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In this study, nanoflakes of B12S were fabricated by plasma-assisted reaction of sulfur dichloride in an ionic liquid at room temperature using europium boride as a hard template. The nanoflakes had an average width and thickness of about 3 1urn and 9.6 nm, respectively, and a large specific surface area of 1197.2 m2 g 1. They behaved like typical electric double-layer capacitors with a capacitance of 201.2 F g 1 at 0.2 mA cm 2 During capacitive deionization to recover rare-earth ions, the nanoflakes had higher adsorption selectivity for Sm3+ than for other competing ions present in real mine waste water. This is due to the strong interaction of the electron-concentered S-groups (S’’’) of the nanoflakes with S m3+. This provides an alternative to construct efficient systems to specifically remove Sm3+ from aqueous solution using B12S nanoflakes. This process demonstrates that other boron sulfide compounds can be used to recover valuable ions by capacitive deionization.

Ethanol vapor monitoring technologies have received attention for guarding against dangerous accidents. However, existing ethanol sensors often have comparable sensing selectivity for many other gases, which interferes in their sensing ability. Furthermore, current sensors need to enhance their sensitivity over ethanol vapor with low concentrations. In this work, we developed amorphous ytterbium hexaboride (YbB6) alloy nanoparticles as novel sensing materials over ethanol vapor at room temperature. It showed a rapid (6 s/8s response/recovery time), stable, and selective response to ethanol vapor at 25 °C. Its detection limit was 10 ppb. Meanwhile, its response ratio of ethanol/methanol reached 20.8. We attribute the good sensing characteristics of the as-prepared YbB6 nanoparticles to the high specific surface area (167.8 m2 g−1) and catalytic activity of ethanol dehydration to form ethyl ether at 25 °C in air. In addition, it has a good anti-humidity ability in the RH range of 10%–90% due to the negligible impact of humidity on its permittivity at 100 kHz.

Correction for ‘Retracted Article: Monodisperse CuB23 nanoparticles grown on graphene as highly efficient catalysts for unactivated alkyl halide Heck coupling and levulinic acid hydrogenation’ by Shi Yan Fu et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2015, 5, 1638–1649, https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CY01331J.

Amorphous Eu0.9Ni0.1B6 nanoparticles are fabricated through a coreduction approach with the aid of phosphite ions under a liquid plasma field. This approach achieves not only better gas response/re...

A single phase of LiEuTiO4 was prepared by a one-pot synthesis, assisted by a solution plasma technique in an ionic liquid. We characterized the sample by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Our single-phase material exhibited better electrochemical performance than that of a sample prepared via multi-step synthesis, which we attribute to the smaller particle size and larger specific surface area of the former. The single phase LiEuTiO4 showed an initial discharge capacity of 237.3 mAhg−1 and good capacity retention of 97.0% after 100 cycles. Our samples also had a high specific capacity of 156.2 mAhg−1 at 5 Ag−1. These results demonstrate that one-pot synthesis is effective for preparing LiEuTiO4 with small particle size and high specific surface area offering a potential approach to LiEuTiO4 as a low-operating voltage anode material for lithium ion batteries.

In this study, nanoflakes of B

Amorphous LiEuTiO4 nanovesicles were fabricated using in situ formed Eu nanoparticles as sacrificial templates. Samples fabricated with these nanovesicles exhibited a good rate performance together with a large reversible discharge capacity of 285.1 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and 185.7 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 and had an excellent cycle performance with a huge reversible discharge capacity of 282 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 0.1 A g−1. These advantageous characteristics are attributed its unique structure, which reduces the length of Li+/electron transportation and increases the interface between the electrolyte and the electrode. A solid-electrolyte boundary film was formed on the surface of the LiEuTiO4 anode during cycling. However, the rate and cyclic properties of the sample improved after adding vinylene carbonate. Those results demonstrate that LiEuTiO4 nanovesicles can function as an ideal low operating voltage anode material in high-rate lithium ion batteries intended for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles without a corresponding reduction in the battery voltage or energy density.

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSCs) have great promises in wearable electronics applications. However, the limited specific surface area and inadequate structural stability caused by the weak interfacial interactions of the electrodes result in relatively low specific capacitance and unsatisfactory cycle lifetime. Herein, solid-state FSCs with high energy density and ultralong cycle lifetime based on polyaniline (PANI)/sulfur-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (PANI/S-TiO2) are fabricated by interfacial engineering. The experimental results and ab initio calculations reveal that S doping can effectively promote the conductivity of titania nanotubes and increase the binding energy of PANI anchored on the electrode surface, leading to a much stronger binding of PANI on the surface of the electrode and excellent electrode structure stability. As a result, the FSCs using the PANI/S-TiO2 electrodes deliver a high specific capacitance of 91.9 mF cm–2, a capacitance retention of 93.78% after 12 000 charge–discharge cycl...

Correction for ‘Retracted Article: Mesoporous amorphous FeOF nanococoons for high-rate and long-life rechargeable sodium-ion batteries’ by Shi Yan Fu et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, 3, 16716–16727, https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA04288G.

An amorphous graphene-like CuB23 alloy with a sheet height of 1.033 nm and a high specific surface area of 674.88 m2 g−1 was prepared via a solution plasma technique with the assistance of polyvinylpyrrolidone. It exhibited a fast, stable and highly selective response to H2S at room temperature with a 1 ppb detection limit.

O-Doped BN nanosheets with a thickness of 1.033 nm were prepared via the direct reaction of CuB23 with NOCl at room temperature in ionic liquids. It had a large high specific surface area of 858 m2 g−1, and showed a high electrical conductivity of 34.3 S m−1 and a good specific capacity of 187 F g−1. Meanwhile, the obtained sample demonstrated excellent performance as the electrode material for capacitive deionization (CDI) to remove Cd2+ from water in a wide range of concentrations from 0.05 to 600 ppm with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2281 mg g−1. It is attributed to its unique structural characteristics and the ability of its NO– groups to coordinate Cd2+ which promotes the electrosorption. More importantly, it exhibited outstanding capability for the total, rapid, and simultaneous removal of multiple metal ions (Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Na+) by CDI within 20 min. These results suggest promising applications of our BNO nanosheets for water purification and water-softening devices based on CDI.

Novel mesoporous B–N–O–H nanofoam was prepared using CuB23 and ammonium chloride precursors under O2 in ionic liquids via a solution plasma technique. It had a large specific surface area of 1023 m2 g−1, and exhibited high electrical conductivity of 20.8 S m−1 and good specific capacity of 184 F g−1 in 600 mg L−1 methylene blue aqueous solution at a current density of 0.2 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the nanofoam exhibited a high adsorption capacity for cationic dyes, especially methylene blue, with well-controlled recycling behavior. Meanwhile, the methylene blue/acid orange 7 mixture could be easily separated for reuse by the strong electrostatic interaction. The good separation of methylene blue/Rhodamine B was attributed to the stronger coordination between methylene blue and the B–N–O–H nanofoams in comparison with that of Rhodamine B, and the advantage of the smaller methylene blue in competitive adsorption at higher flow rates. These results indicate that the present B–N–O–H nanofoam may have promising applications in the field of water purification, including enrichment or even total separation of dyes during wastewater treatment for reuse.

Mesoporous face-centered-cubic (fcc) In4Ni alloy nanorices (NRs) were successfully synthesized as superior catalysts for N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution via a facile solution plasma technique (SPT) in an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]). This incorporation introduces basic sites for dehydrogenation. Also, the synthesis of In and Ni weakens the interactions among generated adspecies such as H2 and NHx and surface metal atoms. Alongside their unique NR structure, the as-prepared fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs exhibited superior performance for N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution. The activation energy of the fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs was 38.9 ± 1.0 kJ mol(-1). The NRs were also found to be stable for catalytic N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution, providing an average TOF value of 82.0 (mol of H2 (mol of active In4Ni min)(-1)) over 30 h reaction. These fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs have demonstrated exceptional performance, which indicates that the construction of hydrogen-producing systems from N2H4, capable of matching the performance of NaBH4 and NH3BH3 hydrogen-producing systems for fuel-cell applications, is a promising possibility.

Urchin-like amorphous Ni2B alloys were successfully prepared for the first time from a mixture of Ni(NH3)6(2+) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via a solution plasma process (SPP). The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), selected-area electron diffraction patterns (SAED) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. In the performance test, the obtained Ni-B urchins showed great antibacterial activities, comparable with those of amikacin and kanamycin, especially towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Meanwhile, the magnetic properties of Ni-B urchins are enhanced in comparison with those of conventional Ni-B. During hydrous hydrazine (N2H4) decomposition, the dehydrogenation performance of Ni-B urchins is superior to those of Raney Ni and conventional Ni-B. The enhanced catalytic performance of Ni-B urchins is attributed to their high surface area of active species nickel and the enhanced intrinsic activity resulting from their unique structure.

Mesoporous face-centered-cubic (fcc) In4Ni alloy nanorices (NRs) were successfully synthesized as superior catalysts for N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution via a facile solution plasma technique (SPT) in an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]). This incorporation introduces basic sites for dehydrogenation. Also, the synthesis of In and Ni weakens the interactions among generated adspecies such as H2 and NHx and surface metal atoms. Alongside their unique NR structure, the as-prepared fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs exhibited superior performance for N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution. The activation energy of the fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs was 38.9 ± 1.0 kJ mol(-1). The NRs were also found to be stable for catalytic N2H4 dehydrogenation in aqueous solution, providing an average TOF value of 82.0 (mol of H2 (mol of active In4Ni min)(-1)) over 30 h reaction. These fcc-In4Ni alloy NRs have demonstrated exceptional performance, which indicates that the construction of hydrogen-producing systems from N2H4, capable of matching the performance of NaBH4 and NH3BH3 hydrogen-producing systems for fuel-cell applications, is a promising possibility.

Boron phosphide nanosheets were synthesized by direct chemical reaction of B2H6 and PCl3 at ambient temperature, facilitated by use of plasma in an ionic liquid. The material possessed excellent specific capacity of 179.3 F g−1, large specific surface area (221.7 m2 g−1), and an average thickness of 8.422 nm. It can serve as an electrode material for capacitive deionization to extract U(VI) ions from aqueous solution at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 130 mg L−1, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2584 mg g−1. The excellent performance of these boron phosphide nanosheets is mainly due to their special structural features and ability to strongly coordinate with uranium, which facilitates the electrosorption process. This material also demonstrated superior selective adsorption characteristics for U(VI) ions over other competing metal ions (Sr2+, Ba2+, VO3−, Cr3+, Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, Na+, and K+) present in natural seawater. Boron phosphide nanosheets offer potential as a novel and potent electrode material to extract uranium from seawater using capacitive deionization technology.

Amorphous EuB6 was successfully prepared having a high specific surface area (221.3 m2 g-1) via the reaction between EuCl3 and B2H6 in the presence of liquid plasma in an ionic liquid environment. The material exhibits an immediate, lasting, and highly selective response toward formaldehyde at room temperature with a detection limit of 50 ppb. The good sensing performance of the amorphous EuB6 material is attributed to the strong interaction between formaldehyde and the increased number of accessible electron-rich surface Eu sites.

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSCs) have great promises in wearable electronics applications. However, the limited specific surface area and inadequate structural stability caused by the weak interfacial interactions of the electrodes result in relatively low specific capacitance and unsatisfactory cycle lifetime. Herein, solid-state FSCs with high energy density and ultralong cycle lifetime based on polyaniline (PANI)/sulfur-doped TiO

6.8 nm face-centered-cubic indium nanocubes were prepared via plasma-assisted hydrogen reduction in ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and KClO4 as a {100}-facet director. The nanocubes exhibited excellent dehydrogenation activity toward aqueous hydrazine owing to their localized surface plasmon resonance.

We developed a co-reduction method to synthesize octahedral, truncated octahedral, and cubic Rh2Ni nanocrystals. The shape/size distribution, structural characteristics, and composition of the Rh2Ni nanocrystals are investigated, and their possible formation mechanism at high temperatures in margaric acid/1-aminoheptadecane solution in the presence of tetraethylgermanium and borane trimethylamine complexes is proposed. A preliminary probing of the structure-activity dependence of the surface "clean" Rh2Ni nanocrystals supported on carbon towards hydrazine (N2H4) in aqueous solution dehydrogenation revealed that the higher the percentage of {111} facets, the higher is the activity and H2 selectivity of the nanocrystals. This result was attributed to the {111} facets not only introducing more basic sites, but also weakening the interaction between the produced adspecies (including H2 and NHx) and surface metal atoms in comparison with those of {100} facets. Furthermore, the as-prepared Rh2Ni nanooctahedra exhibited 100% H2 selectivity and high activity at room temperature for H2 generation via N2H4 decomposition. The activation energy of the Rh2Ni nanooctahedra was 41.6 ± 1.2 kJ mol(-1). The Rh2Ni nanooctahedra were stable catalysts for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of N2H4, providing 27 723 total turnovers in 30 h. Our work provides a new perspective concerning the possibility of constructing hydrogen-producing systems based on N2H4 and surface "clean" Rh2Ni nanocrystal catalysts with defined shapes supported on carbon that possess a competitive performance in comparison with NaBH4 and NH3BH3 hydrogen-producing systems for fuel cell applications.

Hollow amorphous NaFePO4 nanospheres were prepared on a large scale by a simple in situ hard template process, wherein the hollow nanospheres exhibited a high storage capacity and high rate as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries.

A novel solution plasma processing approach was developed to synthesize mesoporous amorphous FeOF nanococoons on a large scale via using NaF and FeCl3·xH2O as the precursors, and CO2 released from the hydrolysis of urea as the growth director. The obtained mesoporous amorphous FeOF nanococoons deliver a reversible capacity of 238.9 mA h g−1 at a current rate of 1 A g−1 and show almost no degradation, even after 3000 cycles by adopting the optimized 1.0 M sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate (NaTFSA) in triglyme (TGM) as the electrolyte and tuning the cut-off voltage to 1.3 V. Furthermore, the nanococoons exhibit a capacity of 190.4 mA h g−1 at an ultrahigh current density of 20 A g−1 because of the coexisting pseudocapacitance-type reaction. Meanwhile, a commercial 18650-type battery was fabricated that exhibited a stable discharge capacity of 4897 mA h at 4 A for 300 cycles, which allows for consideration of this type of room-temperature battery in commercial utilization. The superior electrochemical performance of the mesoporous amorphous FeOF nanococoons is because of the collaboration of the optimized electrolyte, controlling the terminal voltage to 1.3 V, and their particular nanostructure, which significantly improve the ionic and electronic transport and intercalation kinetics of Na ions.

Li9V3(P2O7)3(PO4)2 nanotubes were prepared on large scale by a simple molten salt route without the use of a surfactant as a template and the nanotubes exhibited excellent cycling stability in addition to enhanced rate capability as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Monodisperse CuB23 nanoparticles were successfully grown on graphene by the co-reduction of graphene oxide and Cu(NH3)42+ using KBH4 and with the assistance of solution plasma. Graphene is a powerful dispersion agent and a distinct support for CuB23 nanoparticles. Unexpectedly, we found that the prepared CuB23/graphene catalyst imparts exceedingly high activity to the Heck-type coupling of unactivated alkyl halides with alkenes and the liquid phase hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone. Additionally, the as-prepared CuB23/graphene also exhibited excellent recyclability during the hydrogenation of levulinic acid. The excellent catalytic performance might be caused by the combined effect of the good dispersion of CuB23 nanoparticles and the interaction between graphene and CuB23 nanoparticles. This not only facilitates electron transfer and mass transport but also improves thermal stability during the catalytic reaction process.

Retraction of ‘Mesoporous multiwalled carbon nanotubes as supports for monodispersed iron–boron catalysts: improved hydrogen generation from hydrous hydrazine decomposition’ by Dong Ge Tong et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 358–366.

Retraction of ‘Honeycomb-like Co–B amorphous alloy catalysts assembled by a solution plasma process show enhanced catalytic hydrolysis activity for hydrogen generation’ by Dong Ge Tong et al., RSC Adv., 2012, 2, 2369–2376.

We prepared N- and H-co-doped Cu-B as sensing materials for hydrogen chloride (HCl) detection at room temperature through a liquid plasma technique for the first time. Being used as an advanced Cu-B-N-H-based capacitive sensor, it showed a linear response to HCl at concentrations as low as 200ppb, with a detection limit of 10ppb. The sensor also featured good detection selectivity towards HCl versus methane, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen, and benzene. Furthermore, the sensor showed outstanding HCl-sensing performance compared with those of previously reported sensing materials.

Heck-type coupling of inactivated alkyl halides and alkenes, catalyzed by amorphous CuB23 alloy short nanotubes, has been developed. Such couplings occur on the surfaces of nanotubes via a single-electron oxidative reaction. The results indicate that CuB23 nanotubes are efficient catalysts to replace Pd and Ni complexes for such Heck-type coupling.

Black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves with an electro-conducting trivalent Ti have been successfully synthesized via a facile solution plasma process and their electrochemical aluminum storage performance in Al(NO3)3 aqueous solution is investigated. The unique structure and highly extraordinary electro-conducting physical properties of the as-formed black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves facilitates aluminum ion diffusion and electronic transport. Meanwhile, the bulk intercalation of aluminum ions was accompanied by the phenomenon of interfacial aluminum ion storage in the black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves. As a result, they not only exhibit a sustained high aluminum storage performance 278.1 mA h g−1 (corresponding to Al0.27TiO2) at a current density of 0.05 A g−1, but also exhibit an excellent rate capability (141.3 mA h g−1 at a current density of 2.0 A g−1) with excellent cycling stability. The as-prepared black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves electrode is promising for secondary aqueous battery applications with high power and energy densities.

Rh-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 has been prepared for the first time as the 5 V cathode materials of lithium ion batteries. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma analysis and electrochemical measurements. The results indicated that the rate capability and cycling stability of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 at 25 and 55 °C was effectively improved by doping with 2 mol% Rh. At a 3000 mA g−1 (20 °C) charge/discharge rate, the LiNi0.48Rh0.02Mn1.5O4 sample still delivered an initial discharge capacity of 92.4 mAh g−1 at 25 °C. Furthermore, it maintained 83.6% of its initial capacity after 300 cycles under a 150 mA g−1 current rate (1 °C) at 55 °C. These improvements were principally attributed to Rh-substitution, which not only enhanced the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusion ability of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, but also suppressed the destruction of electrolyte during cycling. The thermal stability of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 was also enhanced by Rh-doping.

A hydrothermal approach was developed to synthesize monodisperse Li9V3(P2O7)3(PO4)2 microspheres consisting of nanoplates arranged in an open three-dimensional mesoporous structure. Conductive polyaniline (PANI) was deposited onto the Li9V3(P2O7)3(PO4)2 microspheres to increase their rate capability. The samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption, tap density, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods. The Li9V3(P2O7)3(PO4)2/PANI microspheres were found to have excellent rate capability and cycle stability, exhibiting a discharge capacity of 139 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, which remained approximately 110 mAh g−1 at 5 C and 94 mAh g−1 at 10 C for a total of 500 cycles at 2.5–4.6 V.

A facile, reliable, and robust synthetic method for the preparation of monodisperse Ni3Fe single-crystalline nanospheres with 182.3 m2 g−1 specific surface area is reported. The results of an investigation of the shape/size distribution, structural characteristics, and composition of these Ni3Fe nanospheres are presented, and a possible mechanism for the formation of the nanospheres at high temperatures in a cetylamine–palmitic acid solution in the presence of tri-iso-butyl thallium and borane trimethylamine complexes is proposed. During the decomposition of hydrazine, when supported on carbon (Ni3Fe/C), the monodisperse Ni3Fe nanospheres exerted 100% H2 selectivity, and showed exceedingly high activity at room temperature. The decomposition reaction is first-order in Ni3Fe concentration, but zero-order in N2H4 concentration; the activation energy was 48.1 ± 2.0 kJ mol−1. Furthermore, the Ni3Fe/C was a stable catalyst for N2H4 hydrolytic dehydrogenation; it provided 15 840 total turnovers in 30 h. An Ni3Fe nanosphere-based catalyst such as this that is efficient under mild reaction conditions represents a promising step toward the practical development of N2H4 as a feasible hydrogen storage medium for fuel cell applications.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube supported iron–boron catalysts (Fe–B/MWCNTs) were developed via the chemical reduction of aqueous sodium borohydride with iron chloride for hydrolysis of hydrous hydrazine (N2H4). The effects of loading, N2H4 concentration, reaction temperature and supporting materials on the as-prepared Fe–B/MWCNTs were investigated. A high H2 generation rate of 34.2 L h−1 g−1 catalyst for the 9.86 wt% Fe–B/MWCNTs is achieved with 97.0% H2 selectivity at room temperature. Furthermore, the hydrolysis reaction is zero order with respect to N2H4 concentration in the range 0.1–5 mol L−1, and the activation energy is 46.7 ± 1.3 kJ mol−1 for 9.86 wt% Fe–B/MWCNTs. The 9.86 wt% Fe–B/MWCNTs are stable catalysts for N2H4 hydrolytic dehydrogenation as they provide 114480 total turnovers in 30 h. The improved performance of Fe–B/MWCNTs is a promising step towards the application of N2H4 as a chemical hydrogen storage material.

Urchin-like amorphous Ni2B alloys were successfully prepared for the first time from a mixture of Ni(NH3)6(2+) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via a solution plasma process (SPP). The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), selected-area electron diffraction patterns (SAED) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. In the performance test, the obtained Ni-B urchins showed great antibacterial activities, comparable with those of amikacin and kanamycin, especially towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Meanwhile, the magnetic properties of Ni-B urchins are enhanced in comparison with those of conventional Ni-B. During hydrous hydrazine (N2H4) decomposition, the dehydrogenation performance of Ni-B urchins is superior to those of Raney Ni and conventional Ni-B. The enhanced catalytic performance of Ni-B urchins is attributed to their high surface area of active species nickel and the enhanced intrinsic activity resulting from their unique structure.

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO 2 ) microspheres with porous structure were prepared via the nitrogen-assisted glow discharge plasma technique at room temperature for the first time. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the plasma treatment did not affect the porous structure of the TiO 2 microspheres. With the plasma treatment, the N contents in the samples increased. During the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under simulative sunlight irradiation, the sample after plasma treatment for 60 min (N-TiO 2 -60) exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than those of the TiO 2 microspheres, P25 and other N-doped TiO 2 microspheres. Furthermore, the N-TiO 2 -60 showed excellent antibacterial activities towards Escherichia coli under visible irradiation. These should be attributed to the enhancement of the visible light region absorption for TiO 2 after N-doping. Electrochemical data demonstrated that the N-doping not only enhanced the electrochemical activity of TiO 2 , but also improved the reversibility of Li insertion/extraction reactions and the rate behavior of TiO 2 during charge–discharge cycles.

Nickel oxide (NiO) nanoflowers were successfully prepared, for the first time, from a mixture of Ni(NH3)62+ and triethanolamine via a solution plasma process. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the experimental results, a possible formation mechanism for the NiO nanoflowers was proposed. In addition, the gas responses of NiO nanoflowers were investigated towards 100 ppm of a variety of gases including H2, NO2, CO, toluene, NH3, and H2S at 150 °C. It was found that NiO nanoflowers are promising NO2 sensing materials owing to their excellent response and selectivity.

Single-crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) nanospheres with high specific surface area were successfully prepared by solution plasma process. These nanospheres showed great antibacterial activities, as good as amikacin or kanamycin, especially towards Salmonella typhimurium . They also displayed better photocatalytic activity in degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution than those of Degussa P25 and commercial ZnO. After UV irradiation for 8 min, MO was totally degraded over ZnO nanospheres, whereas only 60% and 75% of MO was degraded over commercial ZnO and P25, respectively. Furthermore, they had a good optical property with a strong UV emission at 380 nm and a weak green emission at 535 nm.

A novel solution plasma process was developed to assemble honeycomb-like Co–B amorphous alloy catalysts with 253.33 m2 g−1 specific surface area using triethanolamine (TEA) as a soft template. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. During catalytic hydrolysis of hydrous hydrazine (H2NNH2) for hydrogen generation, the hydrolysis activity and hydrogen selectivity of the honeycomb-like Co–B is superior to Rh nanoparticles and Co–B nanospheres. Meanwhile, the sample also exhibits excellent catalytic performance in the catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3) and sodium borohydride (NaBH4) for hydrogen generation, respectively. The H2 generation rate of 28.9, 105.8, and 262.8 L h−1 g−1catalyst for the hydrolysis reactions of H2NNH2, NH3BH3 and NaBH4, respectively, can be achieved. Meanwhile, the honeycomb-like Co–B is found to be a highly stable catalyst as it provides 18360, 54000, and 93727 total turnovers in the hydrolytic dehydrogenations of H2NNH2, NH3BH3 and NaBH4, respectively, after being tested for 30 h. The enhanced catalytic performance for the honeycomb-like Co–B catalyst is attributed to the high specific surface area and the enhanced intrinsic activity resulting from its unique honeycomb-like structure.

Two Cu-Mo-Fe-Oj; samples, which can store and supply pure hydrogen through repeated redox reaction (Fe 3 O 4 +4H 2 ↔Fe+4H20), were prepared by co-precipitation (FCM-C) and impregnation (FCM-I) methods, respectively, and the performance of hydrogen production from water were investigated. Compared with the impregnated sample, the co-precipitation sample presented better catalytic activity. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) techniques. XRD, FE-SEM and XPS results suggest that the FCM-C sample has smaller particle size and higher dispersion of iron oxide than that of FCM-I sample. In addition, FT-IR and H2-TPR analyses indicate that the weak interaction among metal oxides in FCM-C sample may induce facile reduction of active metal and superior property of hydrogen production by decomposing water in succession.

Retraction of ‘Novel mesoporous amorphous B–N–O–H nanofoam as an electrode for capacitive dye removal from water’ by Ming Ming Chen et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 21400–21413.

Retraction of ‘Monodisperse Ni3Fe single-crystalline nanospheres as a highly efficient catalyst for the complete conversion of hydrous hydrazine to hydrogen at room temperature’ by Dong Ge Tong et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 6425–6432.

Retraction of ‘One-pot synthesis of O-doped BN nanosheets as a capacitive deionization electrode for efficient removal of heavy metal ions from water’ by Ming Ming Chen et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 17029–17039.

Retraction of ‘Monodisperse CuB23 nanoparticles grown on graphene as highly efficient catalysts for unactivated alkyl halide Heck coupling and levulinic acid hydrogenation’ by Shi Yan Fu et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2015, 5, 1638–1649.