Fabrication of functional hollow carbon spheres with large hollow interior as active colloidal catalysts

Gd-doped Pt3Co Nanoparticles Embedded in Hollow Mesoporous Carbon Derived From Space-Confined Polymerization of Indene Boosting Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Developing suitable carbon supports and efficient Pt-based nanoparticles for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for accelerating the commercialization of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this study, indene-derived hollow mesoporous carbon spheres are synthesized for the first time using space-confined polymerization and subsequent annealing. The incorporation of Gd-doped Pt3Co nanoparticles into the hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (Gd-Pt3Co@HMS) resulted in catalysts with an impressive mass activity (MA) of 1.83 A mgPt -1 at 0.9 V. The Gd-Pt3Co@HMS catalyst exhibits excellent durability, as indicated by the minimal change in its E1/2 after 30,000 cycles. In a hydrogen-oxygen full cell, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with the Gd-Pt3Co@HMS catalyst achieves a current density of 1.44 A cm-2 at 0.6 V and a peak power density of 1.4 W cm-2. This enhancement is attributed to the increased binding strength of the Pt─O bond on Gd-Pt3Co (111), which results in a notable reduction in ΔEO. Additionally, the optimization of surface energy due to Gd doping contributes to the outstanding durability of the catalysts during the ORR. This research presents a novel method for developing efficient and stable oxygen reduction catalysts and has significant implications for next-generation fuel cell applications.

Progress in the Preparation and Applications of Microcapsules for Protective Coatings Against Corrosion

The annual economic loss caused by corrosion accounts for about 2%~4% of GDP, which exceeds the sum of losses caused by fires, floods, droughts, typhoons, and other disasters. Coating is one of the most effective methods to delay metal corrosion. With the development of technology and the intersection of disciplines, functional microcapsules have been applied to anticorrosive coatings, but microcapsules are still being updated. To understand the application progress of microcapsules in anticorrosive coatings, the future development trend of microcapsules is analyzed. The preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, functional characteristics, and development trends of organic, inorganic, and organic-inorganic hybrid microcapsules are described, respectively, from the perspective of material and molecular characteristics. Simultaneously, the influence of microcapsules of different materials on the properties of organic coatings is proved by examples. In addition, the research status and future development trends of microcapsule composite coating are introduced in detail. Finally, the great advantages of organic-inorganic hybrid microcapsules modified by functional materials based on natural inorganic materials in improving the utilization efficiency of loaded active substances and prolonging the life of coatings are foreseen.

Construction of Functional Phenolic Resin and Carbon Hollow Spheres by Manipulating Structural Inhomogeneity

Hollow carbonaceous spheres are extraordinarily attractive for their unique structural features and wide applications in various fields. Herein, a facile and effective synthesis methodology based on the extended Stöber process for construction of phenolic resin hollow spheres has been presented. Combined with a series of characterization techniques, the synthesis process was systematically investigated, and a possible synthesis mechanism was proposed. It is revealed that the structural inhomogeneity of the polymer product achieved by using dodecylamine and alkane is responsible for the formation of hollow architecture, which depends on spontaneous selective dissolution during the synthesis process. Different metal-doped carbonaceous hollow spheres can be obtained by introducing corresponding precursors into the synthetic system and meeting requirements of different application fields. This work presented a novel synthesis strategy of hollow carbonaceous spheres, which is significant for building a new platform of advanced functional carbon-based composites.

Synthesis of a hollow CeO2/Au/C hierarchical nanostructure for high catalytic activity and recyclability

We report uniform hollow CeO₂/Au/C nanocatalysts with hierarchical structures fabricated successfully via an etching process.