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To boost the performance for various applications, a rational bottom‐up design on materials is necessary. The defect engineering on nanoparticle at the atomic level can efficiently tune the electronic behavior, which offers great opportunities in enhancing the catalytic performance. In this paper, we optimized the surface oxygen vacancy concentration and created the lattice distortion in rare‐earth‐based perovskite oxide through gradient replacement of the B site with valence alternated element. The dual defects make the electron spin state transit from low spin state to high spin state, thus decreasing the charge transport resistance. Furthermore, assembly the modified nanoparticle subunits into the micro‐sized hollow multishelled structures can provide porous shells, abundant interior space and effective contact, which enables an enhanced mass transfer and a shorter charge transport path. As a result, the systemic design in the electronic and nano‐micro structures for catalyst has brought an excellent oxygen evolution performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise control of the micro‐/nanostructures of nanomaterials, such as hollow multi‐shelled structures (HoMSs), has shown its great advantages in various applications. Now, the crystal structure of building blocks of HoMSs are controlled by introducing the lattice distortion in HoMSs, for the first time. The lattice distortion located at the nanoscale interface of SnS2/SnO2 can provide additional active sites, which not only provide the catalytic activity under visible light but also improve the separation of photoexcited electron–hole pairs. Combined with the efficient light utilization, the natural advantage of HoMSs, a record catalytic activity was achieved in solid–gas system for CO2 reduction, with an excellent stability and 100 % CO selectivity without using any sensitizers or noble metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal phase plays an important role in controlling the properties of a nanomaterial; however, it is a great challenge to obtain a nanomaterial with high purity of the metastable phase. For instance, the large‐scale synthesis of the metallic phase MoS2 (1T‐MoS2) is important for enhancing electrocatalytic reaction, but it can only be obtained under harsh conditions. Herein, a spatially confined template method is proposed to synthesize high phase‐purity MoS2 with a 1T content of 83 %. Moreover, both the confined space and the structure of template will affect the purity of 1T‐MoS2; in this case, this approach was extended to other similar spatially confined templates to obtain the high‐purity material. The obtained ultrathin nanosheets exhibit good electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability in the hydrogen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the use of carbonaceous microspheres (CMS) in the preparation hollow-oxide microspheres as anode materials necessary in producing lithium-ion batteries (LIB). It acknowledges reversible capacities of anode electrodes that consist of transition-metal oxides, particularly cobalt oxide. It also explains necessity of controlling metal cation diffusion rate and absorption capability of CMS in enabling control over hollow microspheres with CMS templates.