Hierarchical Fe3O4@TiO2Yolk-Shell Microspheres with Enhanced Microwave-Absorption Properties

Progress and Challenges of Ferrite Matrix Microwave Absorption Materials

Intelligent devices, when subjected to multiple interactions, tend to generate electromagnetic pollution, which can disrupt the normal functioning of electronic components. Ferrite, which acts as a microwave-absorbing material (MAM), offers a promising strategy to overcome this issue. To further enhance the microwave absorption properties of ferrite MAM, numerous works have been conducted, including ion doping and combining with other materials. Notably, the microstructure is also key factor that affects the microwave absorption properties of ferrite-based MAM. Thus, this article provides a comprehensive overview of research progress on the influence of the microstructure on ferrite-based MAM. MAMs with sheet and layered structures are also current important research directions. For core-shell structure composites, the solid core-shell structure, hollow core-shell structure, yolk-eggshell structure, and non-spherical core-shell structure are introduced. For porous composites, the biomass porous structure and other porous structures are presented. Finally, the development trends are summarized, and prospects for the structure design and preparation of high-performance MAMs are predicted.

Yolk-shell structured magnetic mesoporous organosilica supported ionic liquid/Cu complex: an efficient nanocatalyst for the green synthesis of pyranopyrazoles

The preparation of yolk-shell structured magnetic mesoporous composites is a significant subject between researchers. Especially, modification of theses composites with ionic liquid/metal complex is very important for catalytic processes. In the present study, a novel magnetic methylene-based periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO)-supported ionic liquid/Cu complex with yolk-shell structure (YS-Fe3O4@PMO/IL-Cu) was prepared via the soft template-assisted method. The TGA, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XRD, VSM, nitrogen-sorption, and ICP techniques were employed to identify YS-Fe3O4@PMO/IL-Cu. The YS-Fe3O4@PMO/IL-Cu material was applied as a powerful nanocatalyst for the synthesis of pyranopyrazoles under ultrasonic media. The study demonstrated that the YS-Fe3O4@PMO/IL-Cu nanocatalyst is highly recyclable, selective, and effective. The leaching test was performed to investigate the nature of the designed catalyst under the applied conditions.

Enhancement of microwave absorption performance of porous carbon induced by Ce (CO3) OH

In recent years, electromagnetic pollution has become more and more serious, resulting in a very negative impact on people's health. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient microwave absorbers to reduce electromagnetic pollution. Here, we construct a novel absorbing material of the polymer gel-derived porous carbon decorated by rare earth compounds (Ce (CO₃) OH). When the thickness is 2.2 mm, the composite exhibits excellent microwave absorption performance with the optimal RL_min value and EAB reached up to -47.67 dB and 5.52 GHz, respectively, covering the Ku band. The high-efficiency microwave absorption is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of dipole polarization, defect polarization and interfacial polarization. This work not only provides a new view for designing superior absorber materials, but also lay a foundation for their real applications.

Multifunctional Fe3O4/TiO2/NH2-UiO-66 with integrated interfacial features for favorable phosphate adsorption

Excessive use and discharge of phosphate are the decisive factors leading to water eutrophication, and adsorption is deemed among the most effective methods in phosphorus capture. This study prepared the...

Core-shell nanostructures: a simplest two-component system with enhanced properties and multiple applications

With the pace of time, synthesis of nanomaterials has paved paths to blend two or more materials having different properties into hybrid nanoparticles. Therefore, it has become possible to combine two different functionalities in a single nanoparticle and their properties can be enhanced or modified by coupling of two different components. Core-shell technology has now represented a new trend in analytical sciences. Core-shell nanostructures are in demand due to their specific design and geometry. They have internal core of one component (metal or biomolecules) surrounded by a shell of another component. Core-shell nanoparticles have great importance due to their high thermal stability, high solubility and lower toxicity. In this review, recent progress in development of new and sophisticated core-shell nanostructures has been explored. The first section covers introduction throwing light on basics of core-shell nanoparticles. Following section classifies core-shell nanostructures into single core/shell, multicore/single shell, single core/multishell and multicore/multishell nanostructures. Next main section gives a brief description on types of core-shell nanomaterials followed by processes for the synthesis of core-shell nanostructures. Ultimately, the final section focuses on the application areas such as drug delivery, bioimaging, solar cell applications etc.

Synthesis of sandwich-like Co15Fe85@C/RGO multicomponent composites with tunable electromagnetic parameters and microwave absorption performance

Magnetic particle/carbon hybrid structures are promising candidates for high performance microwave absorbing materials with light weight and strong absorption. However, it remains a great challenge to balance the permittivity and permeability to realize impedance matching and further improve their absorption bandwidth. Herein, an effective strategy is designed to fabricate sandwich-like Co₁₅Fe₈₅@C/RGO composites. By introducing RGO sheets in the hybrid structures, the electromagnetic parameters, impedance matching and microwave absorption properties of the final materials can be well controlled. The optimized Co₁₅Fe₈₅@C/RGO composite shows an excellent microwave absorption performance, the strongest reflection loss (RL) of the sample is up to -33.38 dB at 10.72 GHz with a matching thickness of 2.5 mm, and the effective bandwidth (RL < -10 dB) can reach 9.2 GHz (8.64-17.84 GHz). With a single thickness, such a wide absorption band is rarely reported. Their excellent performance can be ascribed to the synergetic effect of the chemical composition and unique sandwich-like structures, which will improve impendence matching and strong microwave attenuation constants of the composites. Our results provide a facile strategy for tuning the electromagnetic parameters and microwave absorption properties of magnetic metal/carbon hybrid structures.

Multi-scale magnetic coupling of Fe@SiO2@C-Ni yolk@triple-shell microspheres for broadband microwave absorption

Magnetic core@shell and yolk@shell microspheres have received extensive attention; however, the realization of microwave performance enhancement remains a critical challenge for their actual applications. Herein, inspired by multi-scale magnetic coupling interactions, a synchronous in situ reduction process was developed to successfully fabricate Fe@SiO₂@C-Ni (FSCN) yolk@triple-shell microspheres based on the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ substrate. Owing to the unique multi-scale magnetic coupling interactions in their delicate structure, (i) in each microsphere, abundant Ni NPs with optimized size could affect the density distribution and orientation of the magnetic stray field radiating from the Fe core, and (ii) via the coupling interactions between adjacent composite microspheres, the saturation magnetization was significantly enhanced to support strong magnetic loss capability. Moreover, the special yolk@multi-shell structure offered an optimized impedance balance, facilitating the propoagation of the incoming microwaves into the absorber. Both multiple interfacial polarization and synergistic effects from magnetic units (Fe and Ni) and dielectric shell (SiO₂ and carbon) contributed to electromagnetic wave attenuation. The FSCN composite material exhibited excellent absorption performance with an intense reflection loss (-45.5 dB) and bandwidth absorption (8.2 GHz and 9.8-18 GHz) at the film thickness of only 2 mm. Our new findings provide important design implications for functional spheres and high-performance lightweight microwave absorbers.

Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of silver and zinc co-doped TiO2 nanoparticle for photodegradation of methyl orange dye in aqueous solution

In this study, TiO2 nanocrystals, 1 mol% Ag-doped TiO2, and 1 mol% Ag and 0.6 mol% Zn co-doped TiO2 powders were synthesized by the sol–gel route. Their photocatalytic activities on methyl orange dye under visible irradiation were investigated. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The XRD results revealed the presence of a rutile phase with an average crystallite size of 9 and 11 nm. The UV–vis spectra showed a red-shift towards a longer wavelength with the corresponding decrease in band gap from 2.9 to 2.5 eV. The BET surface areas of the nanoparticles ranged from 4.7 to 11.8 m2 g−1 with an average pore size between 18.9 and 56.6 nm. The Ag-doped TiO2 has the largest surface area of 11.8 m2 g−1, whereas the Ag–Zn co-doped TiO2 was found to have the highest pore size and volume. The absorption bands at 750–500 cm−1 were attributed to the –O–Ti–O– bond in the TiO2 lattice. The photocatalytic efficiency was highest at an optimum pH of 4.1 for Ag–Zn co-doped TiO2. The results confirmed that Ag-doped and Ag–Zn co-doped TiO2 were more effective than pure TiO2. The kinetic data were fitted into a pseudo first-order equation using a Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model.

NiS2@rGO Nanosheet Wrapped with PPy Aerogel: A Sandwich-Like Structured Composite for Excellent Microwave Absorption

To reduce electromagnetic pollution as well as increase the accuracy of high-precision electronic equipment, more attention has been paid to new electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials, which have the advantages of strong absorption, wide absorption bands, and a narrow thickness. In this study, a novel ternary type of the NiS2@rGO/polypyrrole (PPy) sandwich-like structured composites was synthesized via a facile two-step method, in which the hydrothermal method was used to prepare NiS2@rGO binary composites and then the in situ polymerization method was used to synthesize the PPy, which acted as the outer layer of the sandwich-like structure. The morphologies and electromagnetic absorption performance of the NiS2@rGO/PPy were measured and investigated. A sample with 6 wt% NiS2@rGO/PPy loading paraffin-composite obtained an outstanding reflection loss (RL) of -58.7 dB at 16.44 GHz under a thickness of 2.03 mm. Simultaneously, the effective electromagnetic wave absorption bandwidth for RL < -10 dB, which covered 7.04 to 18.00 GHz (10.96 GHz), was achieved by changing the thickness of the absorber from 2.0 to 3.5 mm. The results not only suggest that the NiS2@rGO/PPy composite has excellent performance in the field of EMW absorption but also prove that the novel sandwich-like structure can contribute to appropriate impedance matching through multiple relaxation and interfacial polarization processes.

NiS₂@MoS₂ Nanospheres Anchored on Reduced Graphene Oxide: A Novel Ternary Heterostructure with Enhanced Electromagnetic Absorption Property

For the purposes of strength, military equipment camouflage, and protecting the health of organisms, electromagnetic wave absorbing materials have received a lot of attention and are widely studied. In addition to having a strong absorption intensity and a wide effective absorption bandwidth, materials that are lightweight, thermally stable, and antioxidative are also highly desirable. In this study, we fabricated core⁻shell structured NiS₂@MoS₂ nanospheres anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (NiS₂@MoS₂/rGO) by a simple two-step hydrothermal method. The combination ratio was adjusted to achieve proper impedance matching. The electromagnetic parameters and the absorption performance were investigated in detail. A composite loaded with 30 wt.% of the sample achieved a minimum reflection loss (RL) value of -29.75 dB and the effective bandwidth (RL value of less than -10 dB) ranged from 4.95 GHz to 18.00 GHz (13.05 GHz), with a thickness ranging from 1.5 mm to 4.0 mm. This study proved that the generated significant interfacial polarization and synergetic interaction between components can result in NiS₂@MoS₂/rGO composites with enhanced electromagnetic absorption performance.

C–P bond construction catalyzed by NiII immobilized on aminated Fe3O4@TiO2 yolk–shell NPs functionalized by (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (Fe3O4@TiO2 YS-GLYMO-UNNiII) in green media

An efficient, versatile and novel method for the C–P cross-coupling reaction with a high yield of products using Fe₃O₄@TiO₂YS-GLYMO-UNNi^II as a magnetic nanostructured catalyst in the presence of WERSA was reported.

Synthesis and Microwave Absorbing Properties of Porous One-Dimensional Nickel Sulfide Nanostructures

One-dimensional (1D) porous NixSy nanostructures have been successfully fabricated by two-step method consisting of solvothermal and subsequent annealing process. The suitable heat treatment temperature and reaction time play crucial roles in the final structure, morphology, as well as performance. The uniform and perfect porous NixSy nanostructures obtained at 310°C exhibit outstanding microwave absorption performances. A minimum reflection loss of -35.6 dB is achieved at 8.5 GHz, and the effective absorption bandwidth almost covers 14.5 GHz with the absorber thickness range of 2.0-5.0 mm. It can be supposed that this porous structure with rough surface which is favor for increasing the microwave multiple reflection and scattering, contributes a high-performance electromagnetic absorption.

Surface Modification of Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are of great interest due to wide range applications, especially in nanomedicine. However, they face challenges preventing their further applications such as rapid agglomeration, oxidation, etc. Appropriate surface modification of IONPs can conquer these barriers with improved physicochemical properties. This review summarizes recent advances in the surface modification of IONPs with small organic molecules, polymers and inorganic materials. The preparation methods, mechanisms and applications of surface-modified IONPs with different materials are discussed. Finally, the technical barriers of IONPs and their limitations in practical applications are pointed out, and the development trends and prospects are discussed.

The flaky porous Fe3O4 with tunable dimensions for enhanced microwave absorption performance in X and C bands

Special electric and magnetic characteristics make Fe₃O₄ widely applied in the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption region. However, for pure Fe₃O₄, it is still a challenge to simultaneously obtain high absorption intensity and broadband absorption at a low thickness, owing to its low dielectric property. As we realized, flake configuration and the porous structure have obviously promote the EM wave absorption property. Because the former can lead to multi-reflection between flakes and the latter is conductive to interface polarization, flaky Fe₃O₄ with a porous and coarse surface was designed to overcome the deficiency of traditional Fe₃O₄ particles. The experimental results demonstrate that the flaky configuration is conductive to enhancing the dielectric coefficient and optimizing impedance matching. Moreover, the complex permittivity rises with the aspect ratio of the sheet. Under a suitable dimension, the flaky Fe₃O₄ could acquire targeted EM wave absorption capacity in the X band (8-12 GHz). In detail, the maximum reflection loss (RL) could reach a strong intensity of -49 dB at 2.05 mm. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) with RL below -10 dB is 4.32 (7.52-11.84) GHz, which is almost equivalent to the whole X band (8-12 GHz). Even more exciting, when regulating the thickness between 2.05 and 3.05 mm, the EAB could cover the entire C and X bands (4-12 GHz). This study provides a good reference for the future development of other ferromagnetic materials toward specific microwave bands.

Excellent NiO-Ni Nanoplate Microwave Absorber via Pinning Effect of Antiferromagnetic-Ferromagnetic Interface

Materials with strong magnetic property that can provide excellent microwave absorption performance are highly desirable, especially if their dielectric and magnetic properties can be easily modulated, which make minimal thickness and ultrawide bandwidth become achievable. The magnetic properties of ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) composite materials are closely related to their ratio of composition, size, morphology, and structure. AFM-FM composites have become a popular alternative for microwave absorption; however, the controllable design and preparation need to be urgently optimized. Here, we have successfully prepared a series of platelike NiO-Ni composites and demonstrated the potential of such composites for microwave absorption. Strong magnetic coupling was found from NiO-Ni nanoparticles by electron holography, which makes NiO-Ni composites a highly efficient microwave absorber (strong reflection loss: -61.5 dB and broad bandwidth: 11.2 GHz, reflection loss < -10 dB). Our findings are helpful to develop a strong microwave absorber based on magnetic coupling.

Solar energy harvesting by magnetic-semiconductor nanoheterostructure in water treatment technology

Photocatalytic degradation of toxic organic pollutants in the wastewater using dispersed semiconductor nanophotocatalysts has a number of advantages such as high activity, cost effectiveness, and utilization of free solar energy. However, it is difficult to recover and recycle nanophotocatalysts since the fine dispersed nanoparticles are easily suspended in waters. Furthermore, a large amount of photocatalysts will lead to color contamination. Thus, it is necessary to prepare photocatalysts with easy separation for the reusable application. To take advantage of high photocatalysis activity and reusability, magnetic photocatalysts with separation function were utilized. In this review, the photocatalytic principle, structure, and application of the magnetic-semiconductor nanoheterostructure photocatalysts under solar light are evaluated. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Fabrication of hierarchical TiO2 coated Co20Ni80 particles with tunable core sizes as high-performance wide-band microwave absorbers

Multifunctional composite microspheres with a Co₂₀Ni₈₀ core and anatase TiO₂ shells (Co₂₀Ni₈₀@TiO₂) are synthesized by combining a solvothermal reaction and a calcination process, and include a series of microspheres with different core sizes (100 nm, 500 nm and 1 μm). The mechanism of self-assembly of the primary particles has been effective in both the fabrication of the core and the process of coating. The obtained core-shell particles possess superior monodispersity, size uniformity, and tailored core sizes, and are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the electromagnetic shielding performance of the microspheres is investigated in terms of the theory of transmission lines. The Co₂₀Ni₈₀@TiO₂ core-shell particle (CoNi@TiO₂) with a well-defined core size of 500 nm demonstrates a remarkable wide-band electromagnetic shielding performance of up to 6.2 GHz (10.0-16.2 GHz, <-10 dB) within 2-18 GHz, which is due to the tunable multi-component hierarchical structure of the particles and contributes to the complex permittivity and permeability and the multiple scattering loss of the microwave. The Co₂₀Ni₈₀@TiO₂ particle with a specific core size (500 nm) is a promising candidate for the wide-band electromagnetic shielding materials, gathering increasing interest from researchers.

Antimicrobial Coatings Based on Linseed Oil/TiO 2 Nanocomposites

Linseed oil is a cheap, biodegradable, and nontoxic vegetable oil with antimicrobial properties, which has recently attained a lot of interest for the manufacturing of coatings, surfactants, soaps cosmetic products, lubricants, and so forth. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is an important semiconductor material frequently employed in foods, cosmetics, paints, coatings, food packaging materials, optical devices, and particularly, antimicrobials due to its strong photocatalytic disinfection ability. This chapter describes the preparation and characterization of acrylated epoxidized linseed oil nanocomposite coatings reinforced with TiO₂ nanoparticles. The effect of TiO₂ loading on the morphology, barrier, thermal, mechanical, tribological, and antibacterial performance of the coatings is summarized. The coatings exhibit antimicrobial activity against gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria even in the absence of UV light, and the bactericidal effect increases with the TiO₂ loading. These nanocomposite coatings could be used to prevent microbial proliferation in public places with high risk of infections such as hospitals.

Preparation and high-performance microwave absorption of hierarchical dendrite-like Co superstructures self-assembly of nanoflakes

Dendritic-like Co superstructures based on the self-assembly of nanoflakes that could efficiently suppress the eddy current were successfully synthesized via a facile, rapid, and energy-saving chemical reduction method. Since crystal structure, size, and special geometrical morphology, magnetism have a vital influence on microwave absorption properties, the as-obtained products were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and vector network analysis. The prepared dendritic Co possesses abundant secondary branches that extend to the 3D space. Their dimensions, spacing, sheet-like blocks, and high-ordering microstructures all contribute to the penetration, scattering, and attenuation of EM waves. The composites present attractive microwave absorption performances in the X band, as well as in the whole S band (2-4 GHz). This work investigates the mechanism of absorption for the as-obtained Co, offers a promising strategy for the fabrication of hierarchical Co microstructure assemblies by multi-leaf flakes and introduces the application of dendritic-like Co as a highly efficient absorber in the S band and X band.

Facile synthesis of NiS2@MoS2 core–shell nanospheres for effective enhancement in microwave absorption

Core–shell structural NiS₂@MoS₂ nanospheres have been successfully fabricated and they possess enhanced microwave absorption properties as compared to single NiS₂ nanospheres or MoS₂ nanoplates due to this core–shell structure.

Highly efficient large-scale preparation and electromagnetic property control of silica–NiFeP double shell composite hollow particles

Micron-sized double shell composite hollow particles with excellent electromagnetic behavior are prepared using a highly efficient and large scale method.

Lightweight porous Co3O4 and Co/CoO nanofibers with tunable impedance match and configuration-dependent microwave absorption properties

In this study, we fabricated one-dimensional porous Co₃O₄ and Co/CoO nanofibers by calcination of cobalt(ii) oxalate dehydrate precursors in an environment filled with air and N₂, respectively.

Designed synthesis and surface engineering strategies of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) hold great promise for future biomedical applications because of their magnetic properties as well as other intrinsic properties such as low toxicity, colloidal stability, and surface engineering capability. Numerous related studies on iron oxide NPs have been conducted. Recent progress in nanochemistry has enabled fine control over the size, crystallinity, uniformity, and surface properties of iron oxide NPs. This review examines various synthetic approaches and surface engineering strategies for preparing naked and functional iron oxide NPs with different physicochemical properties. Growing interest in designed and surface-engineered iron oxide NPs with multifunctionalities was explored in in vitro/in vivo biomedical applications, focusing on their combined roles in bioseparation, as a biosensor, targeted-drug delivery, MR contrast agents, and magnetic fluid hyperthermia. This review outlines the limitations of extant surface engineering strategies and several developing strategies that may overcome these limitations. This study also details the promising future directions of this active research field.

Tunable high-performance microwave absorption for manganese dioxides by one-step Co doping modification

The frequencies of microwave absorption can be affected by the permanent electric dipole moment which could be adjusted by modifying the crystal symmetry of the microwave absorbing materials. Herein, we corroborate this strategy experimentally and computationally to the microwave absorption of manganese dioxides. Nanosized Co-doped cryptomelane (Co-Cryp) was successfully synthesized by a one-step reaction. The introduction of Co(III) induced a change of crystal symmetry from tetragonal to monlclinic, which could lead to an increase of its permanent electric dipole moment. As a result, the frequencies of maximum microwave absorption were regulated in the range of 7.4 to 13.9 GHz with a broadened bandwidths. The results suggested that microwave absorption of manganese dioxides can be tailored with Co doping to expand their potential uses for abatement of various microwave pollutions.

Yolk-Shell Ni@SnO2 Composites with a Designable Interspace To Improve the Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties

In this study, yolk-shell Ni@SnO₂ composites with a designable interspace were successfully prepared by the simple acid etching hydrothermal method. The Ni@void@SnO₂ composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that interspaces exist between the Ni cores and SnO₂ shells. Moreover, the void can be adjusted by controlling the hydrothermal reaction time. The unique yolk-shell Ni@void@SnO₂ composites show outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption properties. A minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of -50.2 dB was obtained at 17.4 GHz with absorber thickness of 1.5 mm. In addition, considering the absorber thickness, minimal reflection loss, and effective bandwidth, a novel method to judge the effective microwave absorption properties is proposed. On the basis of this method, the best microwave absorption properties were obtained with a 1.7 mm thick absorber layer (RL_min= -29.7 dB, bandwidth of 4.8 GHz). The outstanding electromagnetic wave absorption properties stem from the unique yolk-shell structure. These yolk-shell structures can tune the dielectric properties of the Ni@air@SnO₂ composite to achieve good impedance matching. Moreover, the designable interspace can induce interfacial polarization, multiple reflections, and microwave plasma.

Enhanced high-frequency absorption of anisotropic Fe3O4/graphene nanocomposites

Anisotropic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle and a series of its graphene composites have been successfully prepared as high-frequency absorbers. The crystal structure, morphology and magnetic property of the samples were detailed characterized through X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The high-frequency absorbing performance of the composites is evaluated within 2.0–18.0 GHz. Combining reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to Fe₃O₄ helps to adjust the permittivity and permeability of the composite, balance the dielectric loss and magnetic loss, consequently improve the absorbing performance in view of the impedance matching characteristic. The optimal reflection loss of the pure Fe₃O₄ sample reaches −38.1 dB with a thickness of 1.7 mm, and it increases to −65.1 dB for the sample grafted with 3 wt.% RGO. The addition of proper content of RGO both improves the reflection loss and expands the absorbing bandwidth. This work not only opens a new method and an idea for tuning the electromagnetic properties and enhancing the capacity of high-efficient absorbers, but also broadens the application of such kinds of lightweight absorbing materials frameworks.

Controlled synthesis and photocatalysis of sea urchin-like Fe3O4@TiO2@Ag nanocomposites

Based on the synergistic photocatalytic activities of nano-sized TiO2 and Ag, as well as the magnetic properties of Fe3O4, a sea urchin-like Fe3O4@TiO2@Ag nanocomposite (Fe3O4@TiO2@Ag NCs) is controllably synthesized with tunable cavity size, adjustable shell layer of TiO2 nanofiber, higher structural stability and larger specific surface area. Here, Fe3O4@TiO2@Ag NCs are obtained with Fe3O4 as the core and nanofiber TiO2/Fe3O4/Ag nanoheterojunctions as the shell; and Ag nanoparticles with diameter of approximately 4 nm are loaded both on TiO2 nanofibers and inside the cavities of sea urchin-like Fe3O4@TiO2 nanocomposites uniformly. Ag nanoparticles lead to the production of more photogenerated charges in the TiO2/Fe3O4/Ag heterojunction via LSPR absorption, and enhance the band-gap absorption of TiO2, while the Fe3O4 cocatalyst provides the active sites for oxygen reduction by the effective transfer of photogenerated electrons to oxygen. So the photocatalytic performance is improved due to the synergistic effect of TiO2/Fe3O4/Ag nanoheterojunctions. As photocatalysts under UV and visible irradiation, the as-synthesized nanocomposites display enhanced photocatalytic and recycling properties for the degradation of ampicillin. Moreover, they present better broad-spectrum antibiosis under visible irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and excellent chemical stability, in combination with the magnetic recyclability, makes this multifunctional nanostructure a promising candidate for antibiosis and remediation in aquatic environmental contamination in the future.

Facile large scale preparation and electromagnetic properties of silica–nickel–carbon composite shelly hollow microspheres

Silica–nickel–carbon composite microspheres with shelly hollow structures and tunable electromagnetic properties were prepared in large scale through a three-step route.

A versatile in situ etching-growth strategy for synthesis of yolk–shell structured periodic mesoporous organosilica nanocomposites

A versatile “in situetching-growth” strategy has been proposed to synthesize mesoporous composites with yolk–shell structure and controlled PMO shell, by combing the etching process with the shell growth.

Yolk/shell nanoparticles: classifications, synthesis, properties, and applications

Core/shell nanoparticles were first reported in the early 1990s with a simple spherical core and shell structure, but the area is gradually diversifying in multiple directions such as different shapes, multishells, yolk/shell etc., because of the development of different new properties of the materials, which are useful for several advanced applications. Among different sub-areas of core/shell nanoparticles, yolk/shell nanoparticles (YS NPs) have drawn significant attention in recent years because of their unique properties such as low density, large surface area, ease of interior core functionalization, a good molecular loading capacity in the void space, tunable interstitial void space, and a hollow outer shell. The YS NPs have better properties over simple core/shell or hollow NPs in various fields including biomedical, catalysis, sensors, lithium batteries, adsorbents, DSSCs, microwave absorbers etc., mainly because of the presence of free void space, porous hollow shell, and free core surface. This review presents an extensive classification of YS NPs based on their structures and types of materials, along with synthesis strategies, properties, and applications with which one would be able to draw a complete picture of this area.

Hydrogenated TiO2 nanobelts as highly efficient photocatalytic organic dye degradation and hydrogen evolution photocatalyst

TiO2 nanobelts have gained increasing interest because of its outstanding properties and promising applications in a wide range of fields. Here we report the facile synthesis of hydrogenated TiO2 (H-TiO2) nanobelts, which exhibit excellent UV and visible photocatalytic decomposing of methyl orange (MO) and water splitting for hydrogen production. The improved photocatalytic property can be attributed to the Ti(3+) ions and oxygen vacancies in TiO2 nanobelts created by hydrogenation. Ti(3+) ions and oxygen vacancies can enhance visible light absorption, promote charge carrier trapping, and hinder the photogenerated electron-hole recombination. This work offers a simple strategy for the fabrication of a wide solar spectrum of active photocatalysts, which possesses significant potential for more efficient photodegradation, photocatalytic water splitting, and enhanced solar cells using sunlight as light source.

Preparing non-volatile resistive switching memories by tuning the content of Au@air@TiO2-h yolk-shell microspheres in a poly(3-hexylthiophene) layer

Crystalline hybrid microspheres, encapsulating a Au nanocore in the hollow cavity of a hairy semiconductor TiO2 shell (Au@air@TiO2-h microspheres) were prepared using template-assisted synthesis methods. The as-prepared microspheres are dispersed into a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) matrix and used as a memory active layer. The electrical rewritable memory effects of Al/[Au@air@TiO2-h + P3HT]/ITO sandwich devices can be effectively and exactly controlled by tuning the microsphere content in the electroactive layer. To clarify the switching mechanism, different components in the device, such as P3HT and the microspheres, have been investigated. And it was determined that the switching mechanism can be attributed to the formation and rupture of oxygen vacancy filaments. These results suggest that the Au@air@TiO2-h microspheres are potentially capable of high density data storage. In addition, this finding could provide important guidelines for the reproducibility of nanocomposite-based memory devices and is helpful to demonstrate the switching mechanism of these devices.

CoxFey@C Composites with Tunable Atomic Ratios for Excellent Electromagnetic Absorption Properties

The shell on the nano-magnetic absorber can prevent oxidation, which is very important for its practical utilization. Generally, the nonmagnetic shell will decrease the integral magnetic loss and thus weaken the electromagnetic absorption. However, maintaining the original absorption properties of the magnetic core is a major challenge. Here, we designed novel and facile Co_xFe_y@C composites by reducing Co_xFe_3−xO₄@phenolic resin (x = 1, 0.5 and 0.25). High saturation magnetization value (Ms) of Co_xFe_y particle, as a core, shows the interesting magnetic loss ability. Meanwhile, the carbon shell may increase the integral dielectric loss. The resulting composite shows excellent electromagnetic absorption properties. For example, at a coating thickness of 2 mm, the RL_min value can reach to −23 dB with an effective frequency range of 7 GHz (11–18 GHz). The mechanisms of the improved microwave absorption properties are discussed.

Thermal conversion of an Fe₃O₄@metal-organic framework: a new method for an efficient Fe-Co/nanoporous carbon microwave absorbing material

A novel FeCo nanoparticle embedded nanoporous carbon composite (Fe-Co/NPC) was synthesized via in situ carbonization of dehydro-ascorbic acid (DHAA) coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles encapsulated in a metal-organic framework (zeolitic imidazolate framework-67, ZIF-67). The molar ratio of Fe/Co significantly depends on the encapsulated content of Fe3O4 in ZIF-67. The composites filled with 50 wt% of the Fe-Co/NPC-2.0 samples in paraffin show a maximum reflection loss (RL) of -21.7 dB at a thickness of 1.2 mm; in addition, a broad absorption bandwidth for RL < -10 dB which covers from 12.2 to 18 GHz can be obtained, and its minimum reflection loss and bandwidth (RL values exceeding -10 dB) are far greater than those of commercial carbonyl iron powder under a very low thickness (1-1.5 mm). This study not only provides a good reference for future preparation of carbon-based lightweight microwave absorbing materials but also broadens the application of such kinds of metal-organic frameworks.