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As an ectomycorrhizal fungal genus that contains matsutake and other edible mushrooms, Tricholoma has great economic and ecological significance. However, the phylogenetic relationships within the genus remain unsettled. To clarify the infrageneric relationships of Tricholoma, including the identification of monophyletic subgenera and sections, three phylogenetic analyses were conducted employing single-locus (ITS), five-locus (ITS/RPB2/EF-1α/MCM7/mtSSU) and 50-locus (45 single-copy orthologous genes plus the aforementioned ones) DNA nucleotide sequences. Our data indicated that ITS sequences could serve the species delimitation of Tricholoma in most cases and monophyletic groups recognition in some cases, and the five-locus dataset could resolve a section-level phylogeny of this genus, while the 50-locus dataset could clarify the delimitation of subgenera and settle the relationships among sections within this genus. A fifty-locus dataset was firstly employed to construct a robust phylogeny of Tricholoma. Based on this, a new infrageneric arrangement for the genus Tricholoma, with four subgenera, of which two are in accordance with the previous subgenera Pardinicutis and Sericeicutis, and eleven sections, is suggested. Subgenus Pardinicutis, occupying the basal position, only harbors sect. Pardinicutis, while the subg. Sericeicutis comprises sects. Lasciva and Sericella located at the sub-basal position with good support. Subgenus Terrea is newly erected here and consists of sect. Terrea, sect. Atrosquamosa and two as yet unnamed phylogenetic lineages. Besides an unnamed section-level lineage, subg. Tricholoma consists of sects. Genuina, Muscaria, Rigida, Tricholoma, Fucata and Matsutake, of which the two latter are newly proposed. The previously defined subg. Contextocutis is clustered within subg. Tricholoma and is a synonym of the latter. Tricholoma colossus, T. acerbum and their allies, which used to be allocated in sect. Megatricholoma (or genus Megatricholoma), are relocated to sect. Genuina since they form a strongly supported monophyletic group and share rusty or black spots on lamellae with other species in this section. Taxonomic descriptions of the new infrageneric taxa and a key to subgenera and sections of the genus Tricholoma are presented.

Aflatoxins are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic compounds that can contaminate various types of agro-products, among which peanuts are one of the most susceptible foodstuffs. In the current study, a total of 2494 peanut samples collected from four major peanut producing areas in China (Liaoning, Henan, Sichuan, and Guangdong provinces) from 2010 to 2013 were investigated for the occurrence of aflatoxins. A close relationship can be concluded between the result and the weather a month before harvest. According to the relationship, the highest aflatoxin contamination level occurred under the climatic conditions where precipitation was rare and the mean temperature was close to 23 °C, the minimum temperature was approximately 20 °C, and the maximum temperature was about 29 °C. This survey provided valuable information on aflatoxin contamination in pre-harvest peanuts under different agro-environmental conditions in China and laid a foundation for predicting aflatoxin contamination, which would be essential for taking preventive measures to alleviate pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanuts.

Nano-sized YAG:Tb powder phosphors were prepared by a solution-combustion method, using the general inorganic salts as starting materials. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the precursor can be well-crystallized at 900 °C. As-prepared particles have sizes mostly in the range between 30 and 100 nm as obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transition electron microscope (TEM). Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns proved that the larger particles are monocrystalline. The effects of annealing temperature and Tb-doping concentration on the luminescence intensity were studied.

MgAl2O4:Mn2+ hexagonal nanoplates have been synthesized via a simple two-step method. The nanoplates have uniform hexagonal morphology with an average edge length of 1 mu m and thickness of 30 nm. X-ray diffraction and various microscopic techniques indicate that MgAl2O4:Mn2+ nanoplates are single-crystal with multilayered morphology. The formation mechanism has also been discussed. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the MgAl2O4:Mn2+ nanoplate shows a broad green emission band centered at 568 nm. which is assigned to the T-4(1)-->(6)A(1) transition of Mn2+ ion. The MgAl2O4:Mn2+ nanoplate is a promising candidate for efficient nanoscale optical material. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Powder phosphor yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), doped with trivalent cerium (Ce 3+ ) is synthesized by sol–gel method. The formation of YAG and YAG:Ce (cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were also used. The purified crystalline phases of YAG and YAG:Ce were obtained at 1000 °C. The maximum average grain size is about 20–23 nm for undoped samples and 28–34 nm for doped samples. The crystalline YAG:Ce emission shows one peak in the range 480–535 nm with the maximum near 520 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) intensity of 5d → 4f transition of Ce 3+ increased with increasing annealing temperature. With increasing the concentration of Ce 3+ , the photoluminescence peak shifts towards the red region.

The effect of ammonium fluoride (NH4F) concentration on the dimensions (length, diameter, and wall thickness) of the self-organized nanotube arrays has been investigated. Results show that varying the concentration of NH4F exerts a strong effect on changing the dimensions of the as-grown nanotube arrays. The length of the nanotube arrays increases gradually by increasing the concentration up to a maximum length at a concentration of 1.00 wt%, after which the length decreases slightly with the increase in NH4F concentration. It was also observed that the diameter and wall thickness of the nanotube arrays vary with the change in concentration of NH4F, where the diameter was found to alter between 80 and 140 nm, and the wall thickness decreases by increasing the NH4F concentration. These results indicate that it is possible to entirely control the dimensions of the nanotube arrays, by tailoring the concentration of NH4F besides the anodization time and voltage.

Nano-sized cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce) phosphors were synthesized via a simple sol–gel process using metal nitrate precursors. The prepared phosphors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. Pure cubic garnet phase was formed at temperatures ∼900 ο C. The particle sizes of as-prepared powders were mostly in the range of 17–27 nm. The crystalline YAG:Ce showed broad emission peaks in the range of 400–700 nm and maximum intensities at 500 and 520 nm. It is found also that the emission intensity decreased with increasing Ce doping concentration from 0.1 to 1.5 at%. With increasing Ce doping concentration, the PL intensity was shifted towards shorter wavelengths.

In this work, we demonstrated the EG-assisted solvothermal synthesis of 3-D microspherical BiOBr architectures assembled by nanosheets. The morphology and compositional characteristics of the 3-D architectures were investigated by various microscopy techniques. The possible formation mechanism for the architectures was discussed. The band gap of the obtained BiOBr materials was estimated to be 2.54 eV by UV–vis. The specific surface area and porosity of the BiOBr 3-D architectures also were investigated by using nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. Because of the narrow bandgap and the novel 3-D micro-/nanostructure, the BiOBr architectures show a more excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation than the BiOBr bulk plates. Several possible reasons for the higher photocatalytic activity have been taken into consideration. In addition, the photocatalyst is stable during the reaction and can be used repeatedly.

BN nanosheets-coated SrAl2O4:Eu2+ was fabricated by a simple one-pot method. The BN nanosheets formed into a compact layer coating on the surface of SrAl2O4:Eu2+ completely. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and various microscopy techniques were used to analysis the composite structure of the phosphor. BN layer obstructed H2O molecule entering into the channels of SrAl2O4, and restrain SrAl2O4 from hydrolyzing effectively. The coated phosphor shows a strong green band at about 510 nm which corresponds to the 4f7–4f65d transition in Eu2+ ion.

In this work, we report a new scheme for the generation of 3D hollow spherical architectures with single-crystal aluminum borate nanowires as building blocks, which are in situ formed in liquid droplets by a spray pyrolysis technique. The hollow structures were investigated by SEM and TEM microscopy observations in detail. Our comparative experiments show that the morphologies of the products depended less on the reaction conditions, whereas the crystal structures are related to the reaction temperature. The possible formation mechanism for the 3D hollow architectures has been discussed. As such, with a judicious choice of suitable materials, this technique should be extendable to other systems to directly grow curved, 3D-ordered assemblies built from 1D nanowires. The as-obtained aluminum borate (Al18B4O33) nanomaterials were used as the supports of nickel oxide as the photocatalyst on the degradation of dye brilliant red (X-3B) and showed an excellent ability to improve the photocatalytic activities com...

Tb-doped SiO2 nanowires have been synthesized through a vapor−liquid−solid (VLS) mechanism. The morphology and compositional characteristics of the doped nanowires have been investigated by various microscopy techniques. The prepared nanowires have amorphous characteristics with a diameter distribution range from 15 to 30 nm and a length up to several micrometers. Photoluminescence properties of pure SiO2 nanowires and Tb-doped SiO2 nanowires have been investigated, respectively. It shows that pure SiO2 nanowires have a broad green emission band with a maximum around 515 nm, which is related to the hydrogen-related species (⋮Si−H and ⋮Si−OH). While Tb3+-doped SiO2 nanowires have novel green emissions both from the doped Tb3+ ions and the host SiO2 nanowires. The relationship between the two kinds of emissions has also been investigated. These Tb-doped amorphous SiO2 nanowires exhibit great potential to act as a novel green-emitting phosphor.

In this paper we report on the synthetic investigation of single-crystalline aluminum borate (Al 4 B 2 O 9 ) nanowires in large scale by a direct calcination of a precursor powder made of Na 2 B 4 O 7 ·10H 2 O and Al (NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O at a low temperature of 850 °C. The nanowires, with the diameter of 20–40 nm and the length up to several micrometers, possess smooth surfaces and uniform sizes along the entire wire. The growth mechanism of the nanowires is attributed to a solid–liquid–solid process, which controls the nanowire morphology.

Based on a methanol-thermal reaction method, coating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with needle-like iron oxide has been achieved. The structure, composition and morphology of the coatings were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that the pre-oxidation of CNTs and the acid-based methanol-thermal environment are very important points to obtain dense and uniform coatings on CNTs. Magnetic measurement for the iron oxide coatings indicates that the coercivity has been enhanced after coating.

Nanowires made of aluminum borate formed of Al18B4O33 have been synthesized in high yield by improving the traditional chemical flux method for the growth of aluminum borate with the fibrous structure. In this study, aluminum powder was added into the aluminum oxide and boron oxide reactants as an additive in order to control the morphology of the final products. The chemical method reported here is utilized to decrease the diameters of traditional aluminum borate fiber into nanoscale and to increase their lengths. The optimum experimental parameters and possible growth mechanism for the compound nanowires have been presented.

Multilayer nanowire webs of aluminum borate (Al18B4O33) have been synthesized by a solid-state reaction of boron, boron oxide, and aluminum oxide at high temperature without using any template or substrate. Alumina powder on a micron scale provides an in-situ reaction container resulting in self-oriented growth of the aluminum borate nanowires. The orientation could be maintained by a quenching treatment. The addition of boron should be responsible for the generation of the web morphology. Without any further purification, a large amount of nanowire webs with high purity was obtained. Further experiments were carried out to investigate the morphological dependence on the reactant compositions. The possible growth mechanism for the nanowebs was detailed based on extensive analysis and examination.

We report an effective and rare-earth free light conversion material synthesized via a facile fabrication route, in which organic fluorescent dyes, i.e. Rhodamine B (RhB) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) are embedded into activated boron nitride (αBN) to form a composite phosphor. The composite phosphor shows highly efficient Förster resonance energy transfer and greatly improved thermal stability and can emit at broad visible wavelengths of 500–650 nm under the 466 nm blue-light excitation. By packaging of the composite phosphors and a blue light-emitting diode (LED) chip with transparent epoxy resin, white LED with excellent thermal conductivity, current stability and optical performance can be realized, i.e. a thermal conductivity of 0.36 W/mk, a Commission Internationale de 1'Eclairage color coordinates of (0.32, 0.34) and a luminous efficiency of 21.6 lm·W−1. Our research opens the door toward to the practical long-life organic fluorescent dyes-based white LEDs.

A facile method was proposed to directly synthesize the completely coated aluminum borate (Al18B4O33) nanowire webs with BN by an epitaxial growth process. The BN-Al18B4O33 nanocable webs could be obtained by the reaction of Al18B4O33 nanowire webs, B2O3, and ammonia at 1200 degrees C. The high-temperature stable Al18B4O33 nanowire webs acted as a template for the epitaxial coating of BN. The coating was characterized by the means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectrum (IR). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) clearly shows the BN coating layers closely attached to the inner nanowires. The typical thickness of the BN shells is similar to 5 nm. The growth mechanism of the present BN-coated aluminum borate (Al18B4O33) nanostructures was also proposed.

Large-area and fast production of single-crystal Al 4 B 2 O 9 nanorods is reported via simple thermal chemical route by the reaction of B with B 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 in 1050 °C air atmosphere. There is no other metal catalyst and protective carrier gas in the process. We can also obtain Al 18 B 4 O 33 nanorods by annealing above obtained Al 4 B 2 O 9 nanorods which included a little alumina. The scanning electron microscope measurements showed that the aluminum borate nanorods obtained had uniform diameters in the range of 30 to 50 nm and the lengths up to about 1 μm. The duration time influence on the products was also investigated.

A simple method based on a hydrothermal process using alkali salts as mineralizers is proposed for the synthesis of aligned bunches of boehmite (gamma-AlOOH) nanowires without a template's assistance. Most bunches of aligned boehmite nanowires are constructed by two separated shorter bundles with widths of 700 to approximately 800 nm and lengths of about 1 microm. XRD patterns, FTIR spectra, and SEM and TEM images were used to characterize the products. The specific surface area and pore-size distribution of the obtained product as determined by gas-sorption measurements show that the boehmite bundles possess a high BET surface area and porosity properties. The importance of adding Na2B4O7 salts for the formation of bundle morphologies has been discussed.

High-aspect-ratio and single-crystal aluminum borate (Al18B4O33) nanowire bundles with an ordered orientation were synthesized by using an innovative sucrose-assisted growth process. The process involves the dehydration and polycondensation of aluminum borate−sucrose solution to form a highly viscous precursor. The sucrose plays a crucial role in the growth of the nanowire bundles by supporting as a polymeric substrate and a type of adhesive template. Electron microscopy was used to characterize the high-aspect-ratio nanowire bundles. A possible growth mechanism for the nanowire bundles is proposed.

Single-crystal and uniform aluminum borate (Al4B2O9)-coited aluminum oxide nanowires have been synthesized in high purity and in large yield via a reaction or metal aluminum with boron oxide in the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The aluminum oxide nanowires exhibit a well-crystallized one-dimensional structure with diameters ranging front 50 to 70 nm, and the Al4B2O9 have a coating thickness of about 1 5nm. CNTs play a crucial role in the formation of the important ceramic nanowires, by providing a platform to grow the composite structure. The growth mechanism was proposed by the detailed microscopy observations. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A simple and fast, controllable gas vaporization of alloy method for producing various micro- and nanostructures of ZnO in air atmosphere with a large yield was presented in this paper. The presence of Cu was proved to strongly affect the growth morphology of the synthesized ZnO through the control of the partial pressure of zinc, which could be fulfilled by changing the composition of Zn and Cu for the used reactants. Given the simplicity of the procedure, and the economic advantages, the method described here is likely to be of interest in industrial-scale applications.

Different types of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including multi-walled CNTs, single-walled CNTs bundles, isolated single- or double-walled CNTs and nano-bamboo structured CNTs, were used as the templates to synthesize SiC and BN one-dimensional nanostructures within the framework of high-temperature CNTs-template reaction. We found that the structures of SiC and BN products weakly depend on the topology of the used CNTs. BN can completely maintain the starting topology of CNTs, while the hollow CNTs collapsed to SiC nanowires with solid interiors. The involved reaction mechanisms were discussed based on TEM observations for the products synthesized from the different reaction sources.

Single-crystal aluminum borate nanowires (Al 18 B 4 O 33 ) with uniform diameter distribution were synthesized by a chemical reaction of alumina with boron monoxide in the presence of a support catalyst. Three comparative experiments were carried out and demonstrated the detailed crystal growth process of the nanowires. We found that two factors, the isolated reaction area with nanometer scale and abundant local reactants at an appropriate reaction temperature, play important roles in determining the diameter, length and yield of the nanowires. The growth mechanism was also prepared.

Gallium borate nanowires have been synthesized using a simple and readily scaleable solid-state reaction among boron, boron oxide and gallium oxide. The GaBO 3 nanowires have diameters ranging from 90 to 150 nm and lengths of several hundreds nanometer, exhibiting a poor crystallization. After a nanoscale support catalyst Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 was used as additive in the reaction, the diameters, lengths and crystallization were effectively improved. The nanowires exhibit a well-crystallized one-dimensional single-crystal structure with diameters ranging from 20 to 60 nm and lengths up to several micrometers. The growth mechanism was also presented in this letter.

Nanobamboo and nanotube structures of BN have been controllably synthesized by reaction of barium metaborate with ammonia. The gallium addition plays an important role in the formation of nanotubes. The experimental results indicate that, without the gallium additive, the reaction results in the growth of nanobamboo structure. Gallium addition, probably as a catalyst within the framework of vapor–liquid–solid growth, promotes the growth of nanotubes. High-solution transmission electron microscopy research indicates that rhombohedral stacking order is the dominant atomic arrangement for BN nanobamboos; whereas hexagonal stacking is the dominant arrangement for BN nanotubes.

Single-crystal aluminum borate nanowires (Al 18 B 4 O 33 ) with uniform diameter distribution were synthesized in a large scale by a catalytic growth method. The nanowires exhibit a well-crystallized one-dimensional structure with diameters ranging from 20 to 60 nm. Chemical composition and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the crystal structure. The growth mechanism was also proposed for the synthesis of Al 18 B 4 O 33 nanowires.

The effect of reaction temperature of carbon nanotube-confined reaction was discussed by demonstrating the synthesis of Ge nanostructures. The mixture of Ge and GeO 2 is used as Ge vapor source. The noticeably different morphology could be observed when the different reaction temperatures were used. Ge quantum dots and their arrangement based on the trace of the starting carbon nanotubes were formed when 1000°C of reaction temperature and 1 h of duration time were adopted. The diameter of the quantum dots were found to be strongly depend on the used reaction temperatures and the time duration .

An effective route of growing boron nitride nanotubes was developed. By reacting boron, silica and iron oxide catalysts supported on alumina, gas-phase reactants and liquid-phase catalyst could be generated in-situ. When ammonia was then introduced, boron nitride nanotubes could be formed by the reaction of boron oxide and ammonia inside the liquid-phase catalysts. The synthesized boron nitride nanotubes are highly-crystallized and multi-walled structures with 10–30 nm in diameter. The growth process was explained based on vapor–liquid–solid wire-like growth mechanism.

A simple method for synthesizing titanium carbide (TiC) nanowires is demonstrated. TiC nanowires with a covered layer of graphite can be synthesized by the reaction of TiO gas with methane in the presence of a catalyst containing Fe. This graphite layer can be effectively removed by heating as-synthesized samples to 600°C in air. The length of TiC nanowires is several hundreds of microns and their diameters range from 30 to 100 nm. A growth mechanism of TiC nanowires involves vapor–liquid–solid reaction.

A novel method was demonstrated to fabricate boron nitride nanotube films on silicon substrate in a location-controlled fashion. The pre-deposited SiO2 layer on the substrate controls the growth space of BN nanotubes synthesized by an ammonothermal reaction of boron and its oxide.

Single-crystalline Ge nanowires covered with amorphous carbon were synthesized by using GeO2 as the Ge source and reacting it with a mixed gas of C2H4 and NH3 at 750 °C. Electron microscopy studies show that the nanowires have a diameter distribution ranging from 15 to 50 nm and a length up to tens of micrometres. The growth mechanism of the Ge nanowires could be attributed to the well known vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) catalytic growth process promoted by nanoparticles attached at the end of the nanowires.

We report the study of an electron-phonon model of a Peierls-dimerized chain, namely a polyacetylene ring in the gauge potential of a magnetic flux. In the presence of the gauge potential the SSH Hamiltonian of a polyacetylene chain is modified. The total energy as well as the persistent current are periodic functions of the magnetic flux. The effect of the gauge potential is equivalent to that of a travelling lattice wave and leads to Frohlich's type of superconductivity from a theoretical viewpoint.

The dynamics of a neutral spinning particle in electromagnetic fields is investigated. The interference with unpolarized neutron beams is reasonably interpreted as the observation of spin precession in electromagnetic fields which has a dynamical origin. It is shown that only for a particular choice af the initial polarization of the spin the conditions for the Aharonov-Casher topological phase shift and the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect can be fulfilled. The recent experiment on the Aharonov-Casher phase shift with neutron interferometry can be considered as a test of a new anyon model, which is a result of spin precession in the local electric field.

It is shown that the Berry phase is invariant under both time-dependent unitary and gauge transformations. The initial condition of the quantum system plays a role in uniquely determining the Berry phase. The quantum states transported separately by two Hamiltonians, which are initially related with a static gauge transformation, differ by a Berry phase. The phase in this case cannot be removed by a valid unitary transformation.

In this work, we demonstrated the EG-assisted solvothermal synthesis of 3-D microspherical BiOBr architectures assembled by nanosheets. The morphology and compositional characteristics of the 3-D architectures were investigated by various microscopy techniques. The possible formation mechanism for the architectures was discussed. The band gap of the obtained BiOBr materials was estimated to be 2.54 eV by UV–vis. The specific surface area and porosity of the BiOBr 3-D architectures also were investigated by using nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. Because of the narrow bandgap and the novel 3-D micro-/nanostructure, the BiOBr architectures show a more excellent photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation than the BiOBr bulk plates. Several possible reasons for the higher photocatalytic activity have been taken into consideration. In addition, the photocatalyst is stable during the reaction and can be used repeatedly.

Tb-doped SiO2 nanowires have been synthesized through a vapor−liquid−solid (VLS) mechanism. The morphology and compositional characteristics of the doped nanowires have been investigated by various microscopy techniques. The prepared nanowires have amorphous characteristics with a diameter distribution range from 15 to 30 nm and a length up to several micrometers. Photoluminescence properties of pure SiO2 nanowires and Tb-doped SiO2 nanowires have been investigated, respectively. It shows that pure SiO2 nanowires have a broad green emission band with a maximum around 515 nm, which is related to the hydrogen-related species (⋮Si−H and ⋮Si−OH). While Tb3+-doped SiO2 nanowires have novel green emissions both from the doped Tb3+ ions and the host SiO2 nanowires. The relationship between the two kinds of emissions has also been investigated. These Tb-doped amorphous SiO2 nanowires exhibit great potential to act as a novel green-emitting phosphor.

In this work, a hydrothermal route using an ethanol-water solution to progressively synthesize a sequence of flowerlike three-dimensional gamma-AlOOH boehmite nanostructures without employing templates or matrixes for self-assembly is presented. The flowerlike boehmite nanoarchitectures exhibit three hierarchies of self-organization, i.e., single-crystalline nanorods, nanostrips, and bundles, which are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The sequence of products obtained after different processing times indicates a self-assembly mechanism. The hydrogen bonding on the surface of nanorods or nanostrips possibly plays a key role, as identified by FTIR spectra of the products after they had been heated to 1000 degrees C. The specific surface area and pore-size distribution of the obtained product as determined by gas-sorption measurements show that the boehmite nanoarchitectures exhibit high BET surface area and porosity properties.

A novel route was proposed to completely coat aluminum borate nanowires by in situ providing the precursor for BN coating. Uniformly BN-coated Al18B4O33 nanowires could be obtained by the reaction of Al4B2O9 nanowires with ammonia at high temperature. The high-temperature unstable Al4B2O9 nanowires were converted into Al18B4O33 nanowires, simultaneously evaporated boron oxide. The reaction between the in situ generated vapors and ammonia ensures that the BN layers are attached tightly on the surface of the as-formed Al18B4O33 nanowires.

Complex hierarchical nanoarchitectures of AlOOH (boehmite) have been synthesized from the prefabricated Al4B2O9 nanorods based on a hydrothermal self-assembled process without employing any templates/substrates or surfactants. XRD patterns, SEM and TEM images were used to characterize the products. The boehmite nanostructures which exhibit two hierarchies are built by small crystal strips that contain even smaller one-dimensional nanorods. The length of the small crystal strips is about 2 µm and their diameter is about 100 nm in the middle section. Our investigation shows that the Al4B2O9 nanorods could separate the process of nucleation and growth, which is favoured for the formation of the hierarchical self-assembled nanoarchitectures. The growth mechanism has been proposed by the detailed microscopy observations. The thermal stability of the Al4B2O9 nanorods under hydrothermal conditions has also been discussed.

A reply to the comment on fractional angular momentum and magnetic-flux quantization in superconductors is given. The existence of a field-free region between the applied magnetic flux and the surrounding supercomductor is a crucial condition for the rest of the fractional quantum of magnetic flux and anyons. (AIP)