Bioinspired Oil-Infused Slippery Surfaces with Water and Ion Barrier Properties.

Encapsulation materials play an important role in many applications including wearable electronics, medical devices, underwater robotics, marine skin tagging system, food packaging, and energy conversation and storage devices. To date, all the encapsulation materials, including polymer layers and inorganic materials, are solid materials. These solid materials suffer from limited barrier lifetimes due to pinholes, cracks, and nanopores or from complicated fabrication processes and limited stretchability for interfacing with complex 3D surfaces. This paper reports a solution to this material challenge by demonstrating bioinspired oil-infused slippery surfaces with excellent waterproof property for the first time. A water vapor transmission test shows that locking a thin layer of oil on the silicone elastomer improves the water vapor barrier performance by three orders of magnitude. Accelerated lifetime tests suggest robust water barrier characteristics that approach 226 days at 37 °C even under severe mechanical damage. A combination of temperature- and thickness-dependent experimental measurements and reaction-diffusion modeling reveals the key waterproof property. In addition to serving as a barrier to water, the oil-infused surface demonstrates an attractive ion barrier property. All these exceptional properties suggest the potential applications of slippery surfaces as encapsulation materials for medical devices, underwater electronics, and many others.

Focused Ion Beam-Prepared Transmission Electron Microscopy Examination of Atmospheric Chemical Vapor-Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Morphology.

Silicon carbide (SiC)-based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are utilized for their refractory properties in the aerospace industry. The composition and structure of these materials are crucial to maintaining the strength, toughness, oxidation, and creep resistances that are desired of silicon carbide. This work analyzes the chemical composition of the matrix in batches of SiC/SiC (silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix) minicomposites that are processed by chemical vapor infiltration of the BN interphase and SiC matrix on single Hi-Nicalon Type S fiber tows using a range of processing parameters. The analysis was performed here to investigate the potential causes of variation in matrix tensile strength in the various batches of minicomposites. Six different morphologies present in the silicon carbide matrix were observed: smooth, nodular, rough nodular, bumpy, nucleated, and plate-like. It was found that high-matrix tensile strength minicomposite batches contained solely the smooth morphology, while low-matrix tensile strength minicomposite batches contained a variety of other morphologies. FIB/TEM was used to study the atomic and crystal character of each individual morphology. Smooth SiC is oriented by the (111) planes and is primarily SiC, while the other morphologies are randomly oriented and contain significant oxygen. These results match the tensile strength tests, which pointed to smooth SiC as the strongest matrix material.

Mesoporous Crystalline Niobium Oxide with a High Surface Area: A Solid Acid Catalyst for Alkyne Hydration.

A mesoporous crystalline niobium oxide with tunable pore sizes was synthesized via the sol-gel-based inverse micelle method. The material shows a surface area of 127 m2/g, which is the highest surface area reported so far for crystalline niobium oxide synthesized by soft template methods. The material also has a monomodal pore size distribution with an average pore diameter of 5.6 nm. A comprehensive characterization of niobium oxide was performed using powder X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The material acts as an environmentally friendly, solid acid catalyst toward hydration of alkynes under with excellent catalytic activity (99% conversion, 99% selectivity, and 4.39 h-1 TOF). Brønsted acid sites present in the catalyst were found to be responsible for the high catalytic activity. The catalyst was reusable up to five cycles without a significant loss of the activity.

Mesoporous Molybdenum-Tungsten Mixed Metal Oxide: A Solid Acid Catalyst for Green, Highly Efficient sp3-sp2 C-C Coupling Reactions.

A mesoporous molybdenum tungsten mixed metal oxide with high surface area (173 m2/g) was synthesized by using metal dissolution coupled with a surfactant assisted reverse micelle formation synthesis method. Comprehensive characterization of the mixed oxide was performed by using PXRD, Raman, BET, SEM, EDX, TEM, and XPS. Thus, the formation of α-Mo0.5W0.5O3 with a homogeneous distribution of Mo and W throughout the material was seen. Furthermore, multiple oxidation states of molybdenum (Mo6+ and Mo5+) and a single oxidation state of tungsten (W6+) were observed. The weak/moderate acidic sites present in the mixed metal oxide resulted in excellent catalytic properties toward the sp3-sp2 carbon-carbon coupling reactions. The coupling of benzyl alcohol and toluene was completed within 15 min at 110 °C with 99% yield.

A novel, mesoporous molybdenum doped titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide composite as a green, highly efficient solid acid catalyst for acetalization.

A novel, mesoporous composite of Mo doped TiO2/reduced graphene oxide is synthesized to be used as a highly efficient heterogeneous acid catalyst. The composite has a high surface area (263 m2 g-1) and a monomodal pore size distribution with an average pore diameter of 3.4 nm. A comprehensive characterization of the synthesized material was done using PXRD, Raman, BET, SEM, EDX, TEM, TGA, and XPS. The composite exhibited excellent catalytic activity (1.6 h-1 TOF, >99% GC yield, and >99% selectivity) towards acetalization of cyclohexanone at room tempertaure within 30 minutes. The catalyst was reusable up to 4 reaction cycles without any significant loss in the activity and the acidic site calculations showed that the reaction is mostly driven by the weak acidic sites on the composite.

The interaction of mercury and methylmercury with chalcogenide nanoparticles.

Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (CH3Hg) bind strongly to micro and nano (NP) particles and this partitioning impacts their fate and bioaccumulation into food webs, and, as a result, potential human exposure. This partitioning has been shown to influence the bioavailability of inorganic Hg to methylating bacteria, with NP-bound Hg being more bioavailable than particulate HgS, or organic particulate-bound Hg. In this study we set out to investigate whether the potential interactions between dissolved ionic Hg (HgII) and CH3Hg and NPs was due to incorporation of Hg into the core of the cadmium selenide and sulfide (CdSe; CdS) nanoparticles (metal exchange or surface precipitation), or due purely to surface interactions. The interaction was assessed based on the quenching of the fluorescence intensity and lifetime observed during HgII or CH3Hg titration experiments of these NP solutions. Additional analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of CdSe NPs and the separated solution, obtained after HgII additions, showed that there was no metal exchange, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed this and further indicated that the Hg was bound to cysteine, the NP capping agent. Our study suggests that Hg and CH3Hg adsorbed to the surfaces of NPs would have different bioavailability for release into water or to (de)methylating organisms or for bioaccumulation, and provides insights into the behavior of Hg in the environment in the presence of natural or manufactured NPs.

Oxidative nucleation and growth of Janus-type MnOx-Ag and MnOx-AgI nanoparticles.

Janus nanoparticles (NPs) containing two chemically distinct materials in one system are of great significance for catalysis in terms of harnessing catalytic synergies that do not exist in either component. We herein present a novel synthetic method of two Janus-type MnOx-Ag and MnOx-AgI NPs. The synthesis of Janus-type MnOx-AgI NPs is based on the oxidative nucleation and growth of Ag domains on MnO first and the subsequent iodization of Ag. A mild and non-disruptive iodization strategy is developed to yield Janus MnOx-AgI NPs, in which converting Ag to AgI domains with iodomethane (CH3I) is achieved through partial iodization. Simultaneously, Mn2+ species in the primary MnO octahedra are oxidized during the growth of Ag NPs, leading to the formation of amorphous p-type MnOx domains. Therefore, the as-resultant Janus-type MnOx-AgI NPs combining two semiconductors into an integrated nanostructure can be used as an efficient photocatalyst for visible-light-driven water oxidation. Janus MnOx-AgI NPs show an expected photocatalytic activity even in the absence of Ru(bpy)3Cl2 as an electron mediator. This intriguing synthesis may offer a new opportunity to develop asymmetric nanostructures of two semiconductors that will potentially be efficient photocatalysts for solar-driven water splitting.

Constructing Bifunctional 3D Holey and Ultrathin CoP Nanosheets for Efficient Overall Water Splitting.

Pursuing cost-effective water-splitting catalysts is still a significant scientific challenge to produce renewable fuels and chemicals from various renewable feedstocks. The construction of controllable binder-free nanostructures with self-standing holey and ultrathin nanosheets is one of the promising approaches. Herein, by employing a combination of the potentiodynamic mode of electrodeposition and low-temperature phosphidation, three-dimensional (3D) holey CoP ultrathin nanosheets are fabricated on a carbon cloth (PD-CoP UNSs/CC) as bifunctional catalysts. Electrochemical tests show that the PD-CoP UNSs/CC exhibits outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction performance at all pH values with overpotentials of 47, 90, and 51 mV to approach 10 mA cm-2 in acidic, neutral, and alkaline media, respectively. Meanwhile, only a low overpotential of 268 mV is required to drive 20 mA cm-2 for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media. Cyclic voltammetry and impedance studies suggest the enhanced performance is mainly attributed to the unique 3D holey ultrathin nanosheets, which could increase the electrochemically active area, facilitate the release of gas bubbles from electrode surfaces, and improve effective electrolyte diffusion. This work suggests an efficient path to design and fabricate non-noble bifunctional electrocatalysts for water splitting at a large scale.

Au-Cu-M (M = Pt, Pd, Ag) nanorods with enhanced catalytic efficiency by galvanic replacement reaction.

This work reports a general wet-chemistry method to produce Au-Cu-X (X = Pt, Pd, and Ag) trimetallic nanorods using galvanic replacement reaction with Au-Cu nanorods as the templates. The mild conditions, such as low temperature and slow injection of metal precursors, contributed to the slow galvanic replacement reaction and helped keep the rod structure intact. The distribution of Au, Cu and the doping metals was even in the rods as confirmed by elemental mapping. The alloyed trimetallic nanorods showed enhanced catalytic activity for p-nitrophenol reduction after incorporating the third metal. Remarkably, the Au-Cu-Pd and Au-Cu-Pt nanorods show more than an order of magnitude improvement in the mass activities compared to the Au-Cu nanorods. This facile and general synthetic method can be applied to fabricate other multimetallic nanoparticles with varying shapes and compositions.

Niobium-substituted octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) materials in selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane.

Octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) refers to a one-dimensional 2 × 2 framework of octahedral manganese oxo units based on the cryptomelane-type framework. Herein, we describe a niobium (Nb) substituted mixed metal oxide of Nb and Mn where the cryptomelane-type framework is retained. These materials are hydrothermally synthesized from the reaction of potassium permanganate, manganese sulfate, and homogeneous niobium(v) precursors. Niobium incorporation up to 31 mol% can be achieved without destroying the one dimensional 2 × 2 framework. The yields of the materials vary between 70 and 90%. These materials are analyzed by powder XRD, BET isotherm, TEM, SEM, XRF, and XPS studies. The synthesized materials show promising activity in selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane (DMM) at 200 °C. Normalized activity correlations followed the trend 21% Nb-OMS-2 > 15% Nb-OMS-2 > 31% Nb-OMS-2 > 68% Nb-OMS-2 > K-OMS-2. A fluctuation in methanol conversion was observed around 125-150 °C in most samples, suggesting this to be a catalytically important temperature regime when forming active sites for DMM production.

Ultrasmall Au nanocatalysts supported on nitrided carbon for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction: the role of the carbon support in high selectivity.

Au is one of the most promising electrocatalysts to convert CO2 into CO in an aqueous-phase electrochemical reduction. However, ultrasmall Au nanocatalysts (AuNCs, <2 nm) have proven to be favorable for water reduction over CO2, although they possess a large surface-to-volume ratio and potentially are ideal for CO2 reduction. We herein report that ultrasmall AuNCs (1.9 ± 0.3 nm) supported on nitrided carbon are remarkably active and selective for CO2 reduction. The mass activity for CO of AuNCs reaches 967 A g-1 with a faradaic efficiency for CO of ∼83% at -0.73 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) that is an order of magnitude more active than the state-of-the-art results. The high activity is endowed by the large surface area per unit weight and the high selectivity of ultrasmall AuNCs for CO2 reduction originates from the cooperative effect of Au and the nitrided carbon support where the surface N sites act as Lewis bases to increase the surface charge density of AuNCs and enhance the localized concentration of CO2 nearby catalytically active Au sites. We show that our results can be applied to other pre-synthesized Au catalysts to largely improve their selectivity for CO2 reduction by 50%. Our method is expected to illustrate a general guideline to effectively lower the cost of Au catalysts per unit weight of the product while maintaining its high selectivity for CO2 reduction.