitator. Evidences further pointed out that the Ostwald ripening process well explained the growth mechanism of the hollow structure. Magnetization measurements showed that the coercivity of magnetite hollow spheres at low temperature is about 200 Oe and the saturation magnetization is about 83 emu g−1, roughly 85% that of the bulk phase, close to the value of its solid counterpart. In addition, a freezing transition was observed at 25 K.

A series of highly uniform one-dimensional Ni nanochains, with diameters ranging from 20 to 200 nm, have been synthesized by a facile, template-free, wet chemical method at diverse temperature and magnetic field. Our results indicate that the crystallite size, diameter and length of the prepared nanochains depend critically on the reaction temperature. The characteristic thermodynamic cohesive energies, ΔED and ΔEL, are obtained for the formation of the Ni nanochains. In addition, the chain length also depends on the applied field because of the Zeeman energy of the magnetic Ni nanoparticles. For the morphology control, an external field is required in order to obtain axially aligned rather than dendritic nanochains. The size-dependent magnetic properties are studied systematically. The saturation magnetization is shown to reduce inversely with the chain diameter, attributable to a core−shell structure. The thickness of the shell which encloses the ferromagnetic Ni core is determined to be about 2.3−3.4 nm.

Highly uniform coalescent moniliforme-shape α-Fe2O3 straight nanochains built up of single crystal building blocks are synthesized via a facile one-pot solution-phase route at 180 °C using FeCl3, which have interesting magnetic behaviors based on their unique structure. Surprisingly, an exceptionally high TM (Morin transition temperature) is observed.

One-dimensional (1D) chainlike arrays of hollow magnetic Fe3O4 spheres have been prepared by simply aging magnetically preassembled Fe nanoparticles in aqueous solution at room temperature. The diameter of the 1D nanomaterials is about 100−200 nm, and the length is up to 1−3 μm, observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structure and magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 hollow chains were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and via a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Mechanism investigations on the time dependent process reveal these hollow nanostructures were formed based on the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Besides the aqueous microenvironment, the partial pressure of oxygen is of great importance in the formation of 1D chainlike Fe3O4 hollow nanostructures.

Highly uniform and well-aligned one-dimensional Ni nanochains with controllable diameters, including 33, 78, and 120 nm, have been synthesized by applying an external magnetic field without any surface modifying agent. The formation can be explained by the interactions of magnetic dipoles in the presence of applied magnetic field. Magnetic measurements demonstrate that the shape anisotropy dominates the magnetic anisotropy. The demagnetization factor, ∆N, is in the range of 0.23–0.36.

Nickel nanochains assembled with submicrometer-sized hollow spheres were synthesized through a mild polyol reduction method by using PVP as the soft template. The resulting fiberlike superstructures were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. A self-assembly mechanism of PVP-assisted bubble templating is responsible for the formation of hierarchical superstructures. It was found that PVP concentration plays a key role in determining both the morphology and the further self-assembly process of nickel hollow fibers. This first synthesis of such hierarchical structures implies a simple and inexpensive way to prepare transition metal superstructures on a large scale. Magnetic measurements by SQUID were also carried out to explore their magnetic properties; the micromagnetic simulation result by OOMMF code showed good agreement with the characters of our samples.

High quality single-crystal magnesium diboride (MgB(2)) nanowires with lengths exceeding 10 μm were successfully synthesized by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition. The magnetization and electrical transport properties of single-crystal MgB(2) nanowires (NWs) were measured. The superconducting transition temperature of the NWs was 37 K, as confirmed by magnetization measurements. The disordered behavior of the nanowires was observed by four-terminal current-voltage characteristic measurements of an individual NW from T = 10 to 300 K. The temperature-dependent resistivity curves for seven NWs collapsed into a universal curve described by the variable range hopping model, showing intrinsic nonmetallic transport properties. This implies that the granular superconducting defect states are critical to the superconductivity of the individual MgB(2) NWs.

In recent years, the synergistic effects of Au-based hybrids have generated enormous scientific interest. The hybrids of Au and Co are expected to exhibit attractive properties. In this paper, we report the successful fabrication of the nanohybrids between bulk-immiscible Au and Co with chain-like structures via a mild solution method. Elemental mapping, XRD and EXAFS data reveal that the as-prepared AuCo nanohybrids might be of cluster mixed configuration. A sequential redox and imperfection-promoted aggregation/diffusion process is proposed to elucidate the formation mechanism of the nanohybrids. The as-prepared products exhibit a temperature-independent saturation magnetization with the magnetic moment of Co as high as ~2.95 μ(B) for each Co atom at 300 K, much higher than the bulk value (~1.7 μ(B) for each Co atom) and approaching the theoretical value of an atomic Co (~3.0 μ(B) for each Co atom).

Paramagnetic (PM) properties of columnar cobaltosic oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles, about 75 nm in diameter, have been investigated by magnetization measurements at T > TN = 39 K. In zero or low applied field, the effective PM moment per formula unit (FU), Mu_eff, enhances significantly from the bulk value of 4.14 Mu_B/FU. It decreases asymptotically from 5.96 Mu_B/FU at Happ = 50 Oe down to 4.21 Mu_B/FU as the applied field increases to Happ = 10 kOe. The field dependent PM properties are explained by a structural inversion, from the normal spinel (spin-only moment ~ 3.9 Mu_B/FU) to the inverse spinel structure (spin-only moment ~ 8.8 Mu_B/FU). The structural inversion is reversible with the variation of the applied field. The lattice structure becomes almost 100% normal spinel in the high field exceeding 10 kOe, as revealed by the magnitude of the effective PM moment. The reversible, field dependent structure inversion is an important property with promising application potential. It is interesting for the future investigations., 20 pages 4 Figures, J. Appl. Phys. In Press

Single-crystal MgB2 hexagonal microprisms of 30 μm have been produced in large scale by a facile hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition method. These microprisms show perfect single-crystal structure and superconducting properties. The morphological variations corresponding to different growing stages are revealed and the possible growth mechanism is suggested.

Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2 core–shell nanocolumns have been synthesized by an easy wet chemical process. Characterizations reveal that the layer structure is formed by stacking of several hexagonal nanosheets along the [001] direction. Each sheet is found to be of good crystallinity according to high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, with Ni(OH)2 in the central and Co(OH)2 in the peripheral region. The diagonal length of the hexagon is about 700–900 nm and the height of the nanocolumn is about 140–200 nm, with each nanosheet of about 20 nm in thickness. Upon calcination, the Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2 nanocolumns become a porous NiO@Co3O4 nanostructure. At low temperature, Ni(OH)2@Co(OH)2 exhibits an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN = 12 K. This is from Co(OH)2 while the AFM transition of Ni(OH)2, expected at 25 K, is not observed. A freezing temperature is also observed at TF = 7.5 K most likely arising from the randomly oriented moments in the outermost surface of Co(OH)2. After the calcination, the AFM transition of Co3O4 in the porous NiO@Co3O4 nanostructure is observed at 28 K, which is much reduced from the bulk value of TN = 40 K, probably arising from the finite size effect. The characteristic dimension with the porosity is thus determined as about 8 nm.

A series of cubic phase Co3O4 nano-leaves were prepared via a combined approach of solution reaction and calcination. According to x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, we find that the Co3O4 grain size increases with calcination temperature. This can induce many gaps in the products. M-T and M-H magnetization measurements reveal the typical antiferromagnetic behavior of nano-leaves. The effective moments of the samples prepared at 300, 400 and 500°C are 5.6, 5.8 and 5.7μB per formula unit (FU), respectively, larger than the bulk value of 4.14μB/FU.

Three powder samples of Ni nanochains formed of polycrystalline Ni nanoparticles with an estimated diameter of about 30 nm have been synthesized by a wet chemical method using different organic surfactants. These samples, having magnetically/structurally core-shell structures, all with a ferromagnetic Ni core, are Ni@Ni3C nanochains, Ni@NiSG nanochains with a spin glass (SG) surface layer, and Ni@NiNM nanochains with a nonmagnetic (NM) surface layer. The average thickness of the shell for these three samples is determined as about 2 nm. Magnetic properties tailored by the different surface magnetism are studied. In particular, suppression in saturation magnetization usually observed with magnetic nanoparticles is revealed to arise from the surface magnetic states with the present samples., 23 pages, 6 figures included