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Cobalt-based layered metal compound (Co(OH)(OCH 3 )) nanoplatelets synthesized by a facile solvothermal method were systemically characterized and investigated as an anode material for Li-ion batteries for the first time. It can deliver a high capacity of 1150 mA h g −1 at 100 mA g −1 and stay stable even after 160 cycles. It also shows high rate performance and reversibility. Its good electrochemical performance might be attributed to the unique layered structure with large layer spacing, 2D nanoplatelet-like morphology, and the void space between the nanoplatelets. The present synthesis strategy develops a potential candidate for anode materials with good performance for lithium-ion batteries.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be well dispersed in an ethanol diluted zeolite precursor and thus encapsulated in the formed dry gel after solvent evaporation. This specially prepared dry gel allows small quantites of CNTs to effectively act as transient inhibitors in the subsequent steam-assisted crystallization of ZSM-5 nanocrystal aggregates with hierarchical porosity. Although finnally separated from zeolite, CNTs can still transiently inhibit the zeolite growth to avoid fusing into a large crystal. The inter-crystalline mesoporosity in hierarchical ZSM-5 is not created by the space occupied by CNTs, but preserved from the mesoporosity formed by nucleation and initial crystallization. Excessive quantities of CNTs are not recommended because their excessive inhibition induces the appearance of amorphous impurity in hierarchical ZSM-5.

Silanized dry gel prepared by solvent evaporation was subjected to steam treatment to synthesize hierarchically porous zeolite Beta. With well dispersed sodium cations (Na+) in ethanol solution and dry gel, zeolite Beta with high degree of crystallinity can be obtained by the steam-assisted crystallization method. Two types of organosilanes, short-chain phenylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane (PHAPTMS) and long-chain hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS), were applied to prepare the silanized dry gel and inhibit the crystallization of zeolite Beta. PHAPTMS does not generate appreciable mesopores, whereas HDTMS can successfully create abundant mesopores ranging from 3 to 10 nm, which indicates a greater spatial separation effect of the long-chain moiety than the short-chain counterpart.

Tungsten-substituted mesoporous SBA-15 materials have been synthesized by using a direct co-condensation sol–gel method. These resultant materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), 29Si MAS NMR and UV–Visible spectroscopy. Results of these analysis indicated that these materials had high surface area, uniform hexagonal channels and thick framework walls which were similar to that of SBA-15 and the tungsten species were highly dispersed in the silica-based framework structure. The tungsten-substituted mesoporous SBA-15 materials were used as catalysts for 1-butene metathesis for the first time, and they showed excellent catalytic performance. Such outstanding catalytic performance should be attributed to the proper content of tungsten species and its high dispersion.