•Helical m-phenylenediamine-formaldehyde resin nanotubes were prepared.•High N-doped helical carbonaceous nanofibers were produced after pyrolysis process.•The N-doped carbonaceous nanofibers showed good electrochemical performance.•The doped N is beneficial to enhance the Li+ storage capacity.The great demand for high-power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has spurred extensive research on carbonaceous electrode materials. In this work, a novel high nitrogen-doped helical carbonaceous nanofiber derived from pyrolytic resins was fabricated. Helical m-phenylenediamine-formaldehyde resin nanotubes were prepared via a sol-gel duplication method using a chiral amphiphile as the template. Then, the obtained resin nanotubes were subject to carbonize at 600 °C under Ar atmosphere, forming helical carbonaceous nanofibers with N content of 12.4 wt%. The inner tunnels were disappeared owing to the thermal contraction. Wide angle X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum analysis verify that the obtained nanofibers were amorphous carbon predominantly. The electrochemical characterization reveals that the in-situ nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanofibers exhibit high specific capacity, together with long cycle time and excellent rate capability.

•Helical RF resin-silica nanotubes were prepared via a sol-gel transcription method.•SiC/C composite mesoporous nanotubes were produced after pyrolysis process.•The SiC/C electrode showed superior electrochemical performance.•SiC nanomaterials are potential anode candidate for lithium ion batteries.The demand for high energy-storage lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) encourages the development of novel anode materials to substitute graphite. Herein, novel SiC/C composite mesoporous nanotubes derived from resorcinol-formaldehyde resin/silica composites were designed and fabricated towards LIBs anode materials, which contained 31 wt% amorphous C and 69 wt% cubic β-SiC. The electrochemical measurements showed that the SiC/C electrode delivered a high reversible capacity of 527 mAh g−1 after 250 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite, implying that SiC nanomaterials are potential anode candidate for LIBs.Download high-res image (219KB)Download full-size image

•Self N-doped CNTs were synthesized from assembly of small molecules.•The concentration of N-dopant could be adjusted by tuning the pyrolysis temperature.•The nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes exhibited excellent electrochemical performance.The great demand for high-power lithium-ion batteries has spurred extensive research on carbonaceous electrode materials. Herein, we reported a facile way of preparing novel carbon nanotubes with high nitrogen doping. Helical and straight 3-aminophenol formaldehyde resin nanotubes were first prepared based on the self-assembly of the chiral amphiphiles, which were then used as carbon sources to fabricate self nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes via pyrolysis process. When the resins were carbonized at 600 °C, carbon nanotubes with a high nitrogen-content of 9.6 wt% were obtained, which maintained the original morphology of the resins. The electrochemical tests disclosed that the carbon nanotubes exhibited excellent Li storage capacity and superior cycling stability. A high reversible specific capacity of 1056 mAh g− 1 at 0.1 A g− 1 was obtained after 300 cycles, which is greatly higher than that of graphite and most of polymer derived carbonaceous materials. The research data implied that the nitrogen doping content plays an important role in the electrochemical performance of the carbon nanotubes.Download high-res image (118KB)Download full-size image

•Porous carbon nanoribbons have been successfully synthesized via small molecule assembly technique.•The carbon nanoribbons exhibited excellent electrochemical properties when applied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.•The reasons of possessing high lithium ion storage capacity have been proposed.Design and synthesis of novel carbon nanomaterials as the anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is of great importance for modern electronic devices and electric vehicles. In this work, helical resorcinol–formaldehyde resin/silica composite nanoribbons were prepared via a sol–gel process using self-assembly of a cationic gelator as the template, resorcinol, formaldehyde and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the precursors. After carbonization under argon at 600 °C, followed by washing with dilute HF solution to remove the silica compound from the nanocomposites, helical mesoporous carbon nanoribbons were finally obtained. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrum indicated that the walls of the nanoribbons are predominantly amorphous carbon. Electrochemical measurements showed that at a current density of 0.1 A/g, the helical mesoporous carbon nanoribbons delivered a high reversible capacity of 704.6 mAh/g over 120 cycles, indicating that they are promising anode materials for LIBs compared with the currently commercial graphitic materials.Porous carbon nanoribbons prepared with a small molecule self-assembly show advantageous electrochemical performance.Download high-res image (102KB)Download full-size image

Chiral carbon-based nanomaterials possess many superior properties originated both from their nano-sized structure and their chirality. We presented a facile way to synthesize chiral mesoporous carbonaceous nanofibers (chiral MCNFs) through a supramolecular templating method, using a pair of chiral low-molecular-weight gelators as the templates, resorcinol, formaldehyde and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the precursors, respectively. Besides, the chiral MCNFs exhibited optical activity; the electrochemical measurements implied that they also showed good capacitance and lithium-ion storage performances.

•Silica nanotubes were prepared with a facile template method.•Novel mesoporous silicon particles were obtained by magnesiothermic reduction.•High-Performance LIBs were achieved by using mesoporous Si particle Electrodes.Silicon has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its ultrahigh theoretical capacity, abundance, and environmentally benign nature. Nonetheless, the severe break during the prolonged cycling results in poor electrochemical performance, which hinders its practical application. Herein, we report the synthesis of novel mesoporous silicon particles with a facile template method by using a magnesiothermic reduction for LIBs. The obtained silicon nanoparticles are highly porous with densely porous cavities (20–40 nm) on the wall, of which it presents good crystallization. Electrochemical measurements showed that the mesoporous silicon nanoparticles delivered a high reversible specific capacity of 910 mA h g−1 at a high current density of 1200 mA g−1 over 50 cycles. The specific capacity at such high current density is still over twofold than that of commercial graphite anode, suggesting that the nanoporous Si architectures is suitable for high-performance Si-based anodes for lithium ion batteries in terms of capacity, cycle life, and rate capacity.

•Single-handed twisted tubular Pt nanoribbons were prepared through sol–gel transcription.•Nanoribbons were constructed by randomly arranged nanoparticles and short nanowires.•Nanoribbons’ handedness was controlled by that of the organic self-assembly.Single-handed twisted tubular Pt nanoribbons were prepared through sol–gel transcription, using self-assemblies of low-molecular weight amphiphiles as templates. The nanoribbons were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and diffuse reflectance circular dichroism (DRCD). Nanoribbons handedness was controlled by that of the organic self-assembly. Nanoribbons were constructed from nanoparticles and short nanowires with diameters of 1.5–3.0 nm. The TEM results indicated that these nanoparticles and short nanowires were randomly arranged; however, DRCD spectra indicated that the nanoribbons exhibited optical activity. Pt atoms were proposed to arrange in a chiral manner on the surfaces and in the cores.

•Helical polybissilsesquioxane bundles were prepared through a self-templating approach.•Helical carbonaceous bundles constructed by ultra-fine nanofibers were obtained.•The chirality of the precursor was preserved in the helical carbonaceous bundles.•The carbonaceous bundles exhibit optical chirality.Left-handed helical polybissilsesquioxane bundles were prepared through a self-templating approach. After carbonization and removal of silica, left-handed helical carbonaceous bundles constructed by fine nanofibers were obtained. They were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrophotoscopy, N2 sorptions and diffuse reflectance circular dichroism (DRCD). The Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction pattern indicated that the carbon was amorphous. Mesoporous were identified, which can be originated from the voids among the ultra-fine nanofibers. The DRCD spectrum indicated that they exhibited optical chirality. This material may have potential as catalyst supports, chirality sensors and adsorbents.

•Mesoporous silica hollow nanospheres were prepared through a dual-templating method.•The cavity and pore architecture of the hollow spheres was adjusted by changing the amount of silica precursors.•N2 sorptions indicated the existence of windows among the mesopores in the shells.•A diffusion–polycondensation mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of hollow silica nanospheres.Mesoporous hollow nanospheres have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in the fields of catalysis and drug release. Recently, various hollow silica nanospheres with mesopores in the walls have been prepared through templating approaches. However, the effect of silica precursors on the hollow structure has not been well studied. Herein, mesoporous silica hollow nanospheres were prepared through a chiral amphiphile/organic solvent dual-templating approach. The silica nanostructures are controllable by manipulating the amount of the silica precursors. A diffusion–polycondensation mechanism was proposed to drive the formation of the hollow spheres.

Frustule-like hollow nanospheres attracted much attention due to their potential applications for catalysis and drug release. Recently, varieties of hollow silica nanospheres with mesopores in the walls were prepared. However, hollow organic–inorganic hybrid silica nanospheres were not well developed. Herein, mesoporous 1,2-ethylene-silica hollow nanospheres with tunable wall thickness were prepared through a chiral amphiphile/organic solvent dual-templating approach. The mesopores within the shells of the hollow spheres have a window structure. A micelle/organic solvent droplet mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of the mesoporous organosilica hollow spheres. These 1,2-ethylene-silicas were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and N2 sorptions.Highlights► Mesoporous 1,2-ethylene-silica hollow nanospheres were prepared. ► The thickness of the shells was tunable by changing the amount of cyclohexane. ► Chambers were identified within the large cavities. ► N2 sorptions indicated the existence of widows among the mesopores in the shells.