The near-infrared (NIR) and homogeneously emitting CuInS2 quantum dots (QDs) have been successfully prepared by a one-pot thermolysis route using air-stable indium stearate as a precursor/reactant. The CuInS2 QDs exhibit a tunable emission peak in the range of 693–835 nm with a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) of up to 8.7%. The QDs with uniform diameter can be assigned to a typical zinc blende structure according to XRD analysis. Time-resolved PL spectroscopy of CuInS2 QDs shows a biexponential trait in which the donor–acceptor recombination (a lifetime of 100–240 nm) occupied 74–92% of the whole PL emission. The type-I structure CuInS2/ZnS core/shell QDs were synthesized in situ for surface passivation, which leads to a dramatic enhancement of PL QY by over six-fold/time (up to 40.1%). The PL decay curve of CuInS2/ZnS QDs retained the biexponential character with a longer lifetime. The as-prepared CuInS2 based QDs with lower toxicity and desirable optical features are good candidates for biomedical fluorescence labelling.

Developing efficient nonprecious electrocatalysts to accelerate the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of importance for the hydrogen energy technology. Herein, we report the in situ growth of single-crystalline γ-Cu2S nanoplates on copper foam (CF) in a hydrothermal system, with the assistance of a small amount of cobalt(II) acetate. The presence of cobalt(II) acetate in the synthesis system has been proven to have multiple roles: (i) inhibiting the formation of copper(I) oxide (Cu2O); (ii) directing the fromation of the crystal phase of γ-Cu2S; and (iii) controlling the morphology of the as-formed γ-Cu2S. Furthermore, we show that the resulting γ-Cu2S/CF material can serve as an efficient integrated 3D electrode toward HER at neutral pH. The γ-Cu2S/CF delivers a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at a small overpotential of 190 mV, gives 100% Faradaic yield during HER, and maintains its electrocatalytic activity for >10 hours. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a copper(I) sulfide-based material is demonstrated to electrocatalyze the HER efficiently. Identifying copper(I) sulfide as the active phase for HER and constructing advantageous 3D γ-Cu2S nanostructure via an ion-induced method might open a door for the further investigation of Cu-based hydrogen-evolution electrocatalysts.

Hollow micro-/nanostructures have a wide range of applications in catalysis, rechargeable batteries, drug delivery, and gas sensors, as well as energy storage and conversion. Herein, we report a facile, template-free, precursor-mediated method to synthesize V2O5 nanomaterials with three different architectures: double-shelled hollow nanospheres, single-shelled hollow nanospheres and nanoparticles. These V2O5 nanostructures are obtained via a simple thermal treatment in air of a “pre-synthesized” vanadyl glycerolate precursor, and their morphologies can be easily tuned by varying the thermal treatment temperatures. Electrochemical studies show that the double-shelled V2O5 hollow nanospheres as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries deliver an initial capacity of 256.7 mA h g−1 with a Coulombic efficiency of nearly 100%, and their capacity is superior to the two other V2O5 nanostructures (i.e., single-shelled hollow nanospheres and nanoparticles), mainly due to their unique double-shelled hollow structure.

Organic amines are a kind of industrially important starting material for the manufacture of dyes and pharmaceuticals. But monitoring low-concentration amine vapors, especially those with a high molecular weight, is still a challenging task during industrial processes because the low permeability and diffusivity of amines largely limit their interaction with the surface of sensing element. Herein, we report the template-free solvothermal synthesis of uniform nanoparticle-assembled SnO2 microspheres with an rich interparticle porosity, and the thermal-driven tuning of their porosity structure with the sphere-like morphological preservation. This further allows us to fabricate a sensing film with a tunable interparticle porosity structure and an optimized gas diffusivity in the sensing film. As a result, the optimized SnO2 sensing film is shown to have the ability to effectively detect low-concentration amine vapors with short response time and high response value in the testing range from 1 to 200 ppm.

Design and synthesis of efficient noble metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts is of paramount importance for the practical application of water-splitting devices. Herein, we report a novel synthetic method to grow dispersed molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) micro-islands on flexible carbon cloth (CC). This method involves the controlled synthesis of a supramolecular hybrid between cetyltrimethyl ammonium cations and molybdate anions on CC, followed by simple thermal treatment of this supramolecular hybrid in Ar to form Mo2C on CC in situ. In this synthesis, the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide is proven to be important because it effectively immobilizes molybdate ions on CC on the one hand and functions as a carbon source for the formation of Mo2C on the other. Moreover, the as-prepared Mo2C/CC composite material can serve as efficient binder-free cathodes toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Mo2C/CC affords a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a low overpotential of 140 mV and works stably in acidic media with a Faraday yield of ∼100%. The isolated island architecture of Mo2C ensures rich active sites to be exposed and allows the easy interaction of reactants (e.g., protons) with the active sites. Also, the strong adhesion between Mo2C and carbon cloth facilitates electron transport/transfer in the composite material and is helpful for the achievement of excellent catalytic stability.

Layered double hydroxide has been used in a variety of areas, including but not limited to catalysis, energy storage, drug or gene delivery, water treatment, etc. Herein, we report a new simple hydrothermal method to prepare a high surface area flower-like Ni–Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH) assembled by nanosheets by using nickel alkoxide and FeSO4 as the only starting materials. It is free of alkaline solution and other additives for directing or supporting in the synthesis procedure. The formation mechanism of this flower-like LDH formed by ultrathin nanosheets is also discussed. Moreover, the as-obtained LDH material shows increased electrocatalytic activity and stability toward WOR in alkaline media compared with the materials prepared without a Ni alkoxide precursor or Fe precursor, namely α-Fe2O3 and Ni(OH)2, respectively. In addition, the electrocatalytic activity is demonstrated to be related to the molar ratio of Fe and Ni in the final Ni–Fe material, and the best activity is achieved when the ratio reaches 0.52:1. The phase compositions of the resulting Ni–Fex are discussed. Furthermore, the Ni–Fe LDH material reported herein might be employed as a promising noble-metal-free water oxidation catalyst to replace the IrOx material—the state-of-the-art water oxidation catalyst.

Porous N-doped carbon stabilized Li3V2(PO4)3 particles are prepared by a modified sol–gel method. Both the in situ doping of nitrogen and the formation of porous structure can be attributed to the addition of dicyandiamide in the sol–gel process. The composite material exhibits a high discharge capacity of 114.7 mA h g−1 at 1 C in the voltage range of 3–4.3 V after 600 cycles. Even at a high rate of 5 C, the discharge capacity of 90.5 mA h g−1 is achieved after 600 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance mainly benefits from the porous and nitrogen doped carbon.

Ultrathin materials have a wide range of applications in catalysis and sensing owing to their very large surface to volume ratio and great amount of exposed active sites. Herein, we report the synthesis of three dimensional (3D) In2O3 materials with a high surface area composed of ultrathin nanosheets, ca. 2 nm, using indium glycerolate as the precursor. The structural evolution process of the indium glycerolate precursor was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The resulting In2O3 nanosheets show excellent amine sensing performance at room temperature because ultrathin nanosheets offer a large amount of active sites on the surface and the 3D structure adds an additional advantage of avoiding aggregation and facilitating the diffusion of the target gas. In addition, the gas sensing mechanism is also proposed in this study.

Developing noble metal-free water oxidation catalysts is essential for many energy conversion/storage processes (e.g., water splitting). Herein, we report the facile synthesis of hollow Co3O4 microspheres composed of porous, ultrathin (<5 nm), single-crystal-like nanosheets via a novel “self-template” route. The successful preparation of these hollow Co3O4 nanomaterials includes three main steps: (1) the synthesis of solid cobalt alkoxide microspheres, (2) their subsequent self-template conversion into hollow cobalt hydroxide microspheres composed of ultrathin nanosheets, and finally (3) thermal treatment of hollow cobalt hydroxide microspheres into the hollow Co3O4 material. The as-obtained hollow Co3O4 nanomaterial possesses a high BET surface area (∼180 m2 g−1), and can serve as an active and stable water oxidation catalyst under both electrochemical and photochemical reaction conditions, owing to its unique structural features. In the electrochemical water oxidation, this catalyst affords a current density of 10 mA cm−2 (a value related to practical relevance) at an overpotential of ∼0.40 V. Moreover, with the assistance of a sensitizer [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), this nanomaterial can catalyze water oxidation reactions under visible light irradiation with an O2 evolution rate of ∼12218 μmol g−1 h−1. Our results suggest that delicate nanostructuring can offer unique advantages for developing efficient water oxidation catalysts.

To investigate the size- and morphology-dependent properties of nanomaterials and to bring many of their potential applications into reality, inorganic nanomaterials with unique composition, morphology, size, and even heterojunction structures are still needed. Herein we report the synthesis of photocatalytically active, one-dimensional (1D), porous CdS/ZnO heterostructured nanomaterials with tunable aspect ratios. Moreover, we show that the as-obtained nanomaterials exhibit significantly enhanced visible light-activated photocatalytic activity compared to pure CdS toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The synthesis of the materials is achieved via a facile one-pot cation exchange reaction (CER) between novel 1D ZnS/CHA (CHA = cyclohexylamine) inorganic–organic hybrid nanomaterials and Cd2+ ions. The two key steps for the synthesis being successful are: (1) the preparation of 1D ZnS/CHA nanomaterials with tunable aspect ratios and (2) the ability of the resulting nanomaterials to undergo CER (in Cd2+ solution) without completely leaving behind their exchangeable ions (i.e., Zn2+ in our case) in the solution. Consequently, some of the exchanged ions during CER are transformed into metal oxide (i.e., ZnO) nanoparticles in situ. This process ultimately leads to the formation of novel 1D CdS/ZnO heterostructured nanocomposite materials. Noteworthy also is that the as-obtained CdS/ZnO nanomaterials efficiently photocatalyze HER under visible light, affording an activity about 15 times higher than that of a porous pure CdS nanomaterial. The efficient photocatalytic activity of the former was attributed to their overall conducive structural features for HER, including their heterostructures at nanoscale.

•Nanoporous sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride microrods are prepared.•This material is a highly active catalyst for H2 evolution under visible light.•This material exhibits high catalytic stability.Nanoporous sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride microrods are prepared by direct thermal condensation of a high-quality melamine-trithiocyanuric acid supramolecular cocrystal under N2 atmosphere. The as-obtained carbon nitride material serves as a highly active photocatalyst for H2 evolution under visible-light irradiation, affording an activity about 9.3 times higher than that of the reference carbon nitride material that is prepared using melamine as the precursor. In addition, this material also exhibits satisfactory stability because there is no loss of catalytic activity after the catalytic H2 evolution for 60 h. The simultaneous achievement of the porosity, sulfur-doping and 1D morphology in the carbon nitride material as well as its superior photocatalytic activity, in turn, highlights the importance of the synthetic strategy reported herein.Nanoporous sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride microrods with high catalytic activity are prepared by direct thermal condensation of a melamine-trithiocyanuric acid supramolecular cocrystal.

A novel compound [HMo 8VIV 6VAsVO42][Cu(2,2′-bpy)2]2[Cu(2,2′-bpy)]·2H2O (2,2′-bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) 1 has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal structure analysis reveals that compound 1 is a bi-capped As/Mo/V Keggin polyoxometalate tri-supported copper complexes, and exhibits an extended three-dimensional supramolecular network via hydrogen-bonding and π–π stacking interactions. The electrochemical and magnetic properties of compound 1 have been studied.

A synthetic route to prepare nanoporous Sr-rich strontium titanate (Sr:Ti ≈ 1.03) with a high surface area is reported. The as-obtained porous nanomaterial serves as a stable and superior photocatalyst for H2 evolution.

Graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONR) with regular edges have been prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The relatively high yield and convenient preparation of GONR eventually make graphene nanoribbons (GNR) accessible in the field of composite materials where bulk quantities of nanoribbons are required.

Wurtzite ZnO microspheres composed of radially aligned porous nanorods are prepared via a simple thermal treatment of a “pre-synthesized” zinc monoglycerolate precursor. The as-prepared hierarchical nanomaterial can serve as a highly sensitive sensing material for ethanol detection.

Porous anatase TiO2 microspheres composed of {010}-faceted nanobelts were synthesized through simple thermal treatment of a titanium glycerolate precursor. The as-prepared TiO2 nanomaterial was shown to serve as an efficient photocatalyst for H2 evolution, and its activity was more than twice that of the benchmark P25 TiO2.

The LiFePO4/C composite is prepared by heating the mixture of resorcinol–formaldehyde gel and FePO4, synthesized by an in situ polymerization restriction method, and lithium acetate dihydrate in the atmosphere of nitrogen. The physical and electrochemical properties of the LiFePO4/C composite are investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements. The discharge capacity of LiFePO4 is as high as 155.6 mA h g−1 in the first cycle at 0.5C, and it could remain 144.0 mA h g−1 after 50 cycles. Even at the high rates of 10C, 20C and 50C, the initial discharge capacities of the electrodes exhibit 115.6 mA h g−1, 84.5 mA h g−1 and 67.8 mA h g−1, and the electrodes deliver capacity retention of 89.5%, 90.9% and 85.7% after 1000 cycles, respectively. The outstanding electrochemical performance could be attributed to the small particle size and good electronic conductivity of the composite.Highlights► LiFePO4/C composite was prepared by an in situ polymerization restriction method. ► The size of LiFePO4 in the composite is effectively restricted. ► The high-rate capability and cycling performance of LiFePO4 are enhanced greatly.

Porous ZnO nanotubes with superior sensing response to ethanol have been prepared by simple thermal treatment of an inorganic–organic ZnS–CHA (CHA = cyclohexylamine) hybrid precursor.

ZnO nanoparticles and nanofibers are prepared using radio-frequency (RF) sputtering and electrospinning, respectively. The performances of ZnO nanoparticles–nanofibers sensors are superior to those of ZnO nanofibers and ZnO nanoparticles sensors for ethanol. It is due to the increase of effective contact area and porosity of ZnO nanofibers.

In this work, highly stable and porous Cu2O/CuO cubes have been successfully synthesized by the calcination of the precursor at different temperatures (350 °C, 450 °C and 550 °C). The precursor which consists of cupric oxalate and cubic Cu2O was obtained by a one-step hydrothermal route with the help of ethylene glycol. The chemical composition and structure of the products were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that the cube is composed of nanoparticles with diameters around several dozens of nanometers and the calcination temperature has great influence on the size, the amount of Cu2O and the surface area of the final products. The gas sensing ability of the as-synthesized porous Cu2O/CuO cubes was investigated toward a series of toxic organic molecules, in which the sample calcined at 350 °C exhibits higher sensing response to acetone. The higher sensing response of this sample might be attributed to the heterostructure of CuO and Cu2O and the relatively high surface area.

A W-containing inorganic–organic nanohybrid with a plate-like morphology has been successfully prepared through a nonaqueous synthetic route using WCl6 as the tungsten source and benzyl alcohol as the solvent. The as-prepared hybrid nanomaterial was used directly as an efficient precursor for the formation of WO3 nanoplates via a simple thermal treatment process. The as-obtained WO3 material maintains the plate-like morphology of the precursor and possesses a unique uneven surface structure. It is noted that the use of a inorganic–organic hybrid precursor is essential for the creation of an uneven surface on the WO3 nanoplates, which exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of acetone vapour at a relatively low operating temperature (200 °C). The excellent sensing performance of the WO3 nanomaterial is attributed to its unique uneven surface structure besides the small particle size and ultrathin morphology.

A simple in situ template-assisted hydrothermal method has been developed to prepare SnO2 hollow nanostructures with controlled interior texture. The shell number and core size have an impact on the electrochemical performance of the samples when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

A synthetic route to prepare nanoporous Sr-rich strontium titanate (Sr:Ti ≈ 1.03) with a high surface area is reported. The as-obtained porous nanomaterial serves as a stable and superior photocatalyst for H2 evolution.

Graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONR) with regular edges have been prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The relatively high yield and convenient preparation of GONR eventually make graphene nanoribbons (GNR) accessible in the field of composite materials where bulk quantities of nanoribbons are required.

Wurtzite ZnO microspheres composed of radially aligned porous nanorods are prepared via a simple thermal treatment of a “pre-synthesized” zinc monoglycerolate precursor. The as-prepared hierarchical nanomaterial can serve as a highly sensitive sensing material for ethanol detection.

The near-infrared (NIR) and homogeneously emitting CuInS2 quantum dots (QDs) have been successfully prepared by a one-pot thermolysis route using air-stable indium stearate as a precursor/reactant. The CuInS2 QDs exhibit a tunable emission peak in the range of 693–835 nm with a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) of up to 8.7%. The QDs with uniform diameter can be assigned to a typical zinc blende structure according to XRD analysis. Time-resolved PL spectroscopy of CuInS2 QDs shows a biexponential trait in which the donor–acceptor recombination (a lifetime of 100–240 nm) occupied 74–92% of the whole PL emission. The type-I structure CuInS2/ZnS core/shell QDs were synthesized in situ for surface passivation, which leads to a dramatic enhancement of PL QY by over six-fold/time (up to 40.1%). The PL decay curve of CuInS2/ZnS QDs retained the biexponential character with a longer lifetime. The as-prepared CuInS2 based QDs with lower toxicity and desirable optical features are good candidates for biomedical fluorescence labelling.

To investigate the size- and morphology-dependent properties of nanomaterials and to bring many of their potential applications into reality, inorganic nanomaterials with unique composition, morphology, size, and even heterojunction structures are still needed. Herein we report the synthesis of photocatalytically active, one-dimensional (1D), porous CdS/ZnO heterostructured nanomaterials with tunable aspect ratios. Moreover, we show that the as-obtained nanomaterials exhibit significantly enhanced visible light-activated photocatalytic activity compared to pure CdS toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The synthesis of the materials is achieved via a facile one-pot cation exchange reaction (CER) between novel 1D ZnS/CHA (CHA = cyclohexylamine) inorganic–organic hybrid nanomaterials and Cd2+ ions. The two key steps for the synthesis being successful are: (1) the preparation of 1D ZnS/CHA nanomaterials with tunable aspect ratios and (2) the ability of the resulting nanomaterials to undergo CER (in Cd2+ solution) without completely leaving behind their exchangeable ions (i.e., Zn2+ in our case) in the solution. Consequently, some of the exchanged ions during CER are transformed into metal oxide (i.e., ZnO) nanoparticles in situ. This process ultimately leads to the formation of novel 1D CdS/ZnO heterostructured nanocomposite materials. Noteworthy also is that the as-obtained CdS/ZnO nanomaterials efficiently photocatalyze HER under visible light, affording an activity about 15 times higher than that of a porous pure CdS nanomaterial. The efficient photocatalytic activity of the former was attributed to their overall conducive structural features for HER, including their heterostructures at nanoscale.

A W-containing inorganic–organic nanohybrid with a plate-like morphology has been successfully prepared through a nonaqueous synthetic route using WCl6 as the tungsten source and benzyl alcohol as the solvent. The as-prepared hybrid nanomaterial was used directly as an efficient precursor for the formation of WO3 nanoplates via a simple thermal treatment process. The as-obtained WO3 material maintains the plate-like morphology of the precursor and possesses a unique uneven surface structure. It is noted that the use of a inorganic–organic hybrid precursor is essential for the creation of an uneven surface on the WO3 nanoplates, which exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of acetone vapour at a relatively low operating temperature (200 °C). The excellent sensing performance of the WO3 nanomaterial is attributed to its unique uneven surface structure besides the small particle size and ultrathin morphology.

Layered double hydroxide has been used in a variety of areas, including but not limited to catalysis, energy storage, drug or gene delivery, water treatment, etc. Herein, we report a new simple hydrothermal method to prepare a high surface area flower-like Ni–Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH) assembled by nanosheets by using nickel alkoxide and FeSO4 as the only starting materials. It is free of alkaline solution and other additives for directing or supporting in the synthesis procedure. The formation mechanism of this flower-like LDH formed by ultrathin nanosheets is also discussed. Moreover, the as-obtained LDH material shows increased electrocatalytic activity and stability toward WOR in alkaline media compared with the materials prepared without a Ni alkoxide precursor or Fe precursor, namely α-Fe2O3 and Ni(OH)2, respectively. In addition, the electrocatalytic activity is demonstrated to be related to the molar ratio of Fe and Ni in the final Ni–Fe material, and the best activity is achieved when the ratio reaches 0.52:1. The phase compositions of the resulting Ni–Fex are discussed. Furthermore, the Ni–Fe LDH material reported herein might be employed as a promising noble-metal-free water oxidation catalyst to replace the IrOx material—the state-of-the-art water oxidation catalyst.

Design and synthesis of efficient noble metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts is of paramount importance for the practical application of water-splitting devices. Herein, we report a novel synthetic method to grow dispersed molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) micro-islands on flexible carbon cloth (CC). This method involves the controlled synthesis of a supramolecular hybrid between cetyltrimethyl ammonium cations and molybdate anions on CC, followed by simple thermal treatment of this supramolecular hybrid in Ar to form Mo2C on CC in situ. In this synthesis, the presence of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide is proven to be important because it effectively immobilizes molybdate ions on CC on the one hand and functions as a carbon source for the formation of Mo2C on the other. Moreover, the as-prepared Mo2C/CC composite material can serve as efficient binder-free cathodes toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Mo2C/CC affords a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a low overpotential of 140 mV and works stably in acidic media with a Faraday yield of ∼100%. The isolated island architecture of Mo2C ensures rich active sites to be exposed and allows the easy interaction of reactants (e.g., protons) with the active sites. Also, the strong adhesion between Mo2C and carbon cloth facilitates electron transport/transfer in the composite material and is helpful for the achievement of excellent catalytic stability.

Porous anatase TiO2 microspheres composed of {010}-faceted nanobelts were synthesized through simple thermal treatment of a titanium glycerolate precursor. The as-prepared TiO2 nanomaterial was shown to serve as an efficient photocatalyst for H2 evolution, and its activity was more than twice that of the benchmark P25 TiO2.

A simple in situ template-assisted hydrothermal method has been developed to prepare SnO2 hollow nanostructures with controlled interior texture. The shell number and core size have an impact on the electrochemical performance of the samples when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.