We report the synthesis of sandwich-structured graphene–nickel silicate–Ni ternary composites by using the solvothermal method followed by a simple in situ reduction procedure. The composites show an interesting structure with graphene sandwiched between two layers of well-dispersed Ni nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on ultrathin nickel silicate nanosheets. These ternary composites exhibit enhanced performance as anode materials owing to the synergistic effect between the graphene matrix and electrochemically inert Ni nanoparticles, an effect that holds promise for the design and fabrication of other advanced electrode materials.

The photocatalytic activity of graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) could be enhanced by heterojunction strategies through increasing the charge-separation efficiency. As a surface-based process, the heterogeneous photocatalytic process would become more efficient if a larger contact region existed in the heterojunction interface. In this work, ultrathin g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (g-C₃N₄-NS) with much larger specific surface areas are employed instead of bulk g-C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄-B) to prepare AgIO₃/g-C₃N₄-NS nanocomposite photocatalysts. By taking advantage of this feature, the as-prepared composites exhibit remarkable performances for photocatalytic wastewater treatment under visible-light irradiation. Notably, the optimum photocatalytic activity of AgIO₃/g-C₃N₄-NS composites is almost 80.59 and 55.09 times higher than that of pure g-C₃N₄-B towards the degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange pollutants, respectively. Finally, the stability and possible photocatalytic mechanism of the AgIO₃/g-C₃N₄-NS system are also investigated.

Magnesium silicate double-walled hollow nanofibers (MSHNFs) with a hierarchical nanostructure have been successfully fabricated by combining the electrospinning technique with a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared MSHNFs are composed of numerous ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness of approximately 10 nm and have a high specific surface area (632.2 m² g⁻¹) and large pore volume (0.92 cm³ g⁻¹). The MSHNFs exhibit high adsorption capacity and excellent stability in a purification test with organic molecules and a solution of heavy-metal ions. Moreover, the MSHNFs can be easily separated from solution by gravitational sedimentation owing to their unique structure.

Hollow mesoporous structures have recently aroused intense research interest owing to their unique structural features. Herein, an effective and precisely controlled synthesis of hollow rare-earth silicate spheres with mesoporous shells is reported for the first time, produced by a simple hydrothermal method, using silica spheres as the silica precursors. The as-prepared hollow rare-earth silicate spheres have large specific surface area, high pore volume, and controllable structure parameters. The results demonstrate that the selection of the chelating reagent plays critical roles in forming the hollow mesoporous structures. In addition, a simple and low-energy-consuming approach to synthesize highly stable and dispersive gold nanoparticle–yttrium silicate (AuNPs/YSiO) hollow nanocomposites has also been developed. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol with AuNPs/YSiO hollow nanocomposites as the catalyst has clearly demonstrated that the hollow rare-earth silicate spheres are good carriers for Au nanoparticles. This strategy can be extended as a general approach to prepare multifunctional yolk–shell structures with diverse compositions and morphologies simply by replacing silica spheres with silica-coated nanocomposites.

Layered nickel silicate nanoflowers (NSFs) with a hierarchical nanostructure have been successfully fabricated by a template-free solvothermal method. The as-prepared nanoflowers were composed of many interconnected edge-curving lamellae with a thickness of about 15 nm and had a high specific surface area (279 m² g⁻¹) and large pore volume (0.67 cm³ g⁻¹). The highly dispersed small silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were immobilized on the surface of NSFs through the in situ reduction of Ag⁺ by Sn²⁺. The AgNP/NSF nanocomposites showed a high performance in the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. In particular, there was no visible decrease in the catalytic activity of the reused catalysts even after being recycled four times. The as-prepared AgNP/NSF nanocomposites might be an excellent catalyst owing to their availability, formability, chemical and thermal stability, and high specific surface area.