Themed collection 2013 Journal of Materials Chemistry A Hot Papers

In this highlight article, we briefly review the recent progress in preparation of the novel nanoporous carbons derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Some of their promising applications, particularly in energy and environment-related areas, and future directions are also discussed.

Porous metal frameworks offer potentially useful applications for the aerospace, automotive and bio-medical industries.

This paper presents a review of the current status and development of polymer–inorganic hybrid solar cells based on metal oxide nanocrystals by focusing the discussion on TiO₂ and ZnO. The main challenges in the development of polymer–metal-oxide hybrid solar cells consisting of both bulk heterojunctions and nanostructured hybrid device architectures are identified, and strategies for improving the device performances are also discussed.

Recent advances in the carbon–sulfur composite cathodes for Li–S batteries and comments on the prospects of this emerging area have been highlighted.

This feature article reviews some of the recent work on the fabrication of functional hybrids based on biogenic nanofibers and inorganic nanomaterials with an emphasis on their functional properties and suggested potential applications.

This manuscript reviews the development of novel sorbents to improve the CO₂ capture performance of natural limestone at Ca-looping conditions.

Bimetallic Cu@PtCu nanocrystals were prepared by an efficient one-pot synthetic strategy and were converted into hollow-PtCu nanostructures as an enhanced catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation.

Nickel ferricyanide is demonstrated as a zero-strain cathode material for room-temperature Na-ion batteries with superior cycling stability.

Photon upconversion is used to transform green photons into blue photons for solar fuel production in a continuous flow microfluidic reactor.

A solar rechargeable redox flow battery based on Li₂WO₄/LiI couples in dual-phase electrolytes presents feasible solar rechargeable capability.

Highly robust, efficient, and benign photoelectrocatalysts based on graphene-quantum-dot sensitized TiO₂ nanotube arrays have been fabricated by electrophoretic assembly.

Amorphous hierarchical mesoporous AlPO₄ and ZnAlPO₄ materials have been successfully synthesized by a simple physical mixing method. The materials exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the production of phenol from benzene.

Detailed analysis of the structural properties of hydrogenated black TiO2 nanocrystals is presented based on X-ray diffraction measurements and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy examination.

ZnO photonic crystals are prepared via a new approach and show excellent photoactivity and photostability relative to ordinary ZnO nanoparticles.

The reaction between Nafion^® sulfonyl fluoride precursor membrane and the cyclic diamine 1,4-dimethylpiperazine followed by aqueous work up yields polymer electrolytes with zero anion-exchange capacity but high cation-exchange capacities.

The shape and surface facet controlled synthesis of FeS₂ nanocrystals shows enhanced photostability.

Scaling to finite size drastically accelerates the structural phase progressions induced upon lithiation of V₂O₅.

Flexible, transparent, strong, magnetic paper is obtained by immobilizing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in a 3D nanofibrillated cellulose network. The nanopaper possesses high magnetic properties, with tensile strength more than 120 MPa.

A thermo-mechanically trained polyurethane elastomer expanded during crystallization, driven by orientation of polymer chains, and contracted on crystallite melting due to entropy-elastic chain recoiling.

Due to its inert closed-shell structure, the graphitic onion-like carbon (GOC) could not be exfoliated into a graphene-like structure by a simple Hummers' method even under rigorous conditions.

A novel wet chemical method was developed for the in situ synthesis of PbTe–graphene nanocomposites which show improved thermoelectric performance.

Smart and strong coupling of Co₃O₄ with carbon nanotubes leads to the formation of highly efficient OER catalysts.

Polypyrrole nanofiber–carbon nanotube electrodes for supercapacitors with high mass loading and enhanced performance were obtained and tested.

A hot deformation induced in situ nanostructuring process is applied to the commercial unidirectionally grown p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ ingots, and an enhanced ZT of ∼1.3 has been achieved.

Smart surfaces with reversible double-stimulus responsive wettability are fabricated by grafting of V-shaped polymer brushes onto functional SiO₂ films.

Carbon nanofibers derived from cellulose exhibit superior cyclability when used as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

Ferriferricyanide Fe^IIIFe^III(CN)₆, a model compound of Prussian blue analogues, demonstrated a stable Na-storage capacity of 120 mA h g⁻¹, promising for Na ion battery applications.

Transformation between HUS-5 and HUS-1 was a reversible process. HUS-5 ion-exchanged with C₁₆TMA was converted to a novel porous silica HUS-6.

A graphene–NiAl-LDH composite exhibits novel morphology and superior electrochemistry properties for applications in energy storage.

High-efficiency graphene–planar Si solar cells are fabricated by modifying the Si surface as well as tuning the interface band alignment.

Transparent monolith (MtU5Eu-II) and thin film (FtU5Eu-II) with increased UV-photostability and exhibiting the highest emission quantum yields reported so far for Eu³⁺-containing hybrids (63 ± 6% and 48 ± 5%) were synthesized. The possibility of FtU5Eu-II to be used as LSC was evaluated and an optical conversion efficiency of ~9% was verified.

A Sn–SnS–C nanocomposite, synthesized by a simple mechanical ball-milling method, can deliver a higher reversible Na-storage capacity of >600 mA h g⁻¹ at 20 mA g⁻¹ and greatly improved cycling stability with 87% capacity retention over 150 cycles, possibly serving as a high capacity and stable anode for Na-ion battery applications.

The dispersion of the metal oxide nanoparticles depends on whether the intermediate is “wet” or “dry”.

A poly(ionic liquid) when carbonized without any template produced micro/mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbons.

The high strength hollow fibers and uniform nanofibers were prepared directly from the comb-like polysaccharide with short branches in water via a hierarchical self-assembly process, similar to the fiber formation in nature.

Novel aqueous chemistry derived nanostructured (Sn_0.8Ir_0.2)O₂:F thin films exhibit excellent electrochemical activity and durability for OER in water electrolysis.

Mimetic nanocasting was developed using quenched molecular dynamics to generate hierarchical nanostructured porous carbons (HNPCs) with both mesopores and micropores, which allow us to differentiate the effect of each of the many synthesis parameters on the resulting porous structures and provide guidelines for their optimal experimental design.

A facile standard replication approach for fabricating transparent, carbon-nanotube-inlaid elastic conductors and capacitive sensors is demonstrated.

Direct observation and control over morphological development through the use of feedback in situ stroboscopic fluorescence microscopy.

We demonstrated a facile method to synthesize nanosheet-like cobalt–nitrogen–graphene composites acting as a highly active non precious metal-based catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.

Superhydrophobic films with tunable wettability, fast response to UV light, heat and pH, as well as excellent reversibility were fabricated by a facile method.

The facile and versatile synthesis of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based functional molecules via the direct arylation of C–H bonds was reported.

Extremely high sensitivity has been achieved for SERS detection with porous substrates with assembled silver nanocubes.

First principles quantum mechanics calculations reveal that alloying metal oxides can improve key properties for efficient solar energy conversion.

A new NbO-type metal–organic framework UTSA-40a has been realized for high-pressure H₂ purification with high productivities and low regeneration costs.

MWCNTs decorated with highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles by a sulfur assisted strategy and applied as a highly efficient CE in DSCs.

Nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) prepared in tetraglyme (TG) efficiently catalyzed the conversion of ammonia borane (AB, NH₃BH₃) to borazine (B₃N₃H₆).

Mg and Mg₂Si coatings are found to be beneficial for the coulombic efficiency of silicon nanowires. Agglomeration and subsequent delamination are identified as an important capacity degradation mechanism during cycling.

A direct visual observation of iron dissolution and the protection role of nano-carbon coating in LiFePO₄ was performed and identified by various advanced surface analysis techniques.

Multi-layered mesoporous TiO₂ thin film with CdS sensitization is synthesized for photoelectrochemical solar cells.

Highly permeable, highly selective polymer membranes obtained via molecular thermal rearrangement (TR) of chemically derivatized polyimide precursors.

A microporous metal–organic framework with open metal sites, Lewis basic pyridyl sites and optimized pore sizes was targeted to exhibit highly selective C₂H₂/CH₄ and C₂H₂/CO₂ gas separation at room temperature.

We present an electrochemical process to fabricate hierarchical vanadium oxide nanoflowers, which deliver high reversible specific capacities and excellent cycling stability.