Themed collection Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers HOT articles for 2017

A simple and efficient method was explored for synthesizing efficient ferrite-based OER electrocatalysts by using reduction-engraved ultrafine ferrite nanoparticles on a conductive GO support.

Nitrogen-rich sandwich-like carbon nanosheets used as anodes for LIBs exhibited high discharge capacity and remarkable rate capability.

The aqueous processed ZnO/PCBM modified ETLs enable low-temperature processed, thermally stable and efficient perovskite solar cells showing negligible hysteresis.

A carbon dots@germanate composite has been synthesized by embedding carbon dots into a double-layered germanate in situ, which exhibits excitation-dependent and temperature-responsive photoluminescence.

A facile, efficient and universal γ-radiation strategy has been developed to incorporate surface-clean metal nanoparticles into metal–organic frameworks exhibiting remarkable catalytic activity and stability.

Pallada- and platinacycle complexes exhibit potential orientations in stereoselective transformations and anticancer metallodrugs.

Mg₂(NH₄)₂V₁₀O₂₈·nH₂O with a 3D extended structure tuned by counter cations has been prepared as an active electrode material for a Li ion battery.

Alkaline-earth-metal could catalyse the dehydrocoupling procedure of N–H and B–H bond due to the low Ae–H bond energy. The direct σ-bond metathesis procedure is proved to be unfavourable.

A novel high-capacity cathode material C4Q/CMK-3 for SIBs shows an initial discharge capacity of 438 mA h g⁻¹ and a capacity retention of 219.2 mA h g⁻¹ after 50 cycles.

Improved electrical conductivity together with reduced lattice thermal conductivity is achieved for n-type cation-site Ti, Pb co-doped SnSe, resulting in an optimized thermoelectric property.

The novel structure of hollow carbon nanosheets could buffer large strains and prolong the cycle life effectively.

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the structural evolution and thermal behavior of Ni–Pd hollow nanoparticles.

Ultrasmall cobalt–manganese spinel oxide nanoparticles supported on non-oxidized carbon nanotubes were prepared as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions.

The electrochemical performance of the as-synthesized mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ flower-like products as electrode materials for battery-type supercapacitors is systematically investigated in detail.

[(CH₃)₃PCH₂OH][Cd(SCN)₃] exhibits dielectric and nonlinear optical dual switching with reversible phase transition as an organic–inorganic hybrid relaxor.

Partial sulfur to selenium substitution in Cu₃NbS_4−xSe_x enables fully tunable green band gaps with marginal change in the lattice parameter.

Two new biaxial, diamond-like semiconductors, Li₂CdGeSe₄ and Li₂CdSnSe₄, were prepared via high-temperature, solid-state synthesis.

A brief description of the thermal, structural and dielectric properties of bis(ethylammonium) pentachlorobismuthate(III) ferroelectric with P_s that equals to 1.4 μC cm⁻² at 180 K is presented.

Ultrathin RE₂O₃ nanoplates are synthesized by a hot-injection method via the in situ formed REO(CH₃COO) template.

An inorganic nanomedicine based on degradable pure silica is fabricated for controlled drug delivery.

The porous Ni₃N NA/CC acts as a high-performance and durable electrocatalyst for urea oxidation needing a potential of 1.35 V to drive 10 mA cm⁻² water-splitting current in 1.0 M KOH with 0.33 M urea.

In situ luminescence measurements allow monitoring the phase transitions of biologically relevant calcium phosphates with high sensitivity, independent of synchrotron radiation.

Yolk–shell ZnFe₂O₄@RGO@TiO₂ microspheres with a tunable void size and TiO₂ shell thickness possess enhanced high-frequency microwave absorption properties.

Four multinuclear complexes with different core structures are synthesized. The core structures and photoluminescence properties of M(II)–quinolinate complexes are controlled by the different substituent groups of ligands.

Ordered mesoporous Ni-doped TiO₂ were synthesized by a multicomponent self-assembly process.

⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy reveals unexpected dynamics at the Fe sites in Fe-substituted MOF-5, especially in the presence of nitrogen.

Hollow MoS₂ microspheres were constructed using monodisperse sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) as the template, and exhibited excellent HER performance.

By introducing mesostructures, the lattice thermal conductivity at 300 K can be reduced from ∼1.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ to ∼1.2 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, and ∼0.9 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ to ∼0.6 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 923 K in an n-type PbSe–PbS system.

Fine-tuning of the ligand field of a series of four-coordinate Co(II) SIMs, yielding the first tellurium-coordinated SIM.

Ni₄Tb SMMs grafted onto superparamagnetic IO-NPs retain their magnetic properties intact on the surface of the magnetic substrate.

A Cu₃P nanoarray acts as a durable bifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction and hydrazine oxidation reaction with 100 mA cm⁻² at 0.72 V in 1.0 M KOH.

Sandwich-type silicotungstates have been applied in DSSCs where an 0.8% Ni₄ modified photoanode exhibited the best performance in enhancing light harvesting and reducing electron recombination.

A blue-emitting MOF served as a host for encapsulating yellow-emitting iridium complex to obtain white light and was used in WLEDs.

A remarkable enhancement of the LIB electrode activity of graphene-based nanocomposites can be achieved via the incorporation of clay nanosheets.

Co₉S₈@S,N-doped carbon materials derived from S,N-containing Co-MOFs exhibited superior performance as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts and supercapacitor electrode materials.

The structural stability of undoped and doped (Sb, Bi, Ca, Zn) Mg₂Si_0.4Sn_0.6 is investigated by high resolution synchrotron PXRD and related to measured physical properties, revealing a stabilizing effect of cation doping.

A new zeolitic-like microporous coordination polymer (PCP), [Zn₂(L)·2H₂O]·xguest, was firstly converted to morphology-preserved carbon rods with exclusive micropores and a large surface area for selective gas capture.