Fabrication of Multilayered Two-Dimensional Micelles and Fibers by Controlled Self-Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers

Fabricating hierarchical nanomaterials by self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymers attracts great interest. However, the key factors that affect the formation of the hierarchical nanomaterials have not been thoroughly researched. Herein, we have synthesized two diblock copolymers composed of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Through a heating, cooling, and aging process, a series of multilayered hierarchical micelles and fibers were prepared in alcoholic solutions. The transition from fibers to hierarchical micelles are strictly influenced by the strength of the π-π stacking interaction, the PEG chain length, and solvent. In isopropanol, the P3HT₂₂-b-PEG₄₃ could self-assemble into hierarchical micelles composed of several two-dimensional (2D) laminar layers, driven by the π-π stacking interaction and van der Waals force. The P3HT₂₂-b-PEG₄₃ could not self-assemble into well-defined nanostructures in methanol and ethanol, but could self-assemble into fibers in isobutanol. However, the P3HT₂₂-b-PEG₁₁₃ with a longer corona block only self-assembled into fibers in four alcoholic solutions, due to the increase in dissolving capacity and steric hindrance. The sizes and the size distributions of the nanostructures both increased with the increase in polymer concentration and the decrease in solvent polarity. This study shows a method to fabricate the hierarchical micelles.

Ni(OH)2-decorated nitrogen doped MWCNT nanosheets as an efficient electrode for high performance supercapacitors

In this study, nickel hydroxide nanoparticles (NPs) decorated with nitrogen doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNT) hybrid composite was synthesized by thermal reduction process in the presence of cetyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and urea. The as-synthesized Ni(OH)₂@N-MWCNT hybrid composite was characterized by FTIR, Raman, XRD, BET, BJH and FE-TEM analyses. These prepared porous carbon hybrid composite materials possessed high specific surface area and sheet like morphology useful for active electrode materials. The maximum specific capacitance of Ni(OH)₂@N-MWCNT hybrid nanocomposite in the two electrode system showed 350 Fg⁻¹ at 0.5 A/g,energy density ~43.75 Wkg⁻¹ and corresponds to power density 1500 W kg⁻¹ with excellent capacity retention after 5000 cycles. The results suggest that the prepared two-dimensional hybrid composite is a promising electrode material for electrochemical energy storage applications.

Konjac glucomannan-templated synthesis of three-dimensional NiO nanostructures assembled from porous NiO nanoplates for gas sensors

Biopolymer template synthesis has attracted extensive interest for fabricating highly porous metal oxide nanostructures. In this report, a green template-based approach for the synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) NiO nanostructures assembled from porous NiO nanoplates is introduced using a konjac glucomannan (KGM) template. The Ni–KGM composites, which were formed by the immersion of KGM nanofibrils in nickel nitrate solution, were annealed in air at 600 °C to obtain the highly porous NiO nanoplates. The KGM nanofibrils were used as a sacrificial template, which was combusted at a high temperature for the formation of the porous nanostructures. The gas sensor properties of the porous NiO architecture were systematically investigated with four reduced gases including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The results indicate that the porous NiO nanoplates show a good detection of hydrogen sulfide with a rapid response and recovery speed at low concentrations.

Biopolymer template synthesis has attracted extensive interest for fabricating highly porous metal oxide nanostructures.

Self-Assembled 3D Flower-Like Nickel Hydroxide Nanostructures and Their Supercapacitor Applications

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures have attracted considerable attention because of their high surface areas and unique properties which gives outstanding performance in catalysis and energy storage applications. This paper proposes the growth mechanism of 3D flower-like β-Ni(OH)₂ constructed through a two dimensional sheet framework using a one-step oleylamine-assisted solvothermal approach, where oleylamine acts as the surfactant, co-solvent, stabilizer, and reducing agent. A detailed examination of the product morphology after various reaction times suggested that the self-assembly of flower occurs through a mechanism involving nucleation, Ostwald ripening, and recrystallization. The associated characterization revealed it to be pure β-Ni(OH)₂ without any sign of contamination. The effect of the morphology (sheet to 3D flower-like β-Ni(OH)₂) on the electrochemical supercapacitive behavior was assessed by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests. The results showed that 3D flower-like β-Ni(OH)₂ exhibited better specific capacitance of ~1567 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 A g⁻¹ and retained ~25% capacitance at a high current density of 10 A g⁻¹ compared to the other reference materials. The superior electrochemical properties of the 3D flower-like β-Ni(OH)₂ originate from their large specific surface area and unique structure.

Facile synthesis and gas-sensing performance of Sr- or Fe-doped In2O3 hollow sub-microspheres

Sr- or Fe-doped In₂O₃ hollow sub-microspheres were successfully fabricated, which show excellent gas sensing performance towards a series of organic solvents.

Enhanced ethanol sensing characteristics of In2O3-decorated NiO hollow nanostructures via modulation of hole accumulation layers

In this work, we report a dramatic enhancement in ethanol sensing characteristics of NiO hollow nanostructures via decoration with In2O3 nanoclusters. The pure NiO and 1.64-4.41 atom % In-doped NiO and In2O3-decorated NiO hollow spheres were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, and their gas sensing characteristics were investigated. The response (the ratio between the resistance in gas and air) of the In2O3-decorated NiO hollow spheres to 5 ppm ethanol (C2H5OH) was 9.76 at 350 °C, which represents a significant improvement over the In-doped NiO and pure NiO hollow spheres (3.37 and 2.18, respectively). Furthermore, the 90% recovery time was drastically reduced from 1880 to 23 s, and a selective detection of ethanol with negligible cross-response to other gases was achieved. The enhanced gas response and fast recovery kinetics were explained in relation to the thinning of the near-surface hole accumulation layer of p-type NiO underneath n-type In2O3, the change of charge carrier concentration, and the variation of oxygen adsorption.

Nanosheet-based hierarchical Ni(2)(CO(3))(OH)(2) microspheres with weak crystallinity for high-performance supercapacitor

Three-dimensionally hierarchical oxide/hydroxide materials have recently attracted increasing interest by virtue of their exciting potential in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Herein, hierarchical Ni2(CO3)(OH)2 microspheres assembled from ultrathin nanosheets were successfully synthesized by a one-pot/one-step hydrothermal route. In this method, common nickel salts and urea were selected as raw materials. The influence of urea concentration on the final product was studied. The hierarchical Ni2(CO3)(OH)2 microspheres show weak crystallinity and contain crystalline water. It was found that they exhibit excellent rate capacity when used as supercapacitor electrode. Under current density of 0.5 and 10 A/g, the optimized Ni2(CO3)(OH)2 electrode with loading density of 5.3 mg/cm(2) exhibited specific capacitances of 1178 and 613 F/g with excellent cycling stability. The excellent electrochemical property is possibly attributed to the intrinsic nature of Ni2(CO3)(OH)2, the ultrathin thickness of nanosheet units, and the sufficient space available to interact with the electrolyte. This facile synthesis strategy and the good electrochemical properties indicate that hydroxycarbonates are promising materials for supercapacitor application. This study suggests a large library of materials for potential application in energy storage systems.