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Abstract: Porous hollow iron oxide nanoparticles (PHNPs) supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were facilely synthesized by etching Fe@FexOy/CNT with dilute nitric acid aqueous solution at ambient temperature without the assistance of any surfactants and ligands. The mean diameter of hollow iron oxide nanoparticles was about 17nm, with a wall thickness of about 4nm. The formation mechanism of PHNPs is discussed based on the characterization results from TEM, XRD and H2-TPR. The combination of nanoscale Kirkendall effect and selective acid etching is proposed to be responsible for the formation of CNT supported PHNPs, through a transformation from core/void/shell structures to hollow nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-noble metals are attractive alternatives to Pt co-catalysts for hydrogen production. Herein, Co nanoparticles were designed to uniformly deposit on the surface of TiO 2 nanotube arrays (Co/TNAs) via photo-deposition and reduction method. The structure and optical property of the Co/TNAs were characterized. Compared with pure TNAs, Co/TNAs showed a highly photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production without the Pt co-catalyst under UV–vis light irradiation. The study presents a promising practical way using non-noble metal as co-catalyst for photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To design low-cost and efficient cathode electrocatalysts and push forward the commercialization of fuel cells, low platinum content catalyst supported on nitrogen and phosphorus-codoped carbon nanotubes (Pt/NP-CNTs) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were prepared. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the Pt/NP-CNTs catalyst exhibited much high ORR activity and remarkable stability in acidic media due to the strong interaction between NP-CNT support and Pt catalyst evidenced by the calculation of the density functional theory, showing a good potential application for a future low-cost proton exchange membrane fuel cell device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]