Mesoporous High-Entropy Alloy Films.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising materials for electrochemical energy applications due to their excellent catalytic performance and durability. However, the controlled synthesis of HEAs with a well-defined structure and a uniform composition distribution remains a challenge. Herein, a soft template-assisted electrodeposition technique is used to fabricate a mesoporous HEA (m-HEA) film with a uniform composition distribution of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Cu, providing a suitable platform for investigating structure-performance relationships. Electrochemical deposition enables the uniform nucleation and grain growth of m-HEA, which can be deposited onto many conductive substrates. The m-HEA film exhibits an enhanced mass activity of 4.2 A mgPt-1 toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), which is 7.2-fold and 35-fold higher than a mesoporous Pt film and commercial Pt black, respectively. Experimental characterization indicates that structural defects and a low work function of the m-HEA film offer sufficient active sites and fast electron-transfer kinetics. Furthermore, theoretical calculations demonstrate that the variety of favorable adsorption sites on multimetallic elements of HEA reduces the barriers for dehydration pathways and *CO species removal, ensuring optimal performance for complex MOR reactions. This work provides an effective approach to designing a variety of HEA catalysts with well-controlled porous structures for targeted electrocatalytic applications.

Nanoarchitectonics of ultrafine molybdenum carbide nanocrystals into three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon framework for capacitive deionization.

Molybdenum carbide (MoC) has emerged as a promising material for capacitive deionization (CDI), but the poor electrochemical kinetics in conventional MoC owing to the bulk structure and low electric conductivity limit its CDI performance. To address this challenge, herein, we develop a novel strategy to synthesize ultrafine MoC nanocrystals that are embedded within a three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon framework (NC/MoC). This synthesis method involves the space-confined pyrolysis of molybdate precursors within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this process, molybdates are confined into the MOF crystalline structure, where MOFs provide a confined reactor and carbon source. The resulting NC/MoC with the uniformly distributed MoC nanocrystals provides sufficient active sites for the electrosorption of salt ions, while the MOF-derived NC matrix facilitates charge transfer and provides the space-confined effect for preventing the possible aggregations of MoC nanocrystals during the CDI process. The NC/MoC exhibits an impressive salt adsorption capacity (SAC, 84.2 mg g-1, 1.2 V), rapid desalination rate, and high cycling stability (91.4% SAC retention after 200 cycles), better than those of most previously reported carbon-based CDI materials. Besides, the possible mechanisms are systematically investigated by ex situ characterization and density functional theory calculations. This study opens up new avenues for the construction of metal carbide-based nanocrystals for CDI and other electrochemical applications.

Bridged Pt-OH-Mn Mediator in N-coordinated Mn Single Atoms and Pt Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Biomolecule Oxidation and Discrimination.

The rational design of efficient catalysts for uric acid (UA) electrooxidation, as well as the establishment of structure-activity relationships, remains a critical bottleneck in the field of electrochemical sensing. To address these challenges, herein, a hybrid catalyst that integrates carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles and nitrogen-coordinated Mn single atoms (PtNPs/MnNC) is developed. The metal-metal interaction during annealing affords the construction of metallic-bonded Pt-Mn pairs between PtNPs and Mn single atoms, facilitating the electron transfer from PtNPs to the support and thereby optimizing the electronic structure of catalysts. More importantly, experiments and theoretical calculations provide visual proof for the 'incipient hydrous oxide adatom mediator' mechanism for UA oxidation. The Pt-Mn pairs first adsorb OH* to construct the bridged Pt-OH-Mn mediators to serve as a highly active intermediate for N-H bond dissociation and proton transfer. Benefiting from the unique electronic and geometric structure of the catalytic center and reactive intermediates, PtNPs/MnNC exhibits superior electrooxidation performance. The electrochemical sensor based on PtNPs/MnNC enables sensitive detection and discrimination of UA and dopamine in serum samples. This work offers new insights into the construction of novel electrocatalysts for sensitive sensing platforms.

Silica Confinement for Stable and Magnetic Co-Cu Alloy Nanoparticles in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution.

Ammonia borane (AB) with 19.6 wt % H2 content is widely considered a safe and efficient medium for H2 storage and release. Co-based nanocatalysts present strong contenders for replacing precious metal-based catalysts in AB hydrolysis due to their high activity and cost-effectiveness. However, precisely adjusting the active centers and surface properties of Co-based nanomaterials to enhance their activity, as well as suppressing the migration and loss of metal atoms to improve their stability, presents many challenges. In this study, mesoporous-silica-confined bimetallic Co-Cu nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon (CoxCu1-x@NC@mSiO2) were synthesized using a facile mSiO2-confined thermal pyrolysis strategy. The obtained product, an optimized Co0.8Cu0.2@NC@mSiO2 catalyst, exhibits enhanced performance with a turnover frequency of 240.9 molH2 ⋅ molmetal ⋅ min-1 for AB hydrolysis at 298 K, surpassing most noble-metal-free catalysts. Moreover, Co0.8Cu0.2@NC@mSiO2 demonstrates magnetic recyclability and extraordinary stability, with a negligible decline of only 0.8 % over 30 cycles of use. This enhanced performance was attributed to the synergistic effect between Co and Cu, as well as silica confinement. This work proposes a promising method for constructing noble-metal-free catalysts for AB hydrolysis.

Synthesis of millimeter-scale ZIF-8 single crystals and their reversible crystal structure changes.

Among various metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF), constructed by the regular arrangement of 2-methylimidazole and metal ions, has garnered significant attention due to its distinctive crystals and pore structures. Variations in the sizes and shapes of ZIF crystals have been reported by changing the synthesis parameters, such as the molar ratios of organic ligands to metal ions, choice of solvents, and temperatures. Nonetheless, the giant ZIF-8 single crystals beyond the typical range have rarely been reported. Herein, we present the synthesis of millimeter-scale single crystal ZIF-8 using the solvothermal method in N,N-diethylformamide. The resulting 1-mm single crystal is carefully characterized through N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, and other analytical techniques. Additionally, single-crystal X-ray diffraction is employed to comprehensively investigate the framework's mobility at various temperatures.

Millimeter-sized ZIF-8 single crystals were synthesized using the solvothermal method. These crystals exhibit a notable BET surface area of 1681 m²âˆ™g⁻¹ and demonstrate a reversible change in their crystal structure.

Mesoporous Metastable CuTe2 Semiconductor.

Binary metastable semiconductor materials offer exciting possibilities in the field of optoelectronics, such as photovoltaics, tunable photosensors, and detectors. However, understanding their properties and translating them into practical applications can sometimes be challenging, owing to their thermodynamic instability. Herein, we report a temperature-controlled crystallization technique involving electrochemical deposition to produce metastable CuTe2 thin films that can reliably function under ambient conditions. A series of in situ heating/cooling cycle tests from room temperature to 200 °C followed by spectral, morphological, and compound analyses (such as ultraviolet-visible light spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)) suggest that the seeding electrodes play a key role in the realization of the metastable phase in CuTe2 films. In particular, CuTe2 films deposited on Al electrodes exhibit superior crystallinity and long-term stability compared with those grown on a Au substrate. The XRD data of thermally annealed CuTe2 thin films deposited on Al show a markedly sharp peak, indicating significantly increased crystal-domain sizes. Our method can be used to achieve the metastable phase of CuTe2 with a bandgap of 1.67 eV and offers outstanding photoresponsivity under different illumination conditions.

Mesoporous multimetallic nanospheres with exposed highly entropic alloy sites.

Multimetallic alloys (MMAs) with various compositions enrich the materials library with increasing diversity and have received much attention in catalysis applications. However, precisely shaping MMAs in mesoporous nanostructures and mapping the distributions of multiple elements remain big challenge due to the different reduction kinetics of various metal precursors and the complexity of crystal growth. Here we design a one-pot wet-chemical reduction approach to synthesize core-shell motif PtPdRhRuCu mesoporous nanospheres (PtPdRhRuCu MMNs) using a diblock copolymer as the soft template. The PtPdRhRuCu MMNs feature adjustable compositions and exposed porous structures rich in highly entropic alloy sites. The formation processes of the mesoporous structures and the reduction and growth kinetics of different metal precursors of PtPdRhRuCu MMNs are revealed. The PtPdRhRuCu MMNs exhibit robust electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities and low overpotentials of 10, 13, and 28 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline (1.0 M KOH), acidic (0.5 M H2SO4), and neutral (1.0 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS)) electrolytes, respectively. The accelerated kinetics of the HER in PtPdRhRuCu MMNs are derived from multiple compositions with synergistic interactions among various metal sites and mesoporous structures with excellent mass/electron transportation characteristics.

Water Activation in Solar-Powered Vapor Generation.

Solar-powered vapor evaporation (SVG), based on the liquid-gas phase conversion concept using solar energy, has been given close attention as a promising technology to address the global water shortage. At molecular level, water molecules escaping from liquid water should overcome the attraction of the molecules on the liquid surface layer to evaporate. For this reason, it is better to reduce the energy required for evaporation by breaking a smaller number of hydrogen bonds or forming weak hydrogen bonds to ensure efficient and convenient vapor production. Many novel evaporator materials and effective water activation strategies have been proposed to stimulate rapid steam production and surpass the theoretical thermal limit. However, an in-depth understanding of the phase/enthalpy change process of water evaporation is unclear. In this review, a summary of theoretical analyses of vaporization enthalpy, general calculations, and characterization methods is provided. Various water activation mechanisms are also outlined to reduce evaporation enthalpy in evaporators. Moreover, unsolved issues associated with water activation are critically discussed to provide a direction for future research. Meanwhile, significant pioneering developments made in SVG are highlighted, hoping to provide a relatively entire chain for more scholars who are just stepping into this field.

Materials Space-Tectonics: Atomic-level Compositional and Spatial Control Methodologies for Synthesis of Future Materials.

Reactions occurring at surfaces and interfaces necessitate the creation of well-designed surface and interfacial structures. To achieve a combination of bulk material (i.e., framework) and void spaces, a meticulous process of "nano-architecting" of the available space is necessary. Conventional porous materials such as mesoporous silica, zeolites, and metal-organic frameworks lack advanced cooperative functionalities owing to their largely monotonous pore geometries and limited conductivities. To overcome these limitations and develop functional structures with surface-specific functions, the novel materials space-tectonics methodology has been proposed for future materials synthesis. This review summarizes recent examples of materials synthesis based on designing building blocks (i.e., tectons) and their hybridization, along with practical guidelines for implementing materials syntheses and state-of-the-art examples of practical applications. Lastly, the potential integration of materials space-tectonics with emerging technologies, such as materials informatics, is discussed.

Composite polymer electrolytes with ionic liquid grafted-Laponite for dendrite-free all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) with high ionic conductivity and favorable electrolyte/electrode interfacial compatibility are promising alternatives to liquid electrolytes. However, severe parasitic reactions in the Li/electrolyte interface and the air-unstable inorganic fillers have hindered their industrial applications. Herein, surface-edge opposite charged Laponite (LAP) multilayer particles with high air stability were grafted with imidazole ionic liquid (IL-TFSI) to enhance the thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical performances of polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based CPEs. The electrostatic repulsion between multilayers of LAP-IL-TFSI enables them to be easily penetrated by PEO segments, resulting in a pronounced amorphous region in the PEO matrix. Therefore, the CPE-0.2LAP-IL-TFSI exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 1.5 × 10-3 S cm-1 and a high lithium-ion transference number of 0.53. Moreover, LAP-IL-TFSI ameliorates the chemistry of the solid electrolyte interphase, significantly suppressing the growth of lithium dendrites and extending the cycling life of symmetric Li cells to over 1000 h. As a result, the LiFePO4||CPE-0.2LAP-IL-TFSI||Li cell delivers an outstanding capacity retention of 80% after 500 cycles at 2C at 60 °C. CPE-LAP-IL-TFSI also shows good compatibility with high-voltage LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes.

Nanoarchitectonics of Metallene Materials for Electrocatalysis.

Controlling the synthesis of metal nanostructures is one approach for catalyst engineering and performance optimization in electrocatalysis. As an emerging class of unconventional electrocatalysts, two-dimensional (2D) metallene electrocatalysts with ultrathin sheet-like morphology have gained ever-growing attention and exhibited superior performance in electrocatalysis owing to their distinctive properties originating from structural anisotropy, rich surface chemistry, and efficient mass diffusion capability. Many significant advances in synthetic methods and electrocatalytic applications for 2D metallenes have been obtained in recent years. Therefore, an in-depth review summarizing the progress in developing 2D metallenes for electrochemical applications is highly needed. Unlike most reported reviews on the 2D metallenes, this review starts by introducing the preparation of 2D metallenes based on the classification of the metals (e.g., noble metals, and non-noble metals) instead of synthetic methods. Some typical strategies for preparing each kind of metal are enumerated in detail. Then, the utilization of 2D metallenes in electrocatalytic applications, especially in the electrocatalytic conversion reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, fuel oxidation reaction, CO2 reduction reaction, and N2 reduction reaction, are comprehensively discussed. Finally, current challenges and opportunities for future research on metallenes in electrochemical energy conversion are proposed.

Insights into alloy/oxide or hydroxide interfaces in Ni-Mo-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution under alkaline conditions.

Nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo) alloys are promising non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline water; however, the kinetic origins of their catalytic activities still remain under debate. In this perspective, we systematically summarize the structural characteristics of Ni-Mo-based electrocatalysts recently reported and find that highly active catalysts generally have alloy-oxide or alloy-hydroxide interface structures. Based on the two-step reaction mechanism under alkaline conditions, water dissociation to form adsorbed hydrogen and combination of adsorbed hydrogen into molecular hydrogen, we discuss in detail the relationship between the two types of interface structures obtained by different synthesis methods and their HER performance in Ni-Mo based catalysts. For the alloy-oxide interfaces, the Ni4Mo/MoO x composites produced by electrodeposition or hydrothermal combined with thermal reduction exhibit activities close to that of platinum. For only the alloy or oxide, their activities are significantly lower than that of composite structures, indicating the synergistic catalytic effect of binary components. For the alloy-hydroxide interfaces, the activity of the Ni x Mo y alloy with different Ni/Mo ratios is greatly improved by constructing heterostructures with hydroxides such as Ni(OH)2 or Co(OH)2. In particular, pure alloys obtained by metallurgy must be activated to produce a layer of mixed Ni(OH)2 and MoO x on the surface to achieve high activity. Therefore, the activity of Ni-Mo catalysts probably originates from the interfaces of alloy-oxide or alloy-hydroxide, in which the oxide or hydroxide promotes water dissociation and the alloy accelerates hydrogen combination. These new understandings will provide valuable guidance for the further exploration of advanced HER electrocatalysts.

Extraordinary Acceleration of an Electrophilic Reaction Driven by the Polar Surface of 2D Aluminosilicate Nanosheets.

To increase chemical reaction rates, general solutions include increasing the concentration/temperature and introducing catalysts. In this study, the rate constant of an electrophilic metal coordination reaction is accelerated 23-fold on the surface of layered aluminosilicate (LAS), where the reaction substrate (ligand molecule) induces dielectric polarization owing to the polar and anionic surface. According to the Arrhenius plot, the frequency factor (A) is increased by almost three orders of magnitude on the surface. This leads to the conclusion that the collision efficiency between the ligands and metal ions is enhanced on the surface due to the dielectric polarization. This is surprising because one side of the ligand is obscured by the surface, so the collision efficiency is expected to be decreased. This unique method to accelerate the chemical reaction is expected to expand the range of utilization of LASs, which are chemically inert, abundant, and environmentally friendly. The concept is also applicable to other metal oxides which have polar surfaces, which will be useful for various chemical reactions in the future.

Tuning iron spin states in single-atom nanozymes enables efficient peroxidase mimicking.

The large-scale application of nanozymes remains a significant challenge owing to their unsatisfactory catalytic performances. Featuring a unique electronic structure and coordination environment, single-atom nanozymes provide great opportunities to vividly mimic the specific metal catalytic center of natural enzymes and achieve superior enzyme-like activity. In this study, the spin state engineering of Fe single-atom nanozymes (FeNC) is employed to enhance their peroxidase-like activity. Pd nanoclusters (PdNC) are introduced into FeNC, whose electron-withdrawing properties rearrange the spin electron occupation in Fe(ii) of FeNC-PdNC from low spin to medium spin, facilitating the heterolysis of H2O2 and timely desorption of H2O. The spin-rearranged FeNC-PdNC exhibits greater H2O2 activation activity and rapid reaction kinetics compared to those of FeNC. As a proof of concept, FeNC-PdNC is used in the immunosorbent assay for the colorimetric detection of prostate-specific antigen and achieves an ultralow detection limit of 0.38 pg mL-1. Our spin-state engineering strategy provides a fundamental understanding of the catalytic mechanism of nanozymes and facilitates the design of advanced enzyme mimics.

Ni-Fe nanoframes via a unique structural formation induced by sonochemical etching.

A uniform nanoframe structure derived from a Prussian blue analogue (PBA) with an internal cavity is successfully synthesized by sonochemical etching. The uniquely structured PBA nanoframes possess a three-dimensional open structure and high surface area, resulting in enhanced electrochemical properties for the oxygen evolution reaction as a model reaction.

Modular assembly of MOF-derived carbon nanofibers into macroarchitectures for water treatment.

The organized assembly of nanoparticles into complex macroarchitectures opens up a promising pathway to create functional materials. Here, we demonstrate a scalable strategy to fabricate macroarchitectures with high compressibility and elasticity from hollow particle-based carbon nanofibers. This strategy causes zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8)-polyacrylonitrile nanofibers to assemble into centimetre-sized aerogels (ZIF-8/NFAs) with expected shapes and tunable functions on a large scale. On further carbonization of ZIF-8/NFAs, ZIF-8 nanoparticles are transformed into a hollow structure to form the carbon nanofiber aerogels (CNFAs). The resulting CNFAs integrate the properties of zero-dimensional hollow structures, one-dimensional nanofibers, and three-dimensional carbon aerogels, and exhibit a low density of 7.32 mg cm-3, high mechanical strength (rapid recovery from 80% strain), outstanding adsorption capacity, and excellent photo-thermal conversion potential. These results provide a platform for the future development of macroarchitectured assemblies from nanometres to centimetres and facilitate the design of multifunctional materials.

New Trends in Nanoarchitectured SERS Substrates: Nanospaces, 2D Materials, and Organic Heterostructures.

This article reviews recent fabrication methods for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates with a focus on advanced nanoarchitecture based on noble metals with special nanospaces (round tips, gaps, and porous spaces), nanolayered 2D materials, including hybridization with metallic nanostructures (NSs), and the contemporary repertoire of nanoarchitecturing with organic molecules. The use of SERS for multidisciplinary applications has been extensively investigated because the considerably enhanced signal intensity enables the detection of a very small number of molecules with molecular fingerprints. Nanoarchitecture strategies for the design of new NSs play a vital role in developing SERS substrates. In this review, recent achievements with respect to the special morphology of metallic NSs are discussed, and future directions are outlined for the development of available NSs with reproducible preparation and well-controlled nanoarchitecture. Nanolayered 2D materials are proposed for SERS applications as an alternative to the noble metals. The modern solutions to existing limitations for their applications are described together with the state-of-the-art in bio/environmental SERS sensing using 2D materials-based composites. To complement the existing toolbox of plasmonic inorganic NSs, hybridization with organic molecules is proposed to improve the stability of NSs and selectivity of SERS sensing by hybridizing with small or large organic molecules.

Plasma-Induced Nanocrystalline Domain Engineering and Surface Passivation in Mesoporous Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films.

The synthesis of highly crystalline mesoporous materials is key to realizing high-performance chemical and biological sensors and optoelectronics. However, minimizing surface oxidation and enhancing the domain size without affecting the porous nanoarchitecture are daunting challenges. Herein, we report a hybrid technique that combines bottom-up electrochemical growth with top-down plasma treatment to produce mesoporous semiconductors with large crystalline domain sizes and excellent surface passivation. By passivating unsaturated bonds without incorporating any chemical or physical layers, these films show better stability and enhancement in the optoelectronic properties of mesoporous copper telluride (CuTe) with different pore diameters. These results provide exciting opportunities for the development of long-term, stable, and high-performance mesoporous semiconductor materials for future technologies.

Adsorchromism: Molecular Nanoarchitectonics at 2D Nanosheets-Old Chemistry for Advanced Chromism.

Chromism induced by changes in the electronic states of dye molecules due to surface adsorption is termed "adsorchromism" in this article. These changes of molecular electronic states are induced by protonation, aggregation, intramolecular structural changes, and other processes, depending on the surface environment. Intramolecular structural changes, such as co-planarization and decreased molecular motion are the most characteristic and interesting behavior of dye molecules at the surfaces, resulting in spectral shift and/or emission enhancement. In this review, adsorchromism at the surfaces of layered materials are summarized since their flexibility of interlayer distance, surface flatness, and transparency is suitable for a detailed observation. By understanding the relationship between adsorchromism and the electronic states of molecules on the surfaces, it will be possible to induce some desired functions which can be realized simply by adsorption, instead of complicated organic syntheses. Thus, adsorchromism has potential applications such as effective solar energy harvesting systems, or biological/chemical sensors to visualize environmental changes.