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Abstract: The shape-controlled synthesis of silver nanostructures (NSs) via sonoelectrochemistry has been investigated in aqueous solution of AgClO4 with the assistance of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The morphology of silver NSs depends strongly on the current density (J) and the molar ratio (R) of PVP monomer to Ag+. By controlling reaction conditions, not only zero-dimensional silver nanoparticles (NPs) of spherical and oval shapes, but also 3D silver NSs composed of dendritic rod, dendritic sheet and flower-like dendrites (consisting of staggered nanosheets) were successfully prepared. We discuss the growth process as being mainly dependent on the adjustable driving force of electroreduction while being modulated by PVP that contributes mainly to the finer structure in the shape-controlled synthesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) flowerlike silver microparticles (FSMPs) with novel nanostructure have been synthesized on the surface of a Pt film by a very simple, rapid and cost-effective electrochemical approach without introducing any template, surfactant or modification of electrode surfaces. The as-prepared FSMPs exhibit flowerlike morphologies and are built with many 2D nanoflakes as building blocks. The nanoflakes intersect mutually and have smooth surfaces, outwardly wavy edges and uniform thickness. The density of nanoflakes and the diameter of the FSMPs can be easily controlled by changing the electrodeposition time. A possible mechanism for electrochemical growth of the flake-built FSMPs is suggested on the basis of experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mesoporous metal oxide nanosheets (MMONs) are demonstrated great promise for various catalytic applications such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, and metal–sulfur batteries. However, limited by the conventional high‐temperature synthetic routes, the prepared MMONs expose only a small portion of the effective catalytic sites, which greatly restricts their electrocatalytic activity. Herein, a facile and general glycine‐assisted strategy is developed to synthesize a series of MMONs with high crystallinity and remarkable porosity. Impressively, single‐phase perovskite type MMONs containing up to ten metal cations can be synthesized easily using this method without any further purification step. As a proof of concept, the Li–S cell with mesoporous LaFe0.4Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2O3 nanosheets as catalyst achieves superior ultralong cycling life over 1500 cycles at 2 C with only 0.041% capacity decay per cycle and a high areal capacity reaching 6.0 mAh cm−2 at a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5.9 µL mg−1. The improved performance is attributed to abundant active sites and synergistic contribution of multicomponent. This work paves a new avenue for the general synthesis of advanced MMONs and will inspire the practical applications in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer coatings are emerged as promising candidates for zinc anode artificial solid electrolyte interphase (ASEI) owing to their barrier effect and zincophilicity. However, the poor ionic conductivity of conventional polymer coatings limits their application. Herein, inspired by epidermis function, a porous poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) coating is fabricated to stabilize Zn anode via a novel phase inversion method. The modified Zn anode delivers a remarkable lifespan of over 4000 h at 1 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2, and 120 h at 20 mA cm−2, 20 mAh cm−2 in symmetrical cells. Moreover, porous PMMA‐Zn||NVO full cell also exhibits an excellent cycling stability over 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 as well as an ultralong lifespan exceeding 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1. The excellent cycling stability and rate performance are mainly attributed to the avoided side reactions by the coating protection, as well as the enhanced diffusion and reaction kinetics derived from the good zincophilicity and porous structure of porous PMMA. The facile and universal method for fabricating porous polymer ASEI provides a new insight for the application of conventional polymer materials in Zn anode protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With structural miniaturization down to the nanoscale, the detectable parameters of materials no longer remain constant but become tunable. For GaN nanocrystals example, the band gap increases while the dielectric constant, Young's modulus and melting temperature decrease with decreasing the solid size. Herein, we developed the models to describe the size and shape dependences of these seemingly uncorrelated parameters for GaN nanocrystals, based on our established thermodynamic model for cohesive energy of metallic nanocrystals. Consistency between our theoretical predictions and the corresponding experimental or simulated results confirms the accuracy of the developed models and indicates the essentiality of cohesive energy in describing the effects of size and shape on the physicochemical properties of different low-dimensional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of low‐cost and high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is of great significance in the sustainable hydrogen economy. Herein, Fe1.2(CoNi)1.8Sex medium‐entropy metal selenides (MESes) nanoparticles are prepared via the selenylation of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. The optimal Fe1.2(CoNi)1.8Se6 MESe exhibits an outstanding electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media, offering low overpotentials of 66 and 216 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, respectively. A full electrolysis apparatus with Fe1.2(CoNi)1.8Se6 MESe as both cathode and anode displays an excellent performance, achieving 10 mA cm−2 at a potential of 1.55 V. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the formation of MESe enhances the surface charge density and brings the d‐band center closer to Fermi level, as compared with that of the MOF precursor. Overall, the proposed strategy of medium‐entropy materials presents a low‐cost approach to fabricate energy storage and conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are promising alternatives of conventional Li‐ion batteries attributed to their remarkable energy densities and high sustainability. However, the practical applications of Li–S batteries are hindered by the shuttling effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) on cathode and the Li dendrite formation on anode, which together leads to inferior rate capability and cycling stability. Here, an advanced N‐doped carbon microreactors embedded with abundant Co3O4/ZnO heterojunctions (CZO/HNC) are designed as dual‐functional hosts for synergistic optimization of both S cathode and Li metal anode. Electrochemical characterization and theoretical calculations confirm that CZO/HNC exhibits an optimized band structure that effectively facilitates ion diffusion and promotes bidirectional LiPSs conversion. In addition, the lithiophilic nitrogen dopants and Co3O4/ZnO sites together regulate dendrite‐free Li deposition. The S@CZO/HNC cathode exhibits excellent cycling stability at 2 C with only 0.039% capacity fading per cycle over 1400 cycles, and the symmetrical Li@CZO/HNC cell enables stable Li plating/striping behavior for 400 h. Remarkably, Li‐S full cell using CZO/HNC as both cathode and anode hosts shows an impressive cycle life of over 1000 cycles. This work provides an exemplification of designing high‐performance heterojunctions for simultaneous protection of two electrodes, and will inspire the applications of practical Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1971, not only the theoretical and by definition already existing 'ideal memristor' concept was introduced, but a real memristor device was suggested on grounds of the already known real inductors. The latter is a scientifically significant hypothesis grounded in fundamental symmetries of basic physics, here electro-magnetism. 2008 claimed the discovery of the 'missing memristor.' Controversy arose: The devices were not new, and the hypothesized device needs magnetism but has no material memory, while the available devices constitute analogue memory that would work in a world without magnetism. Nevertheless, even the originator of the prediction accepted the discovery. Defenders of the 2008 claim emphasize that the devices are not merely 'memristive systems,' which is however a distinction defined in 1976, not 1971. We clarify widely confused concepts and maintain that the originally hypothesized real memristor device is missing and likely impossible. The argument is illustrated also by finding an ideal mechanical memristor element and purely mechanical memristive systems, and hypothesizing a real mechanical memristor device that requires inert mass just like the 1971 implied device requires magnetic induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the vapor-liquid-solid growth of semiconductor nanowire is a non-equilibrium process, the equilibrium phase diagram of binary alloy provides important guidance on the growth conditions, such as the temperature and the equilibrium composition of the alloy. Given the small dimensions of the alloy seeds and the nanowires, the known phase diagram of bulk binary alloy cannot be expected to accurately predict the behavior of the nanowire growth. Here, we developed a unified model to describe the size- and dimensionality-dependent equilibrium phase diagram of Au-Ge binary eutectic nanoalloys based on the size-dependent cohesive energy model. It is found that the liquidus curves reduce and shift leftward with decreasing size and dimensionality. Moreover, the effects of size and dimensionality on the eutectic composition are small and negligible when both components in binary eutectic alloys have the same dimensionality. However, when two components have different dimensionality (e.g. Au nanoparticle-Ge nanowire usually used in the semiconductor nanowires growth), the eutectic composition reduces with decreasing size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain a coating with both self-healing and redox catalytic ability to protect a metal substrate from corrosion under aggressive environment is strongly desired. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of intelligent polyaniline-polyacrylic acid/polyethyleneimine (PANI-PAA/PEI) multilayer composite coatings by spin assembly. The main influencing factors, including solution concentration ( c ) and disk rotating speed ( ω ) were studied in order to gain excellent performance. The resulting multilayer coatings with thickness in a range from 0.47 to 2.94 μm can heal severe structural damages and sustain a superior anti-corrosive performance for 120 h in 3.5% NaCl. The PANI-PAA layer enhances the anti-corrosion property and PEI layer contributes to the self-healing ability as well as their multilayer combination strengthens them. The improved self-healing ability is attributed to the rearrangement and reversible non-covalent interactions of the PANI-PAA and PEI layers that facilitates electrostatic repairing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, coating of various metals on carbon nanotubes was carried out by magnetron sputtering and molecular dynamics simulation. Transmission electron microscopy and simulation studies reveal that three modes of metal nucleation on the carbon nanotube surface: particle growth, island growth and film growth. The nucleation mode was mainly affected by three factors: the initial energy of the metal before reaching the carbon nanotube surface, the energy required for carbon nanotube to bond with metal, and the diffusion energy of metal atoms on the carbon nanotube surface. Based on the analysis of the jump trajectory, potential energy and temperature change of metal atoms in molecular dynamics simulation, the method of improving deposition ratios by alloying and increasing deposition rate was proposed and verified by simulation and experiments. These results provided us a new way to regulate the interface structure and nucleation model of carbon nanotubes and metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of low-cost and high-activity oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is a technical bottleneck in the field of electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen. Amorphous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with low-cost transition metals have attracted increasing attention in the catalytic field, yet metal atoms that are the main active sites are still ambiguous. Here, we synthesized a series of amorphous ternary Fex(NiCu)3−x-MOFs via an ultrasonic method. The optimal amorphous FeNiCu-MOF is found to be able to supply a current density of 10 mA cm−2 merely at a low overpotential of 260 mV with a small Tafel slope of 61 mV dec−1 and exhibits high durability over 24 h. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the Fe atoms are the main active sites for the OER in the FeNiCu-MOF. This work shows that amorphous ternary MOFs have great potential for application in OER electrocatalysts due to the multiple synergistic effects and amorphous MOF structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pt–GO composites with high-number-density Pt nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on GO nanosheets were prepared using ethylene glycol as reducer at 180 °C. The nanoparticles had an average size of 12 nm with corners and edges on their surfaces. The composites had electrochemically active surface area of 31.7 m 2 g −1 with a ratio ( I f / I r =0.96) of the forward anodic peak current ( I f ) to the reverse anodic peak current ( I r ) in cyclic voltammetry curves, which is much higher than those of the reported Pt nanodendrites/reduced graphene oxide composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal materials such as stainless steel (SS) and titanium alloys have been considered as ideal materials for bipolar plates (BPs) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) owing to high electrical conductivity, high thermal conductivity, good mechanical strength and processability. However, metal BPs would be corroded in the acidic working condition of PEMFC. In recent years, conducting polymer coatings (CPCs) have attracted much attention in the corrosion protection of metal BPs for the good corrosion resistance and conductivity. In this paper, we systematically review the recent advances in CPCs for metal BPs based on the two categories of non-intrinsic conducting polymer (NICP) coatings and intrinsic conducting polymer (ICP) coatings. The progress of NICP coatings for metal BPs mainly focuses on the three types of conducting fillers: noble metal materials, carbon materials and transition metal compound materials, while the progress of ICP coatings for metal BPs is discussed based on the three modification strategies: doping modification, nanomaterial modification, and bilayer coatings. Furthermore, the challenges and perspectives of CPCs coatings for metal BPs are also discussed, which would help to provide guidance for the further research of CPCs for metal BPs. In this paper, we systematically review the recent advances in conducting polymer coatings (CPCs) for metal bipolar plates (BPs) based on the two categories of non-intrinsic conducting polymer coatings (NICP) and intrinsic conducting polymer (ICP) coatings. The progress of NICP coatings for metal BPs mainly focuses on the three types of conducting fillers: noble metal materials, carbon materials and transition metal compound materials, while the progress of ICP coatings for metal BPs are discussed based on the three modification strategies: doping modification, nanomaterial modification, and bilayer coatings. [Display omitted] • The advances in conducting polymer coatings for metal bipolar plates are systematically summarized. • Three types of conducting fillers for non-intrinsic conducting polymer coatings are introduced. • Three modification strategies for intrinsic conducting polymer coatings are introduced. • The challenges and perspectives of conducting polymer coatings for metal bipolar plates are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing and synthesizing high-activity, durable, and low-cost catalysts for the electrochemically transformation of water to hydrogen are vitally important to future energy systems. Herein, a simple but effective strategy for manganese-metal-heteroatom doping is adopted to intrinsically elevate the electrocatalytic activities of SnS 2 nanosheets by a facile two steps hydrothermal-sulfurization approach. Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution (HER) performance of Mn–SnS 2 nanosheets grown on 3D nickel foam (Mn–SnS 2 /NF) is efficiently optimized since the dopants and defects endow the Mn–SnS 2 /NF vast active sites. An overpotential as low as 71 mV is required to drive a current density of 10 mA/cm2 with a low Tafel slope of 72 mV dec−1 in alkaline environment (1 M KOH). In addition, the Mn–SnS 2 /NF exhibits prominent stability in 1 M KOH electrolyte, which is an indispensable index for the potential HER electrocatalysts. The present work demonstrates that the heteroatom manganese doping strategy renders a meaningful route for synthesizing cost-efficient HER electrocatalysts in alkaline condition. [Display omitted] • The Mn–SnS 2 /NF nanosheets had rich defects induced by Mn dopants. • The optimal atomic ratio of Mn dopants was 6.9%. • The Mn dopants and defects contributed the drastically enhanced electrochemical HER activity. • Mn–SnS 2 /NF only required an overpotential as small as 71 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2. • Mn–SnS 2 /NF had exhibited remarkable stability and long-term durability of 24h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The interfacial gradient can rearrange the energy bands to facilitate electron/Zn2+ transfer. • The protective layer mitigates the side reactions to inhibit the corrosion of Zn anode. • The protective layer induces uniform Zn deposition to achieve dendrite free Zn anode by regulating the surface electric fields. The practical application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is hampered by dendrite growth and side reactions. Herein, we designed an interfacial gradient heterostructure protective layer (MXene/ZnSe), comprising a conductive MXene nanosheets and an semiconductors ZnSe nanoparticles, to reconstruct the Zn anode surface. Theoretical calculations and experiments show that the interfacial gradient can rearrange the energy bands to facilitate electron/ion transfer. The protective layer not only mitigates the corrosion of Zn anode, but also induces uniform Zn deposition. Therefore, the elaborate gradient heterostructure enables the MXene/ZnSe@Zn symmetric cell to have an excellent long lifespan over 7700 cycles at 20 mA cm−2, surpassing most of the MXene-based related materials reported in the literature. When paired with the commercial V 2 O 5 , the MXene/ZnSe@Zn//V 2 O 5 cell achieves an exceptional capacity of 230 mAh/g at 5 A/g. This work paves a new yet powerful tactic for designing a multi-functional gradient heterostructure with strong interface effect toward high-rate and calendar-life AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles calculations are performed to investigate the magnetic properties of Co3O4 nanowires. A microscopic core-shell magnetic exchange model, including intra-core, intra-plane, core-shell (core-plane), and plane-plane (shell-shell) interactions, is proposed. The sign of magnetic exchange constants (ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic coupling) for the four interactions is computed and discussed with respect to nanowire diameter. Competition between plane-plane and core-plane interactions is found in nanowire larger than 15.4 Å. The four magnetic interactions and their competition in the nanostructures give an explanation of exchange bias effect, two order temperatures, spin-glass behavior, and magnetic fingerprints found in core-shell structures experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Silver dendrites synthesized by sonoelectrochemical deposition are investigated via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to clarify the formation of specific branching angles. Two kinds of dendrites are found to form simultaneously; one has slanted angles while the other shows orthogonal branching. Investigation of the branch–stem interfacial structures reveals that the vertical branches attach at a characteristic transition layer around the main stem, while the slanted growth involves twinning induced dislocations. It is suggested that oriented attachment of nanoparticles followed by epitaxial growth leads to obliqueness, while crystallization of amorphous phase involving grain rotation and realignment results in vertical branching. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we review our work on the synthesis and characterization of one-dimensional (1D) nanorods/nanowires and assemblies of inorganic materials with the assistance of several biomolecules under conventional- or microwave-hydrothermal conditions. Two classes of biomolecules have been investigated. One is sugars and their derivatives, and the other is amino acids and their polymers, peptide, and protein. With the assistance of sugars or their derivatives, different kinds of 1D elemental tellurium (Te) and selenium (Se) nanostructures with different sizes and morphologies have been obtained. With the assistance of amino acids or their polymers, 1D semiconductor sulfides and oxide nanowires and assemblies have been successfully synthesized. By providing confined spaces or serving as functional templates for site-specific nanomaterials nucleation or binding, biomolecules appear to direct the growth and/or the assembly of the nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles have wide application prospects in electrocatalysis due to their unique structure. However, the surface of HEA nanoparticles has strong chemical activity due to numerous suspended and unsaturated bonds, which poses serious challenges to storage and transportation. To solve this problem, we used a double pulse carbothermal shock process to coat the surface of HEA nanoparticles with graphene. The formation mechanism of HEA nanoparticles and the graphene coating mechanism were discussed. The results showed that the HEA thin films were curled into nanoparticles by the change of orientation of twin structure under the thermal stress of carbothermal shock. After the complete HEA nanoparticles were formed, the carbon dissolved in the HEA nanoparticles will gradually precipitate out during a second carbothermal shock and form multiple layers of graphene on the surface, and forming a structure of graphene-coated HEA nanoparticles. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a significant advance toward the rational design and fabrication of stretchable and robust flexible electrodes with favorable hierarchical architectures constructed by homogeneously distributed α-Fe2O3 nanobelt arrays rooted in the surface layer of nanoporous carbon tube textile (NPCTT). New insight into alkali activation assisted surface etching of carbon and in-situ catalytic anisotropic growth is proposed, and is experimentally demonstrated by the synthesis of the Fe2O3 nanobelt arrays/NPCTT. The Fe2O3/NPCTT electrode shows excellent flexibility and great stretchability, especially has a high specific areal capacitance of 1846 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 and cycling stability with only 4.8% capacitance loss over 10,000 cycles at a high current density of 20 mA cm−2. A symmetric solid-state supercapacitor with the Fe2O3/NPCTT achieves an operating voltage of 1.75 V and a ultrahigh areal energy density of 176 µWh cm−2 (at power density of 748 µW cm−2), remarkable cycling stability, and outstanding reliability with no capacity degradation under repeated large-angle twisting. Such unique architecture improves both mechanical robustness and electrical conductivity, and allows a strong synergistic attribution of Fe2O3 and NPCTT. The synthetic method can be extended to other composites such as MnO nanosheet arrays/NPCTT and Co3O4 nanowire arrays/NPCTT. This work opens up a new pathway to the design of high-performance devices for wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes a facile one-step method to synthesize PbS hierarchical architectures with excellent supercapacitive performance. The as-prepared PbS sample shows a self-similar fern-like morphology. A unit has four or eight micro-trunks with the size of 10 ± 1 μm, which consist of ordered secondary nano-leaves with the thickness of 200 ± 20 nm and the spacing of about 100 nm. The fractal fern-like PbS sample owns a high specific capacitance of 498 F/g at a discharge current density of 2 A/g, while the value still retains 74% (369 F/g) at a big discharge current density of 20 A/g. The equivalent series resistance of the as-prepared sample is only 1.05 Ω. Moreover, the fractal fern-like PbS sample exhibits a surprising long-term durability which can keep 95.9% capacitance retention over 60,000 charge/discharge cycles at a charge/discharge current density of 5 A/g. The as-prepared PbS sample shows a stable energy density of 11.5 Wh/kg at the power density of 200 W/kg, and still remains 8.2 Wh/kg at 4000 W/kg. Image 1 • Fractal fern-like PbS hierarchical architectures was fabricated by one-step method for supercapcitors. • Specific capacitance of the fractal fern-like PbS still has 369 F/g at a big current density of 20 A g−1. • Capacitance retention of the fern-like PbS is high as 95.9% after 60,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 A g−1. • The micro-trunks with ordered secondary nano-leaves of the fern-like PbS play an important role in the excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and substrate temperature dependence of FeCoNiCrCu high-entropy alloys (HEAs) coatings on carbon nanotube (CNT) surfaces were investigated using experimental and molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the crystal structure of FeCoNiCrCu underwent the evolution of amorphous, stacking faults (SFs), multiple-fold twins, and columnar grains with an increase in the CNT substrate temperature. When the CNT substrate temperature was less than 800 K, the SFs and microtwin formation was induced by the mismatch stress at the interface of HEAs and CNT. Meanwhile, the refinement of SFs was caused by continuous crossing and cutting of dislocations. When the CNT substrate temperature was greater than 800 K, multiple-fold twin were induced by thermal stress at the surface of HEAs coating. During the evolution of the fivefold twin, the first microtwin was formed from the surface of the HEAs, and the remaining four microtwin growth from the center successively. These results provide a new method to design and control the interface structure between HEAs and CNTs. [Display omitted] • The microstructure of FeCoNiCrCu coating were highly dependent on the temperature of CNT substrate. • The stacking faults and microtwin formation was induced by the mismatch stress at the interface of FeCoNiCrCu and CNT. • It is proved that the refinement of stacking faults was caused by continuous crossing and cutting of dislocations. • The multiple-fold twin were induced by thermal stress at the surface of FeCoNiCrCu coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) materials have been synthesized via a combined freeze drying and carbonization process, that using egg white protein (EW-protein) as a precursor, NaCl as a template. Two competitive effects, salting out and salting in of EW-protein, were conveniently tuned by changing the NaCl concentrations, resulting in controllable hierarchical structures, surface areas and pore size distributions of HPC. The optimal product of HPC-4 displays a 3D honeycomb-like network (100–200 nm), inner cubic mesopores (20–50 nm) and high large surface area of 1745.64 m2 g−1. As an anode material of Li-ion battery, HPC-4 presents reversible capacity of 1131 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 A g−1, good rate capability, and a reversible capacity of 553 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at high current density of 10 A g−1. This work provides an environmentally friendly and low cost route to fabricate HPC with excellent electrochemical performances. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • EW-protein derived N-doped HPC by using NaCl as template. • Salting in and salting out of protein affect the pore structures of HPC. • HPC exhibits good electrochemical performance. • It's an environmentally friendly and low cost route to fabricate HPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract A high-intensity compact ultrasonic irradiation assisted technique results in novel hierarchically porous N-doped graphene microsheets (PNGTMSs) with a highly interconnected three-dimensional network nanostructure allowing well-dispersion of near-spherical Ni 2 P nanoflowers. High porosity and optimal thickness allow the whole volume of an isolated microsheet in PNGTMSs to be ion-accessible. Combined with good dispersion of Ni 2 P and rich exposed interfaces, the Ni 2 P-PNGTMSs composite shows higher specific capacitances and superior rate capability than most reported similar graphene-based composites. Asymmetric solid-state cell displays a high output voltage of 1.8 V and delivers high energy densities over those reported for similar devices as well as remarkable cycling stability. Highlights • Novel hierarchical PNGTMSs feature the advantages of both 2D and 3D graphene. • Achieved by a high-intensity compact ultrasound assisted technique. • New insights into ultrasonic activation are proposed. • Ni 2 P-PNGTMSs composite shows high capacity, superior rate capability and stability. • Asymmetric supercapacitor achieves high energy density and power densities. Abstract Severe restacking of single-atom-thick two-dimensional graphene and too long ion diffusion path in a thick three-dimensional porous graphene film are both main current problems limiting performance maximization of graphene as an energy storage material. Herein, we report an advance toward the design and fabrication of novel hierarchically porous N-doped graphene thin microsheets (PNGTMSs) with a honeycomb-like network structure allowing good dispersion of near-spherical Ni 2 P nanoflowers (NFs) by high-intensity compact ultrasound assisted technique. New insights into ultrasonic activation inducing a preferential self-assembly in a planar direction are proposed. High porosity and thin thickness of <500 nm allow the whole interior of isolated microsheets to be ion-accessible, which endows PNGTMSs with advantages of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphene as well as enhanced electrical conductivity. Combined with Ni 2 P nanosheet-built NFs and their good dispersion as well as rich exposed interfaces, Ni 2 P-PNGTMSs exhibits specific capacitance of 1100 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1. Asymmetric solid-state device delivers an energy density of 39.8 Wh kg−1 (at 450.6 W kg−1) and remarkable cycling stability with 97% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. This work provides a convenient and scalable strategy for control over graphene nanostructures and their composites for highly enhanced energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Disposal and recycling of bio-waste is of important significance for environmental protection and sustainable development. In this work, an interwove carbon fiber anchored with well dispersed FeS nanoparticles (C/FeS) was in situ fabricated via "Adsorption-Carbonization" approach, taking use of bio-waste eggshell membrane as an as an intrinsic source of carbon and sulfur. When used as an anode material, the conductive carbon fiber and interwove structure could promote electrical conductivity, and suppress the aggregation and volume expansion of FeS nanoparticles during cycling. C/FeS composite displays a reversible capacity of 503.5 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g−1 and good rate performance. Interestingly, this work offers an environmentally friendly approach to fabricate C/FeS structures, and can be extended to synthesize a variety of carbon/metal sulfide composites for energy application. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • C/FeS composite was fabricated via "Adsorption-Carbonization" approach. • Bio-waste eggshell membrane used as an intrinsic source of carbon and sulfur. • C/FeS composite delivers improved electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, we have systematically studied the effect of interfacial microstructure and annealing on electrical properties of the carbon nanotubes (CNT)/Cu composite films. The stability and low resistivity of CNT/Cu films is better than that of pure Cu films. The CNT/Cu films reached to lowest resistivity of 6 μΩ cm after annealed at 600 °C, and keeps low resistivity after annealed at 700 °C. This is mainly due to two kinds of interface structure formed between CNTs and Cu. The first kind is (111) planes of Cu parallel to (002) planes of the CNT, the other type is a covetic interface structure formed by C atoms diffusing into Cu grains. These epitaxial interfaces reduce the contact resistance and promote the formation of a local ballistic conductor between CNTs and Cu with low electron scattering, resulting in a reduced electrical resistivity. Highlights • A novel nano dual-phase structure of CNT/Cu composite was successfully prepared. • New kinds of interface structure formed between CNT and Cu. • These interfaces and structures, reduce the electron scattering on grain boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The enhancement in long-term corrosion resistance of conductive polymer coating is essential for the practical application, particularly to protect metallic bipolar plates in the aggressive environment of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In this study, graphene oxide (GO) was introduced to polypyrrole (PPY) matrix, furthermore, PPY-GO composite coatings with different GO content were in-situ electrodeposited on 304 stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates to protect them from corrosion in the aggressive working environment. The electrochemical results imply that the conductive PPY-GO composite coatings significantly decrease the polarization current density of 304SS during potentiostatic polarization in the simulated PEMFC environment. The existence of GO in PPY matrix enhances the coatings adhesion strength and makes the diffusion pathway of corrosive species longer and more circuitous, further restricts their inward penetration. The PPY-GO coating with the optimized GO content of 1 mg mL−1 in the electrodeposition electrolyte shows the best corrosion resistance among the prepared coatings. This enhanced long-term corrosion protection of the PPY-GO composite coating in comparison with the pristine PPY coating is resulting from the enhanced physical barrier and anodic protection. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Corrosion resistance enhancement of 304SS bipolar plates by in-situ electrodepositing PPY-GO composite coating. • The existence of GO improves the adhesion strength of the coating and enhances the coatings physical barrier. • PPY-GO composite coating sustains the anodic protection during long-term immersion in the simulated PEMFC environment. • Mechanism involved in durable anti-corrosive performance of PPY-GO composite coating was envisaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal oxides holds great promise for high-performance supercapacitors, but even state-of-the-art ones show practical capacitances far below their theoretical values and deliver much lower power densities than carbon-based materials. Herein, we report the rational design and preparation of novel Mn 3 O 4 /MnO 2 hierarchical nanoarchitectures/N-doped graphene (NG) composites as an advanced supercapacitors electrode material. The Mn 3 O 4 /MnO 2 particles consist of monolayer standing MnO 2 -nanosheet covered Mn 3 O 4 octahedrons; they are closely anchored, well dispersed in the NG networks by the modulation of Zeta potential, which is an effective technique for developing suchlike hybrid structures. The 3D conductive network of NG providing an open pathway for electron/ion transport together with close touching Mn 3 O 4 /MnO 2 assure both enhanced conductivity and strong component synergy, thus promotes the electrode reaction kinetics. The Mn 3 O 4 /MnO 2 -NG exhibits a high specific capacitance of 739 F g −1  at 0.5 A g −1 , excellent rate capability, and superior stability of 93.4% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. The novel Mn 3 O 4 /MnO 2 -NG composite is very promising as an advanced electrode material for high energy- and power-density electrochemical storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fundamental understanding of anticorrosive metallic glass materials is provided. • Processing approaches of metallic glass products in different forms for corrosion protection are discussed. • The protection mechanisms of metallic glasses and influence factors on their anticorrosive performance are summarized. • Challenges and outlooks of metallic glasses to meet the needs of increasing corrosion protection demand are proposed. Metallic glass (MG), a new type of multi-component alloy with unique disordered atomic stacking structure, has gradually been recognized as a promising anticorrosive material for engineering applications. The present review focuses on the current studies and developments concerning corrosion resistant MGs, and puts forward valuable suggestions for subsequent researches. The review discusses the commonly used processing approaches of MG products in different forms (glassy bulk materials or ribbons and coatings) with their respective characteristics, exemplifies the applications of anticorrosive MGs with different protection mechanisms, and summarizes the influencing factors on their anticorrosion performance such as amorphous structure, partial crystallization and composition. Although MGs have made great progress in the field of corrosion protection presently, there exist challenges in terms of using them, which mainly lies in the issues that how to ensure service stability, optimize structure and improve the relation between cost and benefit. Herein, future prospects and possible enhancement in the performance of MGs for corrosion protection are explored at the end of this paper. We expect that this review provides new ideas for the future development of MGs, and can exert viable strengths for actual corrosion protection applications in different situations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypyrrole (PPY) coating is promising for the anticorrosion of stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates (BPs) in virtue of its good conductivity and corrosion resistance. However, the poor adhesion and pore defects of pure PPY coating limit its application. In this work, a PPY/Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene composite coating was synthesized on 304SS BPs by one-step electrodeposition, which is a facile method to realize the polymerization of PPY and the doping of MXene at the same time. The PPY/MXene coating exhibits better long-term immersion stability in simulated proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) environment than pure PPY. The enhanced corrosion resistance is mainly benefited from the enhanced barrier effect, anodic protection effect and adhesion by the introduction of MXene. Meanwhile, the introduction of MXene significantly improves the conductivity of the coating and decreases the interfacial contact resistance at 1.4 MPa from 108.16 mΩ·cm2 to 55.24 mΩ·cm2. An anticorrosive and conducting PPY/MXene coating was synthesized on 304SS BPs by one-step electrodeposition. [Display omitted] • A PPY/MXene coating is synthesized on 304SS BPs by one-step electrodeposition. • The PPY/MXene coating has excellent corrosion resistance and conductivity. • Co-deposition enhances the adhesion, barrier effect, and anodic protection of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medium/high-entropy materials have attracted more and more attention in catalytic field in view of their unique properties, yet the related catalytic mechanisms remain ambiguous. Herein, we demonstrate a two-step method for the preparations of medium-entropy metal sulfides (MESs) nanoparticles through the sulfuration of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) precursors. Compared with the MOF precursor, MES has better electrocatalytic performance in oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER/ORR). Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization indicate that the sulfidation can lead metallic ions to possessing higher valence states. Furthermore, the regulation of electronic structure are further proved by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Rechargeable zinc-air batteries assembled with the Fe 1.2 (CoNi) 1.8 S 6 MES nanoparticles catalyst superior performances outperforming the commercial catalyst (Pt/C+RuO 2). The reported two-step method of fabrication strategy for preparing medium-entropy metal sulfides may further contribute to fundamental research into and industrial applications of medium-entropy materials in the rechargeable zinc-air batteries. [Display omitted] • The medium-entropy metal sulfides (MESs) were prepared via a two-step method. • Fe 1.2 (CoNi) 1.8 S 6 MES nanoparticles show high performance for both OER and ORR. • Electronic structure of MES can be opportunely regulated after sulfuration. • Rechargeable zinc-air battery assembled with MES delivers excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile Co foam@Co 3 O 4 porous nanosheet arrays (CPNA) has been synthesized via an in-situ oxidization reaction and there are tiny pores with diameter of 5 ± 2 nm that evenly distribute on the nanosheet with thickness of 3 ± 1 nm. The as-prepared Co foam@CPNA sample owns an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2585 F g -1  at 5 mV s −1 and the resistance is only 1.09 Ω. It also shows a remarkable long-term stability of 77.5% capacitance retention over 20,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 A g −1 . The results suggest that the in-situ growth of Co 3 O 4 porous nanosheet arrays on the Co foam plays an important role in its excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, polyaniline (PANI) coating was electropolymerized in the presence of phosphoric acid with subsequent deposition of Ni(OH) 2 particles. The Ni(OH) 2 reinforced PANI coating significantly enhances the corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel (304SS) in comparison with the pristine PANI coating. The galvanostatically deposited Ni(OH) 2 particles fill the pores of the pristine PANI coating and improves the coatings hydrophobicity which decreases the diffusion of aggressive media. Importantly, the R p values of Ni(OH) 2 reinforced PANI coating is much higher than that of pristine PANI coating and the Ni(OH) 2 reinforced PANI coating presents a long-term anti-corrosive ability (360 h) in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The prolonged corrosion protection of Ni(OH) 2 reinforced PANI coating is attributed to the improved physical barrier as well as the facile formation of passive oxide film that sustain the anodic protection of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive polymer coating doped with large molecular organic acid is an alternative method used to protect stainless steel (SS) bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, it is difficult to select the proper doping acid, which improves the corrosion resistance of the coating without affecting its conductivity. In this study, large spatial molecular group camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) doped polypyrrole (PPY) conductive coating was prepared by galvanostatic electropolymerization on 304SS. The electrochemical properties of the coating were evaluated in 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 solution in order to simulate the PEMFC service environment. The results indicate that the coating increased the corrosion potential and shifted E corr towards more positive value, particularly the j corr value of PPY-CSA coated 304SS was dropped from 97.3 to 0.00187 μA cm −2 . The long-term immersion tests (660 h) show that the PPY-CSA coating exhibits better corrosion resistance in comparison with the small acid (SO 4 2− ) doped PPY-SO 4 2− or PPY/PPY-SO 4 2− coatings. Moreover, the PPY-CSA coating presents low contact resistance and maintains strong corrosion resistance during the prolonged exposure time due to barrier effect and anodic protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy density, fast recharging ability, and sustained cycle life are the primary requisite of supercapacitors (SCs); these necessities can be fulfilled by engineering a smart current collector with hierarchical combination of different active materials. This study reports a multicomponent design of hierarchical zinc cobalt sulfide (ZCS) hollow nanotube arrays wrapped with interlaced ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes for high-performance electrodes. The ZCS exhibits a unique pentagonal cross-section and a rough surface that facilitates the deposition of Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes with a thickness of 7.5 nm. The ZCS/Ni(OH)2 hierarchical electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 2156 F g−1 and excellent cyclic stability with 94% retention over 3000 cycles. This is attributed to enhanced redox reactions, the direct growth of arrays on 3D porous foam acting as a 'superhighway' for electron transport, and the increased availability of electrochemical active sites provided by the ultrathin Ni(OH)2 flakes that also sustain the stability of the electrode by sacrificing themselves during long charge/discharge cycles. Symmetric SCs are assembled to achieve high energy density of 74.93 W h kg−1 and exhibit superior cyclic stability of 78% retention with 81% coulombic efficiency over 10 000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant advance toward the design and fabrication of a novel hierarchical supercapacitor electrode consisting of FeCo2S4-tubes with well-defined square cross-section and intersecting nanosheets built porous shells on a 3D porous Ni backbone via controlled sulfidation is reported. This general method allows template-free synthesis of metal sulfides tubular structures with polygonal cross-sections and also fine control over the nanostructure leading to both maximized porosity and saturation sulfidation. New insights into concentration and time dependent sulfidation reaction kinetics are proposed. The FeCo2S4 electrode achieves a specific capacitance reaching 2411 F g-1 at 5 mA cm-2 and good rate capability, which are superior over those for nanotube arrays of other ternary transition metal sulfides. This is attributed to rich redox reactions, the highly porous but robust architecture as well as high electrical conductivity. Especially such porous shells effectively avoid 'dead volume', thus improve the utilization ratio of the electrode material. Asymmetric solid-state device applying the FeCo2S4 as positive electrode and N-doped graphene hydrogel film as negative electrode has a high cell voltage of 1.6 V and thus delivers considerably higher energy density of 76.1 W h kg-1 (at 755 W kg-1) than those reported for similar devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve high-performance wearable supercapacitors (SCs), a new class of flexible electrodes with favorable architectures allowing large porosity, high conductivity, and good mechanical stability is strongly needed. Here, this study reports the rational design and fabrication of a novel flexible electrode with nanotube-built multitripod architectures of ternary metal sulfides' composites (FeCo2S4-NiCo2S4) on a silver-sputtered textile cloth. Silver sputtering is applicable to almost all kinds of textiles, and S2− concentration is optimized during sulfidation process to achieve such architectures and also a complete sulfidation assuring high conductivity. New insights into concentration-dependent sulfidation mechanism are proposed. The additive-free FeCo2S4-NiCo2S4 electrode shows a high specific capacitance of 1519 F g−1 at 5 mA cm−2 and superior rate capability (85.1% capacitance retention at 40 mA cm−2). All-solid-state SCs employing these advanced electrodes deliver high energy density of 46 W h kg−1 at 1070 W kg−1 as well as achieve remarkable cycling stability retaining 92% of initial capacitance after 3000 cycles at 10 mA cm−2, and outstanding reliability with no capacitance degradation under large twisting. These are attributed to the components' synergy assuring rich redox reactions, high conductivity as well as highly porous but robust architectures. An almost linear increase in capacitance with devices' area indicates possibility to meet various energy output requirements. This work provides a general, low-cost route to wearable power sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology is getting nearer to practical applications, the microorganisms can convert chemical energy from a wide range of organic substances into electric current directly. In this paper, the MFC with a spherical configuration as cathode compartment was constructed. The MFC with a brush-shaped anode, platinum/carbon cathode, pre-treated Nafion 117 were constructed using pig farm wastewater as substrate. The biofilm analysis was used by bacterial community structure and diversity by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A benthic strain of proteobacteria was isolated and identified, wastewater was treated with proteobacteria to decrease the chemical oxygen demand, phosphorus, nitrogen and to produce electricity, which had an excellent electrogenic qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC heterostructure is designed by intercalating Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets with CoP nanocages, in which Ti 3 C 2 prevent the aggregation of CoP and CoP also restrain the recombination of Ti 3 C 2. • The Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC provides abundant actives sites for effective adsorption-diffusion-conversion of LiPSs. • The Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC with remarkable lithiophilicity and high conductivity can accomplish uniform Li deposition to inhibit the growth of dendrites. • The Li–S full cell harvests excellent electrochemical performance even at a high sulfur loading of 5.3 mg cm−2 and a negative to positive electrode capacity ratio of 1.7:1. The practical application of lithium–sulfur (Li-S) batteries has been hampered by the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and seriously uncontrollable Li dendrite growth. Herein, we report an elaborate heterostructure (Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC), composed of Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets-encapsulated CoP nanocages with abundant lithiophilic/sulfiphilic sites for suppressing polysulfide shuttling and dendritic growth in Li-S batteries. Functioning as a separator mediator, the Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC heterostructure affords a synergistic effect of strong chemical interactions and fast conversion kinetics toward LiPSs. A half cell with the Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC interlayer exhibits a remarkable cycling stability with a capacity decay of only 0.039 % per cycle at 1C after 1150 cycles. As a Li host, the Ti 3 C 2 /CPNC heterostructure with remarkable lithiophilicity and high conductivity regulates the uniform plating/stripping of Li. The integrated Li–S full cell harvests an excellent electrochemical performance, even at a high sulfur loading of 5.3 mg cm−2 with a negative to positive (N/P) electrode capacity ratio of 1.7:1. This work demonstrates the potential application of bifunctional mediators for fabricating Li–S full batteries with outstanding electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Template-free chemical growth on Ni foam and thermal treatment results in homogeneous FeCo2O4 submicron-tube arrays which serve as binder-free electrodes with high capacitance, rate-capability and cycling-stability owing to FeCo2O4 conductivity, high porosity, and strong bonding between tubes and Ni foam, all allowing even symmetric devices to have superior energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phosphomolybdic acid doped polyaniline (PANI) anti-corrosive coating was synthesized on stainless steel (304SS) by electropolymerization. The combination of phosphoric acid de-doping and phosphomolybdic acid re-doping processes leads to the direct and quick deposition of PANI-coating on 304SS without any residual oxidant impurities. The corrosion resistance of the coating was evaluated in 1 M H 2 SO 4 solution by electrochemical techniques. The doping of phosphomolybdic acid enhances the corrosion resistance provided by the coating. The phosphomolybdic acid re-doped coating has a high R t of 1999 Ω cm 2 in comparison with the phosphoric acid doped and re-doped coatings. The increase in corrosion resistance is due to the presence of phosphomolybdic acid that promotes the formation of oxides which not only fill the pores in the PANI coating but also forms an interfacial oxide layer and hence block the corrosion of 304SS in acidic medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel 2D/2D heterostructure was developed. • The heterostructure plays a synergistic adsorption-electrocatalysis role. • The heterostructure exhibits a superior reversible capacity. • The heterostructure has remarkable cycling stability. The shuttle effect of polysulfides and sluggish reaction kinetics have become current major obstacles for the development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, a novel 2D/2D heterostructure, consisting of ultrathin Ni-Co MOFs with rich unsaturated metal sites and conductive Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets (Ti 3 C 2 T x /Ni-Co MOF), is developed as a multifunctional barrier coated on commercial separators for Li-S batteries. Based on the synergistic adsorption-electrocatalysis, the modified separators not only suppress the dissolution of polysulfides and promote their conversion effectively, but also accelerate the electron/ion transfer. Moreover, density functional theory results further confirm that the heterostructure has strong adsorption energy for polysulfides and low energy barriers for their conversion. Li-S batteries with the Ti 3 C 2 T x /Ni-Co MOF heterostructure modified separators exhibit an excellent reversible capacity of 1260 mAh g−1 at 0.2C and a remarkable cycling stability with capacity retention of 91.1 % at 0.5C after 350 cycles. When equipped with high sulfur loading of 5.8 mg cm−2 and low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 4 uL mg−1, the cell maintains a superior capacity. This work provides a new route to the design of modified separators for high performance Li-S batteries with especially remarkable cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric barrier discharge coupled with 10 wt% Co/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst was developed to degrade chlorobenzene in this study. The effects of experimental parameters including applied voltage, flow rate, initial chlorobenzene concentration, and their interactions on the chlorobenzene degradation performance were investigated by the response surface methodology integrated with a central composite design. Results indicated that applied voltage was the most significant parameter affecting the mineralization rate and the concentration of ozone generated, while energy yield was mainly determined by initial chlorobenzene concentration. As a key precursor of polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorophenols were found during the identification of the intermediates produced during chlorobenzene degradation through GC-MS. Furthermore, HRGC-HRMS was used to detect the remaining byproducts on the catalyst surface after 3 and 10 h discharge time, and three types of PCDD/Fs (2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HCDF and OCDD) were detected after 10 h of discharge. The degradation mechanism of chlorobenzene was analyzed based on these detected intermediates, and the possible formation mechanisms of the three PCDD/Fs were proposed for the first time in plasma catalytic degradation of chlorobenzene. [Display omitted] • Applied voltage was the main factors affecting MR and the amount of export O 3. • Initial CB concentration played a dominant role in energy yield. • The possible degradation pathways of CB were proposed in DBD-catalytic system. • PCDD/Fs formation mechanisms in NTP catalysis CB process was elucidated firstly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the design and fabrication of smart polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA)/polyacrylic acid (PAA) multilayer coatings with enhanced stimuli responsive self-healing and anti-corrosion ability for 430 stainless steel (SS). The multilayer coatings were prepared by layer-by-layer (LBL) technique, which allows a fine control over layer numbers ( n ) and coating thickness. The dependence of anti-corrosion and self-healing properties on layer number was investigated in 3% NaCl solution. The involved self-healing is attributed to the stimuli responsive swelling and electrostatic repairing of the polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMu) in the vicinity of the scratches. The enhanced corrosion resistance ability is mainly due to the multilayer structure and the self-healing behavior that lengthens and hinders the diffusion pathway of corrosive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, polyaniline-polyacrylic acid/polyethyleneimine (PANI-PAA/PEI) composite coatings with a multilayer structure for corrosion protection of 316 stainless steels (316SS) were prepared by an alternate deposition. Spin coating combined with heating assists removal of residual water that result in a linear increase in thickness with layer number ( n ). The combination of PANI-PAA composite with PEI and their multilayer structure provides a synergistic enhancement of corrosion resistance properties as determined by electrochemical measurements in 3.5% NaCl solution. Importantly, the PANI-PAA/PEI coating with an optimized layer number of n = 20 shows improved corrosion protection. The superior performance was attributed to the formation of an interfacial oxide layer as well as the multilayer structure that extend the diffusion pathway of corrosive ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The size dependence of phase transformation behaviors were investigated for nanoscale TiNi thin films. It was found for the first time that size reduction favored B2–R phase transformation and that R-phase starting temperature (R s) exhibited abnormal change with film thickness and grain size decreasing. The influence of grain refinement and Ni-enrichment zone was dominant for thickness between 300 and 90nm, and substrate-induced internal stress played crucial role as thickness were below 90nm, resulting in the initial decrease and final increase of R s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a promising technique to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been paid much attention recently. However, the practical implementation of NTP is limited owing to its disadvantages such as low mineralization rate, unsatisfactory energy efficiency and the generation of multiple byproducts. Reactor configuration optimization and plasma coupled catalysis are the two alternatives to improve the efficiency of NTP. A packed bed double dielectric barrier discharge (DDBD) system was established and the performance of CeO 2 -Co 3 O 4 catalysts for toluene abatement was evaluated in a sequential process. It was found that complete toluene removal could be achieved in the DDBD reactor packed with different catalysts. Among them, CeO 2 -Co 3 O 4 binary catalysts showed higher toluene degradation performance than monometallic samples and Ce1Co3 had the best mineralization rate (89.68%) and energy yield (3.04 g/kWh). The effects of Ce/Co ratio on the structural and redox characteristics of the samples were analyzed by BET, XRD, TEM, XPS and H 2 -TPR. The superior catalytic activity was attributed to the interplay between Ce and Co species, which created abundant defects and oxygen vacancies and improved the concentration of surface adsorbed oxygen and the reducibility of catalyst. The effects of the relative parameters, such as applied voltage, toluene adsorbed amount and discharge time on the toluene degradation efficiency were also explored. Finally, the toluene decomposition mechanism in the DDBD catalytic system was speculated according to the detected organic products. The findings in this work can provide vital insight in plasma catalytic degradation of VOCs by sequential process. Graphical abstract illustration: For the DDBD catalytic reactor, CeO 2 -Co 3 O4/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts and ZSM-5 zeolite were packed in the inner tube and outer tube, respectively. During adsorption and discharge stage, the toluene containing gas and pure air entered the reactor from the inner tube and exited from the outer tube. After the plasma was turned on, most of the toluene adsorbed on the supported catalysts in the inner tube was degraded and oxidized into CO x through heterogeneous catalytic reaction on the catalysts surface. Part of the toluene was desorbed during discharge and entered the outer tube, and was directly degraded in the gas phase or adsorbed by ZSM-5. Subsequentially, the secondary adsorbed toluene was gradually degraded on the surface of ZSM-5. [Display omitted] ● CeO 2 -Co 3 O 4 catalysts was prepared for toluene oxidation in a novel DDBD reactor ● The interaction between Ce and Co enhanced the redox ability and content of O ads ● Ce1Co3 had the best toluene oxidation performance due to its superior redox ability ● Plausible adsorbed toluene degradation mechanism in plasma catalysis was proposed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The fundamental understanding of MOF materials for corrosion protection is provided. • Fabrication approaches of MOF-based anticorrosion materials are discussed. • The anticorrosion applications and protection mechanisms of MOFs are summarized. • Challenges and outlooks of MOFs to meet the needs of increasing corrosion protection demand are proposed. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a subclass of hybrid-type crystalline materials that consist of metal ions (or clusters) and organic ligands, has received remarkable attention in both inorganic and organic chemistry fields in recent decades. Benefiting from their significant features such as large specific surface area, adjustable structure and function, regular pore arrangement and abundant active sites, MOFs exhibit great application prospects as anticorrosion materials. Herein, this review focuses on the latest research progress of MOF-based corrosion protection materials and reviews their anticorrosion performance, including the commonly concerned fabrication approaches of MOFs for corrosion protection with their respective advantages and shortcomings, the different anticorrosion applications, and the presented challenges that need to be conquered in practical applications. Meanwhile, we detailedly introduce the corrosion protection mechanisms of MOFs when serve as inhibitors, nano-fillers, nano-containers, and surficial protecting coatings. At the end of this review, the future outlooks of MOFs for corrosion protection is provided, we hope this review will illuminate the achievement of high performed anticorrosion MOFs and offer new ideas for the development of MOF-based materials for future corrosion protection application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cyclic deformation behavior of submicron-thick austenitic TiNi film at nanoscale was studied by nanoindentation. It was found that excellent superelasticity was achieved and stabilized after certain times of indentation deformation, and lower loading would require more deformation cycles to achieve superelasticity stabilization. Loss of superelasticity was attributed to the lower yield strength of austenite than the critical stress required for stress-induced martensitic transformation. Both introduced dislocations and grain growth during cyclic deformations contributed to the superelasticity and its steady-state achievement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]