Binder-Free MOF-Based and MOF-Derived Nanoarrays for Flexible Electrochemical Energy Storage: Progress and Perspectives

The fast development of Internet of Things and the rapid advent of next-generation versatile wearable electronics require cost-effective and highly-efficient electroactive materials for flexible electrochemical energy storage devices. Among various electroactive materials, binder-free nanostructured arrays have attracted widespread attention. Featured with growing on a conductive and flexible substrate without using inactive and insulating binders, binder-free 3D nanoarray electrodes facilitate fast electron/ion transportation and rapid reaction kinetics with more exposed active sites, maintain structure integrity of electrodes even under bending or twisted conditions, readily release generated joule heat during charge/discharge cycles and achieve enhanced gravimetric capacity of the whole device. Binder-free metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoarrays and/or MOF-derived nanoarrays with high surface area and unique porous structure have emerged with great potential in energy storage field and been extensively exploited in recent years. In this review, common substrates used for binder-free nanoarrays are compared and discussed. Various MOF-based and MOF-derived nanoarrays, including metal oxides, sulfides, selenides, nitrides, phosphides and nitrogen-doped carbons, are surveyed and their electrochemical performance along with their applications in flexible energy storage are analyzed and overviewed. In addition, key technical issues and outlooks on future development of MOF-based and MOF-derived nanoarrays toward flexible energy storage are also offered.

Probing Oxidation Mechanisms in Plasmonic Catalysis: Unraveling the Role of Reactive Oxygen Species

Plasmon-induced oxidation has conventionally been attributed to the transfer of plasmonic hot holes. However, this theoretical framework encounters challenges in elucidating the latest experimental findings, such as enhanced catalytic efficiency under uncoupled irradiation conditions and superior oxidizability of silver nanoparticles. Herein, we employ liquid surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a real-time and in situ tool to explore the oxidation mechanisms in plasmonic catalysis, taking the decarboxylation of p-mercaptobenzoic acid (PMBA) as a case study. Our findings suggest that the plasmon-induced oxidation is driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS) rather than hot holes, holding true for both the Au and Ag nanoparticles. Subsequent investigations suggest that plasmon-induced ROS may arise from hot carriers or energy transfer mechanisms, exhibiting selectivity under different experimental conditions. The observations were substantiated by investigating the cleavage of the carbon-boron bonds. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms were clarified by energy level theories, advancing our understanding of plasmonic catalysis.

Metal-Organic-Framework-Based Nanoarrays for Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis

The development of highly active and stable electrode materials for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for the widespread application of electrochemical energy conversion systems. In recent years, various metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with self-supporting array structures have been extensively studied because of their high porosity, abundant metal sites, and flexible and adjustable structures. This review provides an overview of the recent progress in the design, preparation, and applications of MOF-based nanoarrays for the OER, beginning with the introduction of the architectural advantages of the nanoarrays and the characteristics of MOFs. Subsequently, the design principles of robust and efficient MOF-based nanoarrays as OER electrodes are highlighted. Furthermore, detailed discussions focus on the composition, structure, and performance of pristine MOF nanoarrays (MOFNAs) and MOF-based composite nanoarrays. On the one hand, the effects of the two components of MOFs and several modification methods are discussed in detail for MOFNAs. On the other hand, the review emphasizes the use of MOF-based composite nanoarrays composed of MOFs and other nanomaterials, such as oxides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, chalcogenides, MOFs, and metal nanoparticles, to guide the rational design of efficient OER electrodes. Finally, perspectives on current challenges, opportunities, and future directions in this research field are provided.

Vertically Well-Aligned ZnO Nanoscintillator Arrays with Improved Photoluminescence and Scintillation Properties

ZnO nanoarrays were grown via a low-temperature hydrothermal method. Solutions, each with different additive combinations, were prepared and evaluated. The effects of the additives involved in the growth procedure, i.e., ammonium hydroxide and sodium citrate, were studied in terms of the morphological, optical and scintillation properties of the ZnO nanostructures. Measurement of the nanorod (NR) length, corresponding photoluminescence (PL) and scintillation spectra and their dependence on the additives present in the solution are discussed. ZnO NRs grown on a silica substrate, whose UV transmission was found to be better than glass, showed high-quality structural and optical properties. It was found that the addition of sodium citrate significantly reduced defects and correspondingly increased the intrinsic near-band-edge (NBE) UV emission intensity at ~380 nm. To obtain high-quality nanostructures, samples were annealed in a 10% H2 + 90% N2 atmosphere. The anneal in the forming gas atmosphere enhanced the emission of the UV peak by reducing defects in the nanostructure. NRs are highly tapered towards the end of the structure. The tapering process was monitored using time growth studies, and its effect on PL and reflectance spectra are discussed. A good alpha particle response was obtained for the grown ZnO NRs, confirming its potential to be used as an alpha particle scintillator. After optimizing the reaction parameters, it was concluded that when ammonium hydroxide and sodium citrate were used, vertically well-aligned and long ZnO nanoarrays with highly improved optical and scintillation properties were obtained.

Fabrication of ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au Nanoarrays through DC Electrodeposition Utilizing Nanoporous Anodic Alumina Membranes for Environmental Application

In this study, anodic aluminum oxide membranes (AAOMs) and Au-coated AAOMs (AAOM/Au) with pore diameters of 55 nm and inter-pore spacing of 100 nm are used to develop ZnO/AAOM and ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au nanoarrays of different morphologies. The effects of the electrodeposition current, time, barrier layer, and Au coating on the morphology of the resultant nanostructures were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the structural parameters and elemental composition of the ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au nanoarray, and the Kirkendall effect was confirmed. The developed ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au electrode was applied to remove organic dyes from aqueous solutions, including methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO). Using a 3 cm2 ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au sample, the 100% dye removal for 20 ppm MB and MO dyes at pH 7 and 25 °C was achieved after approximately 50 and 180 min, respectively. According to the kinetics analysis, the pseudo-second-order model controls the dye adsorption onto the sample surface. AAOM/Au and ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au nanoarrays are also used as pH sensor electrodes. The sensing capability of AAOM/Au showed Nernstian behavior with a sensitivity of 65.1 mV/pH (R2 = 0.99) in a wide pH range of 2-9 and a detection limit of pH 12.6, whereas the ZnO/ZnAl2O4/Au electrode showed a slope of 40.1 ± 1.6 mV/pH (R2 = 0.996) in a pH range of 2-6. The electrode's behavior was more consistent with non-Nernstian behavior over the whole pH range under investigation. The sensitivity equation was given by V(mV) = 482.6 + 372.6 e-0.2095 pH at 25 °C with R2 = 1.0, which could be explained in terms of changes in the surface charge during protonation and deprotonation.

Nanostructured TiO2 Arrays for Energy Storage

Because of their extensive specific surface area, excellent charge transfer rate, superior chemical stability, low cost, and Earth abundance, nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO₂) arrays have been thoroughly explored during the past few decades. The synthesis methods for TiO₂ nanoarrays, which mainly include hydrothermal/solvothermal processes, vapor-based approaches, templated growth, and top-down fabrication techniques, are summarized, and the mechanisms are also discussed. In order to improve their electrochemical performance, several attempts have been conducted to produce TiO₂ nanoarrays with morphologies and sizes that show tremendous promise for energy storage. This paper provides an overview of current developments in the research of TiO₂ nanostructured arrays. Initially, the morphological engineering of TiO₂ materials is discussed, with an emphasis on the various synthetic techniques and associated chemical and physical characteristics. We then give a brief overview of the most recent uses of TiO₂ nanoarrays in the manufacture of batteries and supercapacitors. This paper also highlights the emerging tendencies and difficulties of TiO₂ nanoarrays in different applications.

Rapid Identification and Monitoring of Multiple Bacterial Infections Using Printed Nanoarrays

Fast and accurate detection of microbial cells in clinical samples is highly valuable but remains a challenge. Here, a simple, culture-free diagnostic system is developed for direct detection of pathogenic bacteria in water, urine, and serum samples using an optical colorimetric biosensor. It consists of printed nanoarrays chemically conjugated with specific antibodies that exhibits distinct color changes after capturing target pathogens. By utilizing the internal capillarity inside an evaporating droplet, target preconcentration is achieved within a few minutes to enable rapid identification and more efficient detection of bacterial pathogens. More importantly, the scattering signals of bacteria are significantly amplified by the nanoarrays due to strong near-field localization, which supports a visualizable analysis of the growth, reproduction, and cell activity of bacteria at the single-cell level. Finally, in addition to high selectivity, this nanoarray-based biosensor is also capable of accurate quantification and continuous monitoring of bacterial load on food over a broad linear range, with a detection limit of 10 CFU mL^-1 . This work provides an accessible and user-friendly tool for point-of-care testing of pathogens in many clinical and environmental applications, and possibly enables a breakthrough in early prevention and treatment.

Self-Supporting Metal-Organic Framework-Based Nanoarrays for Electrocatalysis

The replacement of powdery catalysts with self-supporting alternatives for catalyzing various electrochemical reactions is extremely important for the large-scale commercial application of renewable energy storage and conversion technologies. Metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanoarrays possess tunable compositions, well-defined structure, abundant active sites, effective mass and electron transport, etc., which enable them to exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance in multiple electrochemical reactions. This review presents the latest research progress in developing MOF-based nanoarrays for electrocatalysis. We first highlight the structural features and electrocatalytic advantages of MOF-based nanoarrays, followed by a detailed summary of the design and synthesis strategies of MOF-based nanoarrays, and then describe the recent progress of their application in various electrocatalytic reactions. Finally, the challenges and perspectives are discussed, where further exploration into MOF-based nanoarrays will facilitate the development of electrochemical energy conversion technologies.

Tuning the Carrier Transfer Behavior of Coaxial ZnO/ZnS/ZnIn2 S4 Nanorods with a Coherent Lattice Heterojunction Structure for Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Serious degradation and the short photogenerated carrier lifetime for the wide-bandgap semiconductor ZnO have become prominent issues that negatively affect photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, a novel electron transport pathway was constructed by simple but effective coaxial growth of ZnO/ZnS/ZnIn₂ S₄ heterostructure nanoarrays to increase the carrier separation efficiency. This new photoanode fulfilled the requirements of both favorable band alignment and stability, achieving a stable photocurrent density of 1.146 mA cm^-2 at 1.2 V_RHE , which was approximately twice that of pristine ZnO. Detailed experimental studies revealed that the improved PEC activity was due to the lattice-matching interface coherency that activated the carrier transport pathway, giving rise to an optimized interfacial electronic structure for promoted charge separation by the built-in electric field and strengthened water oxidation activity. This design may provide a new approach to fabricating various efficient lattice-matching coherent interface photoanodes for PEC water splitting.

Controllable Synthesis of Ultrathin Defect-Rich LDH Nanoarrays Coupled with MOF-Derived Co-NC Microarrays for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Water electrolysis has attracted immense research interest, nevertheless the lack of low-cost but efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions greatly hinders its commercial applications. Herein, the controllable synthesis of ultrathin defect-rich layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoarrays assembled on metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived Co-NC microarrays for boosting overall water splitting is reported. The Co-NC microarrays can not only provide abundant nucleation sites to produce a large number of LDH nuclei for favoring the growth of ultrathin LDHs, but also help to inhibit their tendency to aggregate. Impressively, five types of ultrathin bimetallic LDH nanoarrays can be electrodeposited on the Co-NC microarrays, forming desirable nanoarray-on-macroarray architectures, which show high uniformity with thicknesses from 1.5 to 1.9 nm. As expected, the electrocatalytic performance is significantly enhanced by exploiting the respective advantages of Co-NC microarrays and ultrathin LDH nanoarrays as well as the potential synergies between them. Especially, the optimal Co-NC@Ni₂ Fe-LDH as both cathode and anode can afford the lowest cell voltage of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm^-2 , making it one of the best earth-abundant bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis. This study provides new insights into the rational design of highly-active and low-cost electrocatalysts and facilitates their promising applications in the fields of energy storage and conversion.

Boosting Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution over Ce-Co9 S8 Core-Shell Nanoneedle Arrays by Electronic and Architectural Dual Engineering

An dual electronic and architectural engineering strategy is a good way to rationally design earth-abundant and highly efficient electrocatalysts of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for sustainable hydrogen-based energy devices. Here, a Ce-doped Co₉ S₈ core-shell nanoneedle array (Ce-Co₉ S₈ @CC) supported on a carbon cloth has been designed and developed to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of the OER. Profiting from valance alternative Ce doping, a fine core-shell structure and vertically aligned nanoneedle arrayed architecture, Ce-Co₉ S₈ @CC integrates modulated electronic structure, highly exposed active sites, and multidimensional mass diffusion channels; together, these afford a favorable catalyzed OER. Ce-Co₉ S₈ @CC exhibits remarkable performance in the OER in an alkaline medium, where the overpotential requires only 242 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 for the OER; this is 70 mV superior to that of Ce-free Co₉ S₈ catalyst and other counterparts. Good stability and impressive selectivity (nearly 100 % Faradic efficiency) are also demonstrated. When integrated into a two-electrode OER//HER electrolyzer, the as-prepared Ce-Co₉ S₈ @CC displays a low operation potential of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm^-2 and long-term stability, thus demonstrating great potential for economical water electrolysis.

Biosynthesis of Linear Protein Nanoarrays Using the Flagellar Axoneme

Applications in biotechnology and synthetic biology often make use of soluble proteins, but there are many potential advantages of anchoring enzymes to a stable substrate, including stability and the possibility for substrate channeling. To avoid the necessity of protein purification and chemical immobilization, there has been growing interest in bio-assembly of protein-containing nanoparticles, exploiting the self-assembly of viral capsid proteins or other proteins that form polyhedral structures. However, these nanoparticles are limited in size, which constrains the packaging and the accessibility of the proteins. An axoneme, the insoluble protein core of the eukaryotic flagellum or cilium, is a highly ordered protein structure that can be several microns in length, orders of magnitude larger than other types of nanoparticles. We show that when proteins of interest are fused to specific axonemal proteins and expressed in living Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells, they become incorporated into linear arrays, which have the advantages of high protein loading capacity and single-step purification with retention of biomass. The arrays can be isolated as membrane-enclosed vesicles or as exposed protein arrays. The approach is demonstrated for both a fluorescent protein and an enzyme (beta-lactamase), showing that incorporation into axonemes retains protein function in a stable, easily isolated array form.

Self-Supported Transition Metal-Based Nanoarrays for Efficient Energy Storage

Rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors are currently considered as promising electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems to address the energy and environment issues. Self-supported transition metal (Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cu, V)-based materials are promising electrodes for EES devices, which offer highly efficient charge transfer kinetics. This review summarizes the latest development of transition metal-based materials with self-supported structures for EES systems. Special focus has been taken on the synthetic methods, the selection of substrates, architectures and chemical compositions of different self-supported nanoarrays in energy storage systems. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of these materials for future development in this field are briefly discussed. We believe that the advancement in self-supported electrode materials would pave the way towards next-generation EES.

Nanoarrays of Individual Liposomes and Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles by Liftoff Nanocontact Printing

Analytical characterization of small biological particles, such as extracellular vesicles (EVs), is complicated by their extreme heterogeneity in size, lipid, membrane protein, and cargo composition. Analysis of individual particles is essential for illuminating particle property distributions that are obscured by ensemble measurements. To enable high-throughput analysis of individual particles, liftoff nanocontact printing (LNCP) is used to define hexagonal antibody and toxin arrays that have a 425 nm dot size, on average, and 700 nm periodicity. The LNCP process is rapid, simple, and does not require access to specialized nanofabrication tools. These densely packed, highly ordered arrays are used to capture liposomes and bacterial outer membrane vesicles on the basis of their surface biomarkers, with a maximum of one particle per array dot, resulting in densely packed arrays of particles. Despite the high particle density, the underlying antibody or toxin array ensured that neighboring individual particles are optically resolvable. Provided target particle biomarkers and suitable capture molecules are identified, this approach can be used to generate high density arrays of a wide variety of small biological particles, including other types of EVs like exosomes.

Stable Field Emission from Vertically Oriented SiC Nanoarrays

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanostructure is a type of promising field emitter due to high breakdown field strength, high thermal conductivity, low electron affinity, and high electron mobility. However, the fabrication of the SiC nanotips array is difficult due to its chemical inertness. Here we report a simple, industry-familiar reactive ion etching to fabricate well-aligned, vertically orientated SiC nanoarrays on 4H-SiC wafers. The as-synthesized nanoarrays had tapered base angles >60°, and were vertically oriented with a high packing density >107 mm-2 and high-aspect ratios of approximately 35. As a result of its high geometry uniformity-5% length variation and 10% diameter variation, the field emitter array showed typical turn-on fields of 4.3 V μm-1 and a high field-enhancement factor of ~1260. The 8 h current emission stability displayed a mean current fluctuation of 1.9 ± 1%, revealing excellent current emission stability. The as-synthesized emitters demonstrate competitive emission performance that highlights their potential in a variety of vacuum electronics applications. This study provides a new route to realizing scalable field electron emitter production.

Preparation and Characterization of Pure SiC Ceramics by HTPVT Induced by Seeding with SiC Nanoarrays

Dense SiC ceramics were fabricated by high-temperature physical vapor transport (HTPVT) growth process using SiC nanoarrays as the crystal seeds, which was obtained by vacuum heat treatment of amorphous SiC films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with a porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. In the HTPVT process, two-step holding was adopted, and the temperature at the first step was controlled at 2100 and 2150 °C to avoid SiC nanoarrays evaporation, and the grain size of SiC crystal increased with the increase in temperature and decrease in the pressure of Ar. The temperature of the second step was 2300 °C, and rapid SiC grain growth and gradual densification were achieved. The prepared SiC ceramics exhibited a relative density of more than 99%, an average grain size of about 100 μm, a preferred orientation along the (0 0 0 6) plane, a Vickers hardness of about 29 GPa, a flexural strength of about 360 MPa, and thermal conductivity at room temperature of more than 200 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹.

Quasi-Guided Modes in Titanium Dioxide Arrays Fabricated via Soft Nanoimprint Lithography

Reversible quasi-guided modes (QGMs) are observed in titanium dioxide (TiO2) metasurface arrays fabricated via soft nanoimprint lithography. A TiO2 layer between the nanopillar array and the substrate can facilitate the propagation of QGMs. This layer is porous, allowing for the tuning of the layer properties by incorporating another material. The presence of the QGMs is strongly dependent on the refractive index of the TiO2 layer. QGMs are not supported if the refractive index of the porous TiO2 is too low. It is demonstrated that after depositing R6G on the array QGMs can be observed as very strong and narrow reflectance peaks and transmittance dips. Furthermore, as the second material can penetrate through the pores into the layer it can experience the regions of high field enhancement associated with the QGMs. These results are of interest for a wide range of applications including but not limited to sensing, nonlinear optics, and emission control.

Fabrication of Vertical-Standing Co-MOF Nanoarrays with 2D Parallelogram-like Morphology for Aqueous Asymmetric Electrochemical Capacitors

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered as one of the most promising electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors due to their large specific surface area and abundant pore structure. Herein, we report a Co-MOF electrode with a vertical-standing 2D parallelogram-like nanoarray structure on a Ni foam substrate via a one-step solvothermal method. The as-prepared Co-MOF on a Ni foam electrode delivered a high area-specific capacitance of 582.0 mC cm⁻² at a current density of 2 mA cm⁻² and a good performance rate of 350.0 mC cm⁻² at 50 mA cm⁻². Moreover, an asymmetric electrochemical capacitor (AEC) device (Co-MOF on Ni foam//AC) was assembled by using the as-prepared Co-MOF on a Ni foam as the cathode and a active carbon-coated Ni foam as the anode to achieve a maximum energy density of 0.082 mW cm⁻² at a power density of 0.8 mW cm⁻², which still maintained 0.065 mW cm⁻² at a high power density of 11.94 mW cm⁻². Meanwhile, our assembled device exhibited an excellent cycling stability with a capacitance retention of nearly 100% after 1000 cycles. Therefore, this work provides a simple method to prepare MOF-based material for the application of energy storage and conversion.

Surface and Interface Engineering of Nanoarrays toward Advanced Electrodes and Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

The overall performance of electrochemical energy storage devices (EESDs) is intrinsically correlated with surfaces and interfaces. As a promising electrode architecture, 3D nanoarrays (3D-NAs) possess relatively ordered, continuous, and fully exposed active surfaces of individual nanostructures, facilitating mass and electron transport within the electrode and charge transfer across interfaces and providing an ideal platform for engineering. Herein, a critical overview of the surface and interface engineering of 3D-NAs, from electrode and interface designs to device integration, is presented. The general merits of 3D-NAs and surface/interface engineering principles of 3D-NA hybrid electrodes are highlighted. The focus is on the use of 3D-NAs as a superior platform to regulate the interface nature and unveiling new mechanism/materials without the interference of binders. The engineering and utilization of the surface of 3D-NAs to develop flexible/solid-state EESDs with 3D integrated electrode/electrolyte interfaces, or 3D triphase interfaces involving other active species, which are characteristic of (quasi-)solid-state electrolyte infiltration into the entire device, are also considered. Finally, the challenges and future directions of surface/interface engineering of 3D-NAs are outlined. In particular, potential strategies to obtain electrode charge balance, optimize the multiphase solid-state interface, and attain 3D solid electrolyte infiltration are proposed.

Metallic Co Nanoarray Catalyzes Selective NH3 Production from Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction at Current Densities Exceeding 2 A cm-2

Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NITRR) offers a promising alternative toward nitrogen recycling and ammonia production under ambient conditions, for which highly active and selective electrocatalyst is desired. In this study, metallic cobalt nanoarrays as facilely prepared from the electrochemical reduction of Co(OH)2 nanoarrays (NAs) are demonstrated to exhibit unprecedented NH3 producing capability from catalyzing NITRR. Benefitting from the high intrinsic activity of Co0, intimate contact between active species and conductive substrate and the nanostructure which exposes large number of active sites, the Co-NAs electrode exhibits current density of -2.2 A cm-2 and NH3 production rate of 10.4 mmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.24 V versus RHE under alkaline condition and significantly surpasses reported counterparts. Moreover, the close-to-unity (≥96%) Faradaic efficiency (FE) toward NH3 is achieved over wide application range (potential, NO3 - concentration and pH). Density function theory calculation reveals the optimized adsorption energy of NITRR intermediates on Co surface over Co(OH)2. Furthermore, it is proposed that despite the sluggish kinetics of Volmer step (H2O → *H + *OH) which provides protons in conventional hydrogenation mechanism, the proton-supplying water dissociation process on Co surface is drastically facilitated following a concerted water dissociation-hydrogenation pathway.

Interface Engineering of Needle-Like P-Doped MoS2 /CoP Arrays as Highly Active and Durable Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting

Developing a bifunctional water splitting catalyst with high efficiency and low cost are crucial in the electrolysis water industry. Here, we report a rational design and simple preparation method of MoS₂ -based bifunctional electrocatalyst on carbon cloth (CC). The optimized P-doped MoS₂ @CoP/CC catalyst presents low overpotentials for the hydrogen (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) of 64 and 282 mV in alkaline solution as well as 72 mV HER overpotential in H₂ SO₄ at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 . Furthermore, P-MoS₂ @CoP/CC as a bifunctional catalyst delivered relatively low cell voltages of 1.83 and 1.97 V at high current densities of 500 and mA cm^-2 in 30 % KOH. The two-electrode system showed a remarkable stability for 30 h, even outperformed the benchmark RuO₂ ||Pt/C catalyst. The excellent electrochemical performance can be credited to the unique microstructure, high surface area, and the synergy between metal species. This study presents a possible alternative for noble metal-based catalysts to overcome the challenges of industrial applications.

Coupling PEDOT on Mesoporous Vanadium Nitride Arrays for Advanced Flexible All-Solid-State Supercapacitors

Tailored construction of advanced flexible supercapacitors (SCs) is of great importance to the development of high-performance wearable modern electronics. Herein, a facile combined wet chemical method to fabricate novel mesoporous vanadium nitride (VN) composite arrays coupled with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as flexible electrodes for all-solid-state SCs is reported. The mesoporous VN nanosheets arrays prepared by the hydrothermal-nitridation method are composed of cross-linked nanoparticles of 10-50 nm. To enhance electrochemical stability, the VN is further coupled with electrodeposited PEDOT shell to form high-quality VN/PEDOT flexible arrays. Benefiting from high intrinsic reactivity and enhanced structural stability, the designed VN/PEDOT flexible arrays exhibit a high specific capacitance of 226.2 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 and an excellent cycle stability with 91.5% capacity retention after 5000 cycles at 10 A g^-1 . In addition, high energy/power density (48.36 Wh kg^-1 at 2 A g^-1 and 4 kW kg^-1 at 5 A g^-1 ) and notable cycling life (91.6% retention over 10 000 cycles) are also achieved in the assembled asymmetric flexible supercapacitor cell with commercial nickel-cobalt-aluminum ternary oxides cathode and VN/PEDOT anode. This research opens up a way for construction of advanced hybrid organic-inorganic electrodes for flexible energy storage.

Atomically Dispersed Nickel(I) on an Alloy-Encapsulated Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube Array for High-Performance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) show great promise for electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CRR), but the low density of active sites and the poor electrical conduction and mass transport of the single-atom electrode greatly limit their performance. Herein, we prepared a nickel single-atom electrode consisting of isolated, high-density and low-valent nickel(I) sites anchored on a self-standing N-doped carbon nanotube array with nickel-copper alloy encapsulation on a carbon-fiber paper. The combination of single-atom nickel(I) sites and self-standing array structure gives rise to an excellent electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance. The introduction of copper tunes the d-band electron configuration and enhances the adsorption of hydrogen, which impedes the hydrogen evolution reaction. The single-nickel-atom electrode exhibits a specific current density of -32.87 mA cm^-2 and turnover frequency of 1962 h^-1 at a mild overpotential of 620 mV for CO formation with 97 % Faradic efficiency.

In Situ Growth of CoP3 /Carbon Polyhedron/CoO/NF Nanoarrays as Binder-Free Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Enhanced Specific Capacity

Advanced functional materials enable lithium-ion batteries to reach high specific capacity. To achieve this goal, nickel foam (NF), as current collector, is chosen to in situ form aligned nanoarrays composed of CoP₃ /carbon polyhedron (CP)/CoO. The CoO nanowire acts as bridge to link NF and CoP₃ /CP which not only reinforces the adhesion between active material and NF but also enhances the capacity of whole electrode. Besides, CoP₃ is evenly coupled with CP, which can effectively buffer the volume expansion of CoP₃ during the charge/discharge process. Moreover, the novel architecture of CoP₃ /CP/CoO/NF is beneficial to improve the electronic conductivity. As a result, the CoP₃ /CP/CoO/NF anode delivers an ultrahigh specific capacity of 1715 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1 which can remain at 1150 mAh g^-1 after 80 cycles, demonstrating the good durability. Thus, this work develops a facile strategy to design self-supporting electrodes for an enhanced energy storage device.

Metal-Layer Assisted Growth of Ultralong Quasi-2D MOF Nanoarrays on Arbitrary Substrates for Accelerated Oxygen Evolution

Controlled growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanocrystals on requisite surfaces is highly desired for myriad applications related to catalysis, energy, and electronics. Here, this challenge is addressed by overlaying arbitrary surfaces with a thermally evaporated metal layer to enable the well-aligned growth of ultralong quasi-2D MOF nanoarrays comprising cobalt ions and thiophenedicarboxylate acids. This interfacial engineering approach allows preferred chelation of carboxyl groups in the ligands with the metal interlayers, thereby making possible the fabrication and patterning of MOF nanoarrays on substrates of any materials or morphologies. The MOF nanoarrays grown on porous metal scaffolds demonstrate high electrocatalytic capability for water oxidation, exhibiting a small overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 , or 317 mV at 50 mA cm^-2 as well as negligible decay of performance within 30 h. The enhanced performance stems from the improved electron and ion transport in the hierarchical porous nanoarrays consisting of in situ formed oxyhydroxide nanosheets in the electrochemical processes. This approach for mediating the growth of MOF nanoarrays can serve as a promising platform for diverse applications.

Hydrogenated TiO2 Nanorod Arrays Decorated with Carbon Quantum Dots toward Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Limited light harvesting and charge collection are recognized as grand challenges for the exploration of highly efficient TiO₂ photoanodes. To overcome these intrinsic shortcomings, we reported the designed photoanode based on TiO₂ nanoarrays with both hydrogenation treatment and surface decoration of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) toward efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting. The results revealed that hydrogenation treatment could cause the formation of oxygen vacancies to suppress the recombination of photoinduced carriers. Meanwhile, the decorated CQDs could not only play as the electron reservoirs to trap photoinduced electrons but also remarkably enhance the solar light harvesting due to their upconversion effect. The as-fabricated photoanodes exhibited a large photocurrent density of ∼3.0 mA/cm² at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode under simulated sunlight, which was the highest one among hydrogenated TiO₂ photoanodes ever reported and was ∼6 times that of pristine analogues.

Nanoplasmonic Approaches for Sensitive Detection and Molecular Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles

All cells release a multitude of nanoscale extracellular vesicles (nEVs) into circulation, offering immense potential for new diagnostic strategies. Yet, clinical translation for nEVs remains a challenge due to their vast heterogeneity, our insufficient ability to isolate subpopulations, and the low frequency of disease-associated nEVs in biofluids. The growing field of nanoplasmonics is poised to address many of these challenges. Innovative materials engineering approaches based on exploiting nanoplasmonic phenomena, i.e., the unique interaction of light with nanoscale metallic materials, can achieve unrivaled sensitivity, offering real-time analysis and new modes of medical and biological imaging. We begin with an introduction into the basic structure and function of nEVs before critically reviewing recent studies utilizing nanoplasmonic platforms to detect and characterize nEVs. For the major techniques considered, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), localized SPR, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), we introduce and summarize the background theory before reviewing the studies applied to nEVs. Along the way, we consider notable aspects, limitations, and considerations needed to apply plasmonic technologies to nEV detection and analysis.

Hybrid CoO Nanowires Coated with Uniform Polypyrrole Nanolayers for High-Performance Energy Storage Devices

Transition metal oxides with high theoretic capacities are promising materials as battery-type electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors, but their practical applications are limited by their poor electric conductivity and unsatisfied rate capability. In this work, a hybrid structure of CoO nanowires coated with conformal polypyrrole (Ppy) nanolayer is proposed, designed and fabricated on a flexible carbon substrate through a facile two-step method. In the first step, porous CoO nanowires are fabricated on flexible carbon substrate through a hydrothermal procedure combined with an annealing process. In the second step, a uniform nanolayer of Ppy is further coated on the surfaces of the CoO nanowires, resulting in a hybrid core-shell CoO@Ppy nanoarrays. The CoO@Ppy aligned on carbon support can be directly utilized as electrode material for hybrid supercapacitors. Since the conductive Ppy coating layer provides enhanced electric conductivity, the hybrid electrode demonstrates much higher capacity and superior rate capability than pure CoO nanowires. As a further demonstration, Ppy layer can also be realized on SnO₂ nanowires. Such facile conductive-layer coating method can be also applied to other types of conducting polymers (as the shell) and metal oxide materials (as the core) for various energy-related applications.

Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes with Improved Outcoupling Using a High-Index Contrast Nanoarray

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are promising for next-generation optoelectronic devices due to their potential to achieve high color purity, efficiency, and brightness. Although the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of PeLEDs has recently surpassed 20%, various strategies are being pursued to increase EQE further and reduce the EQE gap compared to other LED technologies. A key point to further boost EQE of PeLEDs is linked to the high refractive index of the perovskite emissive layer, leading to optical losses of more than 70% of emitted photons. Here, it is demonstrated that a randomly distributed nanohole array with high-index contrast can effectively enhance outcoupling efficiency in PeLEDs. Based on a comprehensive optical analysis on the perovskite thin film and outcoupling structure, it is confirmed that the nanohole array effectively distributes light into the substrate for improved outcoupling, allowing for 1.64 times higher light extraction. As a result, highly efficient red/near-infrared PeLEDs with a peak EQE of 14.6% are demonstrated.

Homogeneous Metal Nitrate Hydroxide Nanoarrays Grown on Nickel Foam for Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Developing facile routes for fabricating highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is in great demand but remains a great challenge. Herein, a novel molten salt decomposition method to prepare 3D metal nitrate hydroxide (MNH, M = Ni, Co, and Cu) nanoarrays homogenously grown on different conductive substrates, especially on nickel foam (NF) for OER applications, is reported. Compared with the as-prepared CoNH/NF and CuNH/NF, NiNH/NF presents a superior electrocatalytic OER activity and stability in an alkaline solution, with a very low overpotential of only 231 mV versus a reversible hydrogen electrode to deliver a geometrical catalytic current density of 50 mA cm^-2 and a low Tafel slope of 81 mV dec^-1 , outperforming most reported transition metal compound catalysts. Structural investigation after the OER process reveals the morphology integrity of the nanoarrays but the formation of metal oxyhydroxide (for NiNH and CoNH) or oxide (for CuNH) as the likely real active species. These metal nitrate hydroxide non-noble metal electrocatalysts can be prepared by an economical and simple method, with enhanced intrinsic activity and long-term stability and durability, which might be new candidates for energy conversion and storage applications.

Oxygen-Doped Nickel Iron Phosphide Nanocube Arrays Grown on Ni Foam for Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis

A rationally designed oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst with advanced structural and compositional superiority is highly desirable to optimize electrocatalytic performance. Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) with adjustable element compositions and accessible porous structures represent a promising precursor for the preparation of OER catalysts. Herein, oxygen-doped nickel iron phosphide nanocube arrays (Ni₂ P/(NiFe)₂ P(O) NAs) grown on Ni foam is rationally designed and fabricated from PBAs. The porous structure and the synergistic effect of Ni and Fe enable superior electrocatalytic performance and stability toward the OER in alkaline electrolytes. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Fe-incorporated Ni₂ P can generate new active sites on the Fe atoms, and the energy barriers of the intermediates and products are decreased efficiently in the presence of surface doped oxygen, both processes are crucial factors for enhanced catalytic performances. In 1 m KOH, the Ni₂ P/(NiFe)₂ P(O) NAs afford current densities of 10 and 800 mA cm^-2 at overpotentials of 150 and 530 mV, respectively, which outperform the commercial noble metal IrO₂ . Ni₂ P/(NiFe)₂ P(O) NAs also have long-term stability over 100 h at a high current density. The present approach may provide a new avenue for the controlled assembly of nanoarrays for energy storage and conversion applications.

In Situ Derived CoB Nanoarray: A High-Efficiency and Durable 3D Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Alkaline Water Splitting

The development of efficient bifunctional catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of extreme importance for future renewable energy systems. This Communication reports the recent finding that room-temperature treatment of CoO nanowire array on Ti mesh by NaBH₄ in alkaline media leads to in situ development of CoB nanoparticles on nanowire surface. The resulting self-supported CoB@CoO nanoarray behaves as a 3D bifunctional electrocatalyst with high activity and durability for both HER (<17% current density degradation after 20 h electrolysis) and OER (<14% current density degradation after 20 h electrolysis) with the need of the overpotentials of 102 and 290 mV to drive 50 mA cm^-2 in 1.0 m KOH, respectively. Moreover, its two-electrode alkaline water electrolyzer also shows remarkably high durability and only demands a cell voltage of 1.67 V to deliver 50 mA cm^-2 water-splitting current with a current density retention of 81% after 20 h electrolysis. This work provides a promising methodology for the designing and fabricating of metal-boride based nanoarray as a high-active water-splitting catalyst electrode for applications.

Falling Leaves Inspired ZnO Nanorods-Nanoslices Hierarchical Structure for Implant Surface Modification with Two Stage Releasing Features

Inspired from falling leaves, ZnO nanorods-nanoslices hierarchical structure (NHS) was constructed to modify the surfaces of two widely used implant materials: titanium (Ti) and tantalum (Ta), respectively. By which means, two-stage release of antibacterial active substances were realized to address the clinical importance of long-term broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. At early stages (within 48 h), the NHS exhibited a rapid releasing to kill the bacteria around the implant immediately. At a second stage (over 2 weeks), the NHS exhibited a slow releasing to realize long-term inhibition. The excellent antibacterial activity of ZnO NHS was confirmed once again by animal test in vivo. According to the subsequent experiments, the ZnO NHS coating exhibited the great advantage of high efficiency, low toxicity, and long-term durability, which could be a feasible manner to prevent the abuse of antibiotics on implant-related surgery.

Trash to Treasure: Waste Eggshells as Chemical Reactors for the Synthesis of Amorphous Co(OH)2 Nanorod Arrays on Various Substrates for Applications in Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries and Electrocatalysis

Bioinspired synthesis has been attracting much attention. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach to directly use waste eggshells as a reactor system for controlled synthesis of nanostructures formed on different substrates. This approach can recycle and transform the "trash" of waste eggshells into "treasure" of unique reactor systems for nanofabrication. The eggshell reactor system can provide unique conditions for the formation of nanostructures on various substrates. Using Co(OH)₂ as a model, amorphous Co(OH)₂ nanorod arrays, which cannot be synthesized conventionally by direct mixing of precursors, have been successfully formed on various substrates, including Ni foam, metal foil, and glass. To illustrate their potential applications, we use the as-fabricated amorphous Co(OH)₂ nanorod arrays on Ni foam as (1) binder-free electrodes for rechargeable alkaline batteries, demonstrating impressively good electrochemical performances, and (2) electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction, demonstrating improved electrocatalytic performances as compared to their crystalline counterpart. We believe the idea outlined here, using eggshell reactor system, can be further expanded to synthesize many different functional materials and precursors which can find additional applications, including self-cleaning, catalysis, sensor, electrochromic devices, etc.

Constructing Hierarchical Tectorum-like α-Fe2 O3 /PPy Nanoarrays on Carbon Cloth for Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitors

The design of complex heterostructured electrode materials that deliver superior electrochemical performances to their individual counterparts has stimulated intensive research on configuring supercapacitors with high energy and power densities. Herein we fabricate hierarchical tectorum-like α-Fe₂ O₃ /polypyrrole (PPy) nanoarrays (T-Fe₂ O₃ /PPy NAs). The 3D, and interconnected T-Fe₂ O₃ /PPy NAs are successfully grown on conductive carbon cloth through an easy self-sacrificing template and in situ vapor-phase polymerization route under mild conditions. The electrode made of the T-Fe₂ O₃ /PPy NAs exhibits a high areal capacitance of 382.4 mF cm^-2 at a current density of 0.5 mA cm^-2 and excellent reversibility. The solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor consisting of T-Fe₂ O₃ /PPy NAs and MnO₂ electrodes achieves a high energy density of 0.22 mWh cm^-3 at a power density of 165.6 mW cm^-3 .

Efficient Water Splitting Catalyzed by Cobalt Phosphide-Based Nanoneedle Arrays Supported on Carbon Cloth

Efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for water splitting are essential for solar fuel production. Herein, we report that nanoarrays of CoP supported on carbon cloth are an efficient bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting. The catalyst exhibits remarkable activity for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media, delivering a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of 281 mV for OER and 95 mV for HER. During electrocatalysis, the surface of the CoP catalyst was covered with a layer of CoOx , which was the active species. However, the CoP core and the nanoarray morphology contributed significantly to the activity.

Large-scale growth of well-aligned SiC tower-like nanowire arrays and their field emission properties

Fabrication of well-aligned one-dimensional (1D) nanostrucutres is critically important and highly desired since it is the key step to realize the patterned arrays to be used as the display units. In the present work, we report the large-scale and well-aligned growth of n-type SiC nanowire arrays on the 6H-SiC wafer substrates via pyrolysis of polymeric precursors assisted by Au catalysts. The obtained n-type SiC nanowires are highly qualified with sharp tips and numerous sharp corners around the wire bodies, which bring the emitters excellent field emission (FE) performance with low turn-on fields (1.50 V/μm), low threshold fields (2.65 V/μm), and good current emission stabilities (fluctuation <3.8%). The work abilities of the n-type SiC tower-like nanowire arrays under high-temperature harsh environments have been investigated, suggesting that the resultant field emitters could be well serviced up to 500 °C. The temperature-enhanced FE behaviors could be attributed to the reduction of the work function induced by the rise of temperatures and the incorporated N dopants. It is believed that the present well-aligned n-type SiC tower-like nanowire arrays could meet nearly all stringent requirements for an ideal FE emitter with excellent FE properties, making their applications very promising in displays and other electronic nanodevices.

Dye-sensitized nanoarrays with discotic liquid crystals as interlayer for high-efficiency inverted polymer solar cells

The well-aligned and highly uniform one-dimensional ZnO with organic dyes core/shell (ZNs) and ZnO with dyes and liquid crystals core/double-shells nanoarrays (ZNLs) with controllable lengths were fabricated as electron transport layers (ETLs) in inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs). Ditetrabutylammonium cis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylato) ruthenium(II) dye (N719) was presented to reduce the surface defects of ZnO nanoarrays (NAs). In addition, the shell modification could decrease the electron injection barrier between ZnO and active layer, thereby facilitating electron injection effectively and forming a direct electron transport channel into the cathode. Due to the orientation of nanoarrays and the self-organization of 3,6,7,10,11-pentakis(hexyloxy)-2-hydroxytriphenylene liquid crystals (LCs) in liquid crystalline mesophase and isotropic phase transition, the components of active layer would be driven rearrange and infiltrate among the interspaces of nanoarrays more orderly. The increased interfacial contact between cathode and active layer would benefit charge generation, transportation and collection. On the basis of these advantages, it was found the N719 shell and N719/LCs double-shells modifications of ZnO NAs could boost the photovoltaic performance of PSCs with the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.3% and 8.0%, respectively.