Formation of CoS2Nanobubble Hollow Prisms for Highly Reversible Lithium Storage

A Review of Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived Hollow-Structured Photocatalysts: Synthesis and Applications

Photocatalysis is a most important approach to addressing global energy shortages and environmental issues due to its environmentally friendly and sustainable properties. The key to realizing efficient photocatalysis relies on developing appropriate catalysts with high efficiency and chemical stability. Among various photocatalysts, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived hollow-structured materials have drawn increased attention in photocatalysis based on advantages like more active sites, strong light absorption, efficient transfer of pho-induced charges, excellent stability, high electrical conductivity, and better biocompatibility. Specifically, MOFs-derived hollow-structured materials are widely utilized in photocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR), hydrogen evolution (HER), nitrogen fixation (NRR), degradation, and other reactions. This review starts with the development story of MOFs, the commonly adopted synthesis strategies of MOFs-derived hollow materials, and the latest research progress in various photocatalytic applications are also introduced in detail. Ultimately, the challenges of MOFs-derived hollow-structured materials in practical photocatalytic applications are also prospected. This review holds great potential for developing more applicable and efficient MOFs-derived hollow-structured photocatalysts.

Construction of unique NiCoP/FeNiCoP hollow heterostructured ellipsoids with modulated electronic structure for enhanced overall water splitting

Transition metal phosphides have been demonstrated to be promising non-noble catalysts for water splitting, yet their electrocatalytic performance is impeded by unfavorable free energies of adsorbed intermediates. The achievement of nanoscale modulation in morphology and electronic states is imperative for enhancing their intrinsic electrocatalytic activity. Herein, we propose a strategy to expedite the water splitting process over NiCoP/FeNiCoP hollow ellipsoids by modulating the electronic structure and d-band center. These unique phosphorus (P) vacancies-rich ellipsoids are synthesized through an ion-exchange reaction between uniform NiCo-nanoprisms and K3[Fe(CN)6], followed by NaH2PO2-assisted phosphorization under N2 atmosphere. Various characterizations reveals that the titled catalyst possesses high specific surface area, abundant porosity, and accessible inner surfaces, all of which are beneficial for efficient mass transfer and gas diffusion. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations further confirms that the NiCoP/FeNiCoP heterojunction associated with P vacancies regulate the electronic structures of d-electrons and p-electrons of Co and P atoms, respectively, resulting in a higher desorption efficiency of adsorbed H* intermediates with a lower energy barrier for water splitting. Due to the aforementioned advantages, the resultant NiCoP/FeNiCoP hollow ellipsoids exhibit remarkably low overpotentials of 45 and 266 mV for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction to achieve the current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm-2, respectively. This work not only reports the synthesis of a hollow double-shell structure of NiCoP/FeNiCoP but also introduces a novel strategy for constructing a multifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting.

Flexible CNT-Interpenetrating Hierarchically Porous Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile (CIHP-SPAN) Electrodes for High-Rate Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) Batteries

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is a promising cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries owing to its reversible solid-solid conversion for high-energy-density batteries. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics of SPAN cathodes significantly limit their output capacity, especially at high cycling rates. Herein, a CNT-interpenetrating hierarchically porous SPAN electrode is developed by a simple phase-separation method. Flexible self-supporting SPAN cathodes with fast electron/ion pathways are synthesized without additional binders, and exceptional high-rate cycling performances are obtained even with substantial sulfur loading. For batteries assembled with this special cathode, an impressive initial discharge capacity of 1090 mAh g-1 and a retained capacity of 800 mAh g-1 are obtained after 1000 cycles at 1 C with a sulfur loading of 1.5 mg cm-2. Furthermore, by incorporating V2O5 anchored carbon fiber as an interlayer with adsorption and catalysis function, a high initial capacity of 614.8 mAh g-1 and a notable sustained capacity of 500 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 5 C are achieved, with an ultralow decay rate of 0.037% per cycle with a sulfur loading of 1.5 mg cm-2. The feasible construction of flexible SPAN electrodes with enhanced cycling performance enlists the current processing as a promising strategy for novel high-rate lithium-sulfur batteries and other emerging battery electrodes.

Atomically Engineered Encapsulation of SnS2 Nanoribbons by Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for High-Efficiency Lithium Storage

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are integral to contemporary energy storage, yet current anode material systems struggle to meet the increasing demand for extended range capabilities. This work introduces a novel composite anode material composed of one-dimensional 2H-phase tin disulfide (SnS2) nanoribbons enclosed within cavities of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SnS2@SWCNTs), achieved through precise atomic engineering. Employing aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, we precisely elucidated the crystal structure of SnS2 within the confines of the SWCNTs. This deliberate design effectively addresses the inherent limitations of SnS2 as a lithium-ion anode material, including its low electrical conductivity, considerable volume expansion effects, and unstable solid electrolyte interface membrane. Testing confirmed that SnS2 transforms into the Li5Sn2 alloy phase after full lithiation and back to SnS2 after delithiation, showing excellent reversibility. The composite also benefits from edge effects, improving lithium storage through stronger binding and lower migration barriers, which were supported by calculations. This pioneering work advances high-performance anode materials for applications.

Recent Advances in Hierarchical Porous Engineering of MOFs and Their Derived Materials for Catalytic and Battery: Methods and Application

Hierarchical porous materials have attracted the attention of researchers due to their enormous specific surface area, maximized active site utilization efficiency, and unique structure and properties. In this context, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a unique mix of properties that make them particularly appealing as tunable porous substrates containing highly active sites. This review focuses on recent advances in the types and synthetic strategies of hierarchical porous MOFs and their derived materials. Furthermore, it highlights the relationship between the mass diffusion and transport of hierarchical porous structures and the pore size with examples and simulations, while identifying their potential and limitations. On this basis, how the synthesis conditions affect the structure and electrochemical properties of MOFs based hierarchical porous materials with different structures is discussed, highlighting the prospects and challenges for the synthetization, as well as further scientific research and practical applications. Finally, some insights into current research and future design ideas for advanced MOFs based hierarchical porous materials are presented.

One-Step Synthesis of Hollow CoS2 Spheres Derived from Polyoxometalate-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks with Peroxidase-like Activity

In this work, hollow CoS2 particles were prepared by a one-step sulfurization strategy using polyoxometalate-based metal-organic frameworks as the precursor. The morphology and structure of CoS2 have been monitored by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. The mechanism for the formation of CoS2 is discussed. The reaction time and sulfur content are found to be important factors that affect the morphology and pure phase formation of CoS2, and a hollow semioctahedral morphology of CoS2 with open voids was obtained when the sulfur source was twice as large as the precursor and the reaction time was 24 h. The CoS2 (24 h) particles show an excellent peroxidase-like activity for the oxidation of colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue oxidized (oxTMB) by hydrogen peroxide. The polyoxometalate used as a precursor helps to stabilize oxTMB during catalytic oxidation, forming a stable curve platform for at least 8 min. Additionally, the colorimetric detection of hydroquinone is developed with a low detection limit of 0.42 μM. This research provides a new strategy to design hollow materials with high peroxidase-mimicking activity.

MOFs-derived Co3O4@MnO2@Carbon dots with enhanced nanozymes activity for photoelectrochemical detection of cancer cells in whole blood

Nanozymes have attracted widespread attention, and rationally designing high-activity nanozymes to improve their application performance are a long-term objective. Herein, taking metal-organic frameworks-derived Co3O4 polyhedron with large surface area and high porosity as nanoconfinement carriers, Co3O4@MnO2@CDs polyhedron was successfully synthesized by the room-temperature reduction of MnO4- ions and physical load of carbon dots (CDs). Through cancer cells-triggered double antibody sandwich strategy, the Co3O4@MnO2@CDs polyhedron were introduced to the TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) modified electrode, leading to the decreased photocurrent. The Co3O4@MnO2@CDs polyhedron can not only quench the photocurrent of TiO2 NPs, also act as nanozymes to catalyze precipitates. Moreover, the precipitates can not only reduce the photoelectrochemical (PEC) response, also increase the quenching capacity of the Co3O4@MnO2@CDs polyhedron. Additionally, the steric hindrance effect of the Co3O4@MnO2@CDs-Ab conjugates further weaken the photocurrent. Based on the multifunctional Co3O4@MnO2@CDs polyhedron, the proposed PEC biosensor for the detection of A549 cancer cells exhibits a wide linear range from 102 to 106 cells/mL and a low detection limit of 11 cells/mL. Furthermore, this strategy can differentiate between lung cancer patients and healthy individuals. The designed multifunctional Co3O4@MnO2@CDs nanozymes provide a new horizon for PEC detection of cancer cells, and may have great potential in early clinical diagnosis and biomedical research.

Architecture and active motif engineering of N-CoS2@C yolk-shell nanoreactor for boosted tetracycline removal via peroxymonosulfate activation: Performance, mechanism and destruction pathways

Rational construction of yolk-shell architecture with regulated binding configuration is crucially important but challengeable for antibiotic degradation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. In this study, we report the utilization of yolk-shell hollow architecture consisted of nitrogen-doped cobalt pyrite integrated carbon spheres (N-CoS₂@C) as PMS activator to boost tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) degradation. The creation of yolk-shell hollow structure and nitrogen-regulated active site engineering of CoS₂ endow the resulted N-CoS₂@C nanoreactor with high activity for PMS activating toward TCH degradation. Intriguingly, the N-CoS₂@C nanoreactor exhibits an optimal degradation performance with a rate constant of 0.194 min^-1 toward TCH via PMS activation. The ¹O₂ and SO₄^•- species are demonstrated as the dominant active substances for TCH degradation through quenching experiments and electron spin resonance characterization. The possible degradation mechanism, intermediates and degradation pathways for TCH removal over the N-CoS₂@C/PMS nanoreactor are unveiled. Graphitic N, sp²-hybrid carbon, oxygenated group (C-OH) and Co species are verified as the possible catalytic sites of N-CoS₂@C for PMS activation toward TCH removal. This study offers a unique strategy to engineer sulfides as highly efficient and promising PMS activators for antibiotic degradation.

Low volume expansion hierarchical porous sulfur-doped Fe2O3@C with high-rate capability for superior lithium storage

Ingenious morphology design and doping engineering have remarkable effects on enhancing conductivity and reducing volume expansion, which need to be improved by transition metal oxides serving as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Herein, S_0.15-Fe₂O₃@C nano-spindles with a hierarchical porous structure are obtained by carbonizing MIL-88B@PDA and subsequent high-temperature S-doping. Kinetic analysis showed that S-doping increases capacitive contribution, enhances charge transfer capability and accelerates Li⁺ diffusion rate. Therefore, the S_0.15-Fe₂O₃@C electrode exhibits superior lithium storage performance with a remarkable specific capacity of 1014.4 mA h g^-1 at 200 mA g^-1, ultrahigh rate capability of 513.1 mA h g^-1 at 5.0 A g^-1, and excellent cycling stability of 842.3 mA h g^-1 at 1.0 A g^-1 after 500 cycles. Moreover, the size of S_0.15-Fe₂O₃@C particles barely changed after 50 cycles, indicating an extremely low volume expansion, related to the carbon shell, fine Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, abundant voids inside, and improved kinetics. This strategy can be applied to other metal oxides for synthesizing anodes with high-rate capability and low volume expansion.

Nanocapsule of MnS Nanopolyhedron Core@CoS Nanoparticle/Carbon Shell@Pure Carbon Shell as Anode Material for High-Performance Lithium Storage

MnS has been explored as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity, but low electronic conductivity and severe volume change induce low reversible capacity and poor cycling performance. In this work, the nanocapsule consisting of MnS nanopolyhedrons confined in independent, closed and conductive hollow polyhedral nanospheres is prepared by embedding MnCO₃ nanopolyhedrons into ZIF-67, followed by coating of RF resin and gaseous sulfurization/carbonization. Benefiting from the unique nanocapsule structure, especially inner CoS/C shell and outer pure C shell, the MnS@CoS/C@C composite as anode material presents excellent cycling performance (674 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 after 300 cycles; 481 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1 after 300 cycles) and superior rate capability (1133.3 and 650.6 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 and 4 A g^-1), compared to the control materials (MnS and MnS@CoS/C) and other MnS composites. Kinetics measurements further reveal a high proportion of the capacitive effect and low reaction impedance of MnS@CoS/C@C. SEM and TEM observation on the cycled electrode confirms superior structural stability of MnS@CoS/C@C during long-term cycles. Excellent lithium storage performance and the convenient synthesis strategy demonstrates that the MnS@CoS/C@C nanocapsule is a promising high-performance anode material.

Inhibiting the Dissolution of Lithium Polyphosphides and Enhancing the Reaction Kinetics of a Phosphorus Anode via Screening Functional Additives

A high-capacity, low-cost phosphorus anode is considered as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation Li-ion batteries. Nevertheless, the dissolution/shuttle effect of lithium polyphosphides and sluggish electrochemical conversion hinder the practical application of a phosphorus anode, similar to the problems of a sulfur cathode. Although the reported functional additives with physical obstruction and chemical adsorption have been successful in improving the performance of a sulfur cathode, they can not be directly applied to phosphorus due to their deterioration and failure in low voltage. To solve the above problems, we made a systematic investigation to rationally select the functional additives (Li₂O, Li₂S, and LiF) and effectively guide the experiment. These functional additives possess synergetic effects, including the adsorption of soluble lithium polyphosphides and the catalytic conversion of phosphorus species. The design of these functional additives provides a guiding and screening principle for inhibiting the dissolution of polyphosphides and improving the reaction kinetics of a phosphorus anode.

Mechanisms for self-templating design of micro/nanostructures toward efficient energy storage

The ever-growing demand in modern power systems calls for the innovation in electrochemical energy storage devices so as to achieve both supercapacitor-like high power density and battery-like high energy density. Rational design of the micro/nanostructures of energy storage materials offers a pathway to finely tailor their electrochemical properties thereby enabling significant improvements in device performances and enormous strategies have been developed for synthesizing hierarchically structured active materials. Among all strategies, the direct conversion of precursor templates into target micro/nanostructures through physical and/or chemical processes is facile, controllable, and scalable. Yet the mechanistic understanding of the self-templating method is lacking and the synthetic versatility for constructing complex architectures is inadequately demonstrated. This review starts with the introduction of five main self-templating synthetic mechanisms and the corresponding constructed hierarchical micro/nanostructures. Subsequently, the structural merits provided by the well-defined architectures for energy storage are elaborately discussed. At last, a summary of current challenges and future development of the self-templating method for synthesizing high-performance electrode materials is also presented.

Metal-organic framework nanocrystal-derived hollow porous materials: Synthetic strategies and emerging applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered multidisciplinary attention due to their structural tailorability, controlled pore size, and physicochemical functions, and their inherent properties can be exploited by applying them as precursors and/or templates for fabricating derived hollow porous nanomaterials. The fascinating, functional properties and applications of MOF-derived hollow porous materials primarily lie in their chemical composition, hollow character, and unique porous structure. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the synthetic strategies and emerging applications of hollow porous materials derived from MOF-based templates and/or precursors is given. Based on the role of MOFs in the preparation of hollow porous materials, the synthetic strategies are described in detail, including (1) MOFs as removable templates, (2) MOF nanocrystals as both self-sacrificing templates and precursors, (3) MOF@secondary-component core-shell composites as precursors, and (4) hollow MOF nanocrystals and their composites as precursors. Subsequently, the applications of these hollow porous materials for chemical catalysis, electrocatalysis, energy storage and conversion, and environmental management are presented. Finally, a perspective on the research challenges and future opportunities and prospects for MOF-derived hollow materials is provided.

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MOFs have garnered multi-disciplinary attention due to their unique inherent properties

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Various synthetic strategies of MOFs-derived hollow porous materials are summarized

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Emerging applications of MOFs-derived hollow porous materials are reviewed

Zeolite Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) Derived Nanomaterials and their Hybrids for Advanced Secondary Batteries and Electrocatalysis

Zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), as a typical class of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), have attracted a great deal of attention in the field of energy storage and conversation due to their chemical structure stability, facile synthesis and environmental friendliness. Among of ZIFs family, the zinc-based imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) and cobalt-based imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) have considered as promising ZIFs materials, which attributed to their tunable porosity, stable structure, and desirable electrical conductivity. To date, various ZIF-8 and ZIF67 derived materials, including carbon materials, metal oxides, sulfides, selenides, carbides and phosphides, have been successfully synthesized using ZIFs as templates and evaluated as promising electrode materials for secondary batteries and electrocatalysis. This review provides an effective guide for the comprehension of the performance optimization and application prospects of ZIFs derivatives, specifically focusing on the optimization of structure and their application in secondary batteries and electrocatalysis. In detail, we present recent advances in the improvement of electrochemical performance of ZIF-8, ZIF-67 and ZIF-8@ZIF-67 derived nanomaterials and their hybrids, including carbon materials, metal oxides, carbides, oxides, sulfides, selenides, and phosphides for high-performance secondary batteries and electrocatalysis.

A simple and versatile synthesis strategy of hollow MOFs for CO2 separation and catalysis

A novel single-solvent-interfacial strategy is proposed to synthesize hollow MOFs, fabricated at the two-phase interface originated from the self-deliquescence of hydration water in the metallic precursors and the solvents with low water solubility. The as-fabricated HMOFs with hierarchically porous structures exhibit significant enhancement in CO₂ separation and catalysis.

Dual Carbon Design Strategy for Anodes of Sodium-Ion Battery: Mesoporous CoS2/CoO on Open Framework Carbon-Spheres with rGO Encapsulating

Transition metal sulfides and oxides with high theoretical capacities have been regarded as promising anode candidates for a sodium-ion battery (SIB); however, they have critical issues including sluggish electrochemical kinetics and poor long-term stability. Herein, a dual carbon design strategy is proposed to integrate with highly active heterojunctions to overcome the above issues. In this new design, CoS₂/CoO hollow dodecahedron heterojunctions are sandwiched between open framework carbon-spheres (OFCs) and a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanomembrane (OFC@CoS₂/CoO@rGO). The CoS₂/CoO heterojunctions effectively promote electron transfer on their surface and provide more electrochemical active sites through their hierarchical hollow structures assembled by nanodots. Meanwhile, the dual-carbon framework forms a highly conductive network that enables a better rate capability. More importantly, the dual carbon can greatly buffer volume expansion and stable reaction interfaces of electrode material during the charge/discharge process. Benefitting from their synergistical effects, the OFC@CoS₂/CoO@rGO electrode achieves a high reversible capacity of 460 mAh g^-1 at 0.05 A g^-1 and still maintains 205.3 mAh g^-1 even when current density is increased by 200 times when used as an anode material for SIBs. Their cycling property is also remarkable with a maintained capacity of 161 mAh g^-1 after 3500 charging/discharging cycles at a high current density of 1 A g^-1. The dual-carbon strategy is demonstrated to be effective for enhanced reaction kinetics and long-term cycling property, providing siginificant guidance for preparing other high-performance electrode materials.

ZIF-X (8, 67) based nanostructures for gas-sensing applications

ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 are the most investigated zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) materials that have aroused enormous scientific interests in numerous areas of application including electrochemistry, gas storage, separation, and sensors by reason of their fascinating structural properties. Recently, there is a rapidly growing demand for chemical gas sensors for the detection of various analytes in widespread applications including environmental pollution monitoring, clinical analysis, wastewater analysis, industrial applications, food quality, consumer products, and automobiles. In general, the key to the development of superior gas sensors is exploring innovative sensing materials. ZIF-X (8, 67) based nanostructures have demonstrated great potential as ideal sensing materials for high-performance sensing applications. In this review, the general properties and applications of ZIF-X (8, 67) including gas storage and gas adsorption are first summarized, and then the recent progress of ZIF-X (8, 67) based nanostructures for gas-sensing applications and the structure-property correlations are summarized and analyzed.

Hierarchical Nanocapsules of Cu-Doped MoS2@H-Substituted Graphdiyne for Magnesium Storage

Hierarchical nanocomposites, which integrate electroactive materials into carbonaceous species, are significant in addressing the structural stability and electrical conductivity of electrode materials in post-lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a hierarchical nanocapsule that encapsulates Cu-doped MoS₂ (Cu-MoS₂) nanopetals with inner added skeletons in an organic-carbon-rich nanotube of hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne (HsGDY) has been developed for rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMB). Notably, both the incorporation of Cu in MoS₂ and the generation of the inner added nanoboxes are developed from a dual-template of Cu-cysteine@HsGDY hybrid nanowire; the synthesis involves two morphology/composition evolutions by CuS@HsGDY intermediates both taking place sequentially in one continuous process. These Cu-doped MoS₂ nanopetals with stress-release skeletons provide abundant active sites for Mg²⁺ storage. The microporous HsGDY enveloped with an extended π-conjugation system offers more effective electron and ion transfer channels. These advantages work together to make this nanocapsule an effective cathode material for RMB with a large reversible capacity and superior rate and cycling performance.

Graphene oxide supported Yolk - Shell ZnS/Ni3S4 with the adjustable air layer for high performance of electromagnetic wave absorber

Yolk-shell structure materials with the light weight, excellent impedance matching and electromagnetic wave (EMW) loss ability were widely used in the field of absorbing materials. However, the previous researches on this kind of structure always focused on the comparison between solid structure and empty structure. Different from previous studies, in this paper, the effect of yolk-shell structure with different air layer thickness on EMW absorption was studied for the first time. Graphene oxide (GO) supported yolk-shell ZnS/Ni₃S₄ absorbers with adjustable air layer were prepared by a simple two-step hydrothermal method. Through the equivalence of RLC resonant circuit and the elimination of the influence of polarization relaxation and conduction loss, it was found that yolk-shell structure with different air layer thickness will resonate with EMW of different frequencies, thus increasing the loss capacity of materials to EMW of this frequency. At the same time, Compared with the solid structure, the yolk-shell structure can not only make the material lighter, but also cause multiple reflections and scattering of EMW. Noteworthy, yolk-shell structure composite material exhibits the maximum reflection loss (RL) of -63.0 dB at 4.8 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.1 GHz at a thickness of 1.6 mm. This research provides an idea and basis for the design of absorbing materials that respond to different frequency EMW.

Prussian-Blue Analogue-Derived Hollow Structured Co3 S4 /CuS2 /NiS2 Nanocubes as an Advanced Battery-Type Electrode Material for High-Performance Hybrid Supercapacitors

The facile and cost-effective fabrication of hybrid nanostructures comprised of hollow mixed metallic chalcogenides has attracted growing interest in the development of high-performance energy storage devices. Herein, multi-component (nickel-cobalt-copper-sulfides/selenides (NCCS/NCCSe)) hollow nanocubes (HNCs) are prepared via a single-step sulfurization/selenization process. The NCCS material shows interior HNCs, and the NCCSe material exhibits slightly formed porous cubes. Both the prepared materials demonstrate higher charge storage performance than the precursor NCC NCs owing to the improved surface morphology and addition of sulfur and selenium ions. Particularly, the NCCS HNCs electrode reveals superior specific capacity (capacitance) (70.32 mAh g^-1 (666.20 F g^-1 ) at 5 mA cm^-2 ) along with excellent cycling stability of 108.6% even after 10 000 cycles. Interestingly, the electrode delivers a good rate capability of 83.5% at a high current density of 20 mA cm^-2 . The feasibility of the battery-type NCCS HNCs as a positive electrode is explored by constructing an aqueous electrochemical hybrid capacitor (AEHC). The AEHC exhibits maximum energy and power densities of 23.15 Wh kg^-1 and 7899.08 W kg^-1 , respectively. Remarkably, it demonstrates superior long-life cycling stability even after 10 000 cycles (120.6% retention). The suitability of AEHC for practical application is also tested by driving electronic devices.

Fabrication of complex, 3D, branched hollow carbonaceous structures and their applications for supercapacitors

A unique "integrated hard-templating strategy" is described for facile synthesis of a carbonaceous material with a novel three-dimensional (3D) branched hollow architecture. A set of steps, including template formation, surface coating and template removal, all occur in a spontaneous and orderly manner in the one-pot hydrothermal process. Investigations on structural evolution during the process reveal that pre-synthesized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles are first dissociated and then self-assembled into 3D branched superstructures of ZnO as templates. Initial self-assembly is followed by coating of the glucose-derived carbonaceous materials and etching of interior ZnO by organic acids released in situ by hydrolysis of glucose. The 3D-branched hollow architecture is shown to greatly enhance supercapacitor performance. The research described here provides guidance into the development of strategies for complex hollow carbonaceous architectures for a variety of potential applications.

Hollow terbium metal-organic-framework spheres: preparation and their performance in Fe3+ detection

Hollow metal–organic framework (MOF) micro/nanostructures have been attracting a great amount of research interest in recent years. However, the synthesis of hollow metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is a great challenge. In this paper, by using 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H₃BTC) as the organic ligand and 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid (H₂TDC) as the competitive ligand and protective agent, hollow terbium MOFs (Tb-MOFs) spheres were synthesized by a one-pot solvothermal method. By comparing the morphology of Tb-MOFs in the presence and absence of H₂TDC, it is found that H₂TDC plays a key role in the formation of the hollow spherical structure. Single crystal analyses and element analysis confirm that H₂TDC is not involved in the coordination with Tb³⁺. Interestingly, Tb-MOFs can be used as the luminescent probes for Fe³⁺ recognition in aqueous and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions. In aqueous solution, the quenching constant (K_SV) is 5.8 × 10⁻⁴ M⁻¹, and the limit of detection (LOD) is 2.05 μM. In DMF, the K_SV and LOD are 9.5 × 10⁻⁴ M⁻¹ and 0.80 μM, respectively. The sensing mechanism is that the excitation energy absorption of Fe³⁺ ions reduces the energy transfer efficiency from the ligand to Tb³⁺ ions.

(a) Pictures of Tb-MOFs suspension (left) and Fe³⁺ (right) under 365 nm illumination. (b) Pictures of Fe³⁺ with (left) and without (right) Tb-MOFs. (c) Pictures of Tb-MOFs powder before (left) and after (right) Fe³⁺ adsorption.

One-Pot Synthesized Amorphous Cobalt Sulfide With Enhanced Electrochemical Performance as Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In order to solve the poor cycle stability and the pulverization of cobalt sulfides electrodes, a series of amorphous and crystalline cobalt sulfides were prepared by one-pot solvothermal synthesis through controlling the reaction temperatures. Compared to the crystalline cobalt sulfide electrodes, the amorphous cobalt sulfide electrodes exhibited superior electrochemical performance. The high initial discharge and charge capacities of 2,132 mAh/g and 1,443 mAh/g at 200 mA/g were obtained. The reversible capacity was 1,245 mAh/g after 200 cycles, which is much higher than the theoretical capacity. The specific capability was 815 mAh/g at 800 mA/g and increased to 1,047 mAh/g when back to 100 mA/g, indicating the excellent rate capability. The outstanding electrochemical performance of the amorphous cobalt sulfide electrodes could result from the unique characteristics of more defects, isotropic nature, and the absence of grain boundaries for amorphous nanostructures, indicating the potential application of amorphous cobalt sulfide as anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Copper nanowire-derived one-dimensional hollow copper sulfides as electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries

One-dimensional (1D) hollow CuxS nanotubes were obtained via a sacrificial template diffusion process by immersing 1D copper nanowires in thiourea solution. This structure exhibited excellent cycling stability when used as an electrode material for sodium-ion battery.

A Pacman-Like Titanium-Doped Cobalt Sulfide Hollow Superstructure for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Transition-metal sulfides (TMSs) are attractive oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Developing new strategies to improve their electrochemical performance of TMSs is of great significance. Herein, a unique pacman-like titanium-doped cobalt sulfide hollow superstructure (Ti-CoSx HSS) is fabricated as an OER electrocatalyst. Using a prearranged metal-organic framework (MOF)-on-MOF heterostructure as a precursor treated by one-pot sulfidation, a sequential structural conversion process leads to the formation of Ti-CoSx HSS, which is assembled by interconnected Ti-doped CoSx nanocages around a cake-like cavity. Benefiting from the architecture and compositional advantages, Ti-CoSx HSS exhibits excellent OER performance with an overpotential of 249 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and Tafel slope of 45.5 mV dec^-1 due to increased active site exposure, enhanced electron and mass transfer. This strategy enabled by MOF-on-MOF paves the way toward innovative MOF derivatives for various applications.

Design of conical hollow ZnS arrays vertically grown on carbon fibers for lightweight and broadband flexible absorbers

High-performance electromagnetic (EM) absorbers are necessary for military and industry application in view of the extensive utilization of EM devices. Carbon fibers (CFs) have been considered as promising candidates in electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials, while the single carbon fiber material cannot achieve satisfactory EMW absorption performance because of its limited impedance matching. Herein, electrodeposition and hydrothermal methods were used to fabricate vertical hollow ZnS nanoarrays on carbon cloth (CC) substrate, and then one kind of novel flexible EM composite absorbers with excellent performance was obtained through adjusting morphology of hollow ZnS nanoarrays by easily changing the synthesis parameters of the precursor. Noteworthy, the miniaturized cone-shaped hollow ZnS nanoarray composite absorber shows excellent EMW absorption performance of strong absorption and wide absorption band. The maximum reflection loss value is -52.5 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth reaches 5.1 GHz when the thickness is only 1.9 mm. At the same time, the composite possesses the characteristics of light weight and thin thickness. The excellent properties of the composite absorbers are mainly attributed to their morphological structure. The unique hollow ZnS nanoarray structure enhances the interface polarization and multiple reflections, meanwhile also giving it the properties of metamaterials with resonant absorption. Furthermore, the adjustment of the ZnS nanoarray morphology can not only change the transmission behavior of EMW but also affect the resonance frequency and intensity of the ZnS nanoarray unit. This study obtains high-performance absorbing materials with flexible characteristics as well as highlights the importance of the adjustment of the morphological structure to improve the EMW absorption performance.

Porous Cobalt Sulfide Selenium Nanorods for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution

A key process in electrochemical energy technology is hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, its electrochemical properties mainly depend on the catalytic activity of the material itself. Therefore, it is important to find efficient electrocatalysts to realize clean hydrogen production. As a typical kind of catalytic materials, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMCs) play important roles in the field of energy catalysis. As a representative of TMCs, cobalt disulfide (CoS₂), recently has raised much research interest owing to its abundant reserves, environmental friendliness, and excellent electrochemical stability. Meanwhile, given the fact that doping is one of the effective methods to improve the electrochemical catalytic property, various means of doping have been researched. Here, we report for the first time that porous-like Se-CoS_2-x (or Se:CoS_2-x ) nanorod can be facilely synthesized via a controllable two-step strategy. It is demonstrated that doping Se can greatly improve the catalytic performance of CoS₂ electrode. The electrode can obtain a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at overpotential of only ∼260 mV. And the current changes with the applied bias voltage in an obvious stepped pattern, in the chronopotential (CP) curve of Se-CoS_2-x , indicating its outstanding mass transfer property and mechanical stability.

Metal-Organic Framework-Based Hierarchically Porous Materials: Synthesis and Applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely recognized as one of the most fascinating classes of materials from science and engineering perspectives, benefiting from their high porosity and well-defined and tailored structures and components at the atomic level. Although their intrinsic micropores endow size-selective capability and high surface area, etc., the narrow pores limit their applications toward diffusion-control and large-size species involved processes. In recent years, the construction of hierarchically porous MOFs (HP-MOFs), MOF-based hierarchically porous composites, and MOF-based hierarchically porous derivatives has captured widespread interest to extend the applications of conventional MOF-based materials. In this Review, the recent advances in the design, synthesis, and functional applications of MOF-based hierarchically porous materials are summarized. Their structural characters toward various applications, including catalysis, gas storage and separation, air filtration, sewage treatment, sensing and energy storage, have been demonstrated with typical reports. The comparison of HP-MOFs with traditional porous materials (e.g., zeolite, porous silica, carbons, metal oxides, and polymers), subsisting challenges, as well as future directions in this research field, are also indicated.

Preparation of hollow metal-organic frameworks via epitaxial protection and selective etching

Hollow metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with only a shell may be used for efficient catalysis. In this work, a general sequential synthesis was employed to successfully create Hf-based hollow MOFs, such as UiO-66, MOF-808, and PCN-223. Etchants including monocarboxylic acids and H2O are required to remove the interior of the MOFs to form hollow structures, while the different stability of the interior and surface of the MOFs partly resulting from surface epitaxy protection was responsible for the selective etching. With these insights, scale-up of hollow octahedral UiO-66 was realized. This work paves a way to rationally design hollow MOFs.

Nanoscale Metal-Organic Frameworks That are Both Fluorescent and Hollow for Self-Indicating Drug Delivery

Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that are both fluorescent and hollow are attracting increasing interest in recent years, but ideal candidates prepared by reliable methods for biomedical applications are still very limited. Herein, we for the first time prepared tetrakis[4-(4-carboxyphenyl)phenyl]ethene (TCBPE)-based MOF nanotubes with hollow nanostructures, which could emit strong fluorescence. It was further discovered that the formation of this hollow hexagonal nanotube underwent a self-templated growth and a subsequent concaving process, which revealed that the synthesis of this MOF was kinetic rather than thermodynamic. This new MOF showed high biocompatibility, optical stability, sensitivity to pH response, and capability for exotic loading. This new MOF was further employed for efficient anti-cancer drug delivery in a self-indicating manner based on these attractive features. Therefore, this work could bring in valuable insights into the exploration of multifunctional MOFs in the field of biomedical applications by providing a new exemplar with high practical utility.

Synthesis, characterization and electrocatalytic properties of bimetallic sulfides CoS/MnS/N-C for oxygen reduction in alkaline media

Synthesis, characterization and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic properties of bimetallic sulfides CoS/MnS/N-C catalyst was discussed. The catalyst was derived from a typical Co based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67) and manganese aminoporphyrin. 5,15-Bis(4-aminophenyl)-10,20-bis(4-bromophenyl) porphyrin manganese oxoacetate loaded with ZIF-67 forms a porphyrin loaded ZIF-67. This product was then calcined at 800ˆ∘C and vulcanized with thioacetamide to obtain the bimetallic sulfide product CoS/MnS/N-C. The structure of CoS/MnS/N-C was further characterized by XRD, XPS, FESEM and HRTEM spectra which indicated a novel porous and hollow sphere structure. The electrocatalytic properties of the bimetallic material as well as its parent porphyrin and ZIF-67 were also compared in alkaline condition (0.1 M KOH) with a rotating disk electrode. The prepared catalyst CoS/MnS/N-C exhibits a higher catalytic performance than its precursors (PorMnOAc, ZIF-67 and PorMnOAc loaded ZIF-67) with almost four electron transfers under this condition.

Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived Functional Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion: A Mini Review

With many apparent advantages including high surface area, tunable pore sizes and topologies, and diverse periodic organic-inorganic ingredients, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been identified as versatile precursors or sacrificial templates for preparing functional materials as advanced electrodes or high-efficiency catalysts for electrochemical energy storage and conversion (EESC). In this Mini Review, we first briefly summarize the material design strategies to show the rich possibilities of the chemical compositions and physical structures of MOFs derivatives. We next highlight the latest advances focusing on the composition/structure/performance relationship and discuss their practical applications in various EESC systems, such as supercapacitors, rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, water electrolyzers, and carbon dioxide/nitrogen reduction reactions. Finally, we provide some of our own insights into the major challenges and prospective solutions of MOF-derived functional materials for EESC, hoping to shed some light on the future development of this highly exciting field.