Single-domain microcrystals of LaC(2) encapsulated within nanoscale polyhedral carbon particles have been synthesized in a carbon arc. Typical particle sizes are on the order of 20 to 40 nanometers. The stoichiometry and phase of the La-containing crystals have been assigned from characteristic lattice spacings observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). EDS spectra show that La and C are the only elements present. Characteristic interatomic distances of 3.39 and 2.78 angstroms identify the compound inside the nanoparticle cavities as alpha-LaC(2), the phase of LaC(2) that is stable at room temperature. Bulk alpha-LaC(2) is metallic and hydrolytic. Observation of crystals of pure encapsulated alpha-LaC(2) that were exposed to air for several days before analysis indicates that the LaC(2) is protected from degradation bythe carbon polyhedral shells of the nanoparticles. A high percentage of the carbon nanoparticles have encapsulated LaC(2) single crystals. These carbon-coated metal crystals form a new class of materials that can be protected in their pure or carbide forms and may have interesting and useful properties.

With the evolution of nanoscience and nanotechnology, studies have been focused on manipulating nanoparticle properties through the control of their size, composition, and morphology. As nanomaterial research has progressed, the foremost focus has gradually shifted from synthesis, morphology control, and characterization of properties to the investigation of function and the utility of integrating these materials and chemical sciences with the physical, biological, and medical fields, which therefore necessitates the development of novel materials that are capable of performing multiple tasks and functions. The construction of multifunctional nanomaterials that integrate two or more functions into a single geometry has been achieved through the surface-coating technique, which created a new class of substances designated as core-shell nanoparticles. Core-shell materials have growing and expanding applications due to the multifunctionality that is achieved through the formation of multiple shells as well as the manipulation of core/shell materials. Moreover, core removal from core-shell-based structures offers excellent opportunities to construct multifunctional hollow core architectures that possess huge storage capacities, low densities, and tunable optical properties. Furthermore, the fabrication of nanomaterials that have the combined properties of a core-shell structure with that of a hollow one has resulted in the creation of a new and important class of substances, known as the rattle core-shell nanoparticles, or nanorattles. The design strategies of these new multifunctional nanostructures (core-shell, hollow core, and nanorattle) are discussed in the first part of this review. In the second part, different synthesis and fabrication approaches for multifunctional core-shell, hollow core-shell and rattle core-shell architectures are highlighted. Finally, in the last part of the article, the versatile and diverse applications of these nanoarchitectures in catalysis, energy storage, sensing, and biomedicine are presented.

Nowadays, materials with a core-shell structure have been widely explored for applications in advanced batteries owing to their superb properties. Core-shell structures based on the electrode type, including anodes and cathodes, and the material compositions of the cores and shells have been summarized. In this review, we focus on core-shell materials for applications in advanced batteries such as LIBs, LSBs and SIBs. Firstly, a novel concept of aggregates of spherical core-shell architectures and their aggregates, linear core-shell architectures and their aggregates, sheet-like core-shell architectures and their aggregates and special core-shell architectures and their aggregates are involved. Secondly, the main material compositions of carbon/Si-based, carbon/metal-based, metal-based materials and organic-based composites are introduced along with the synthesis and electro-chemical performances of core-shell nanostructured materials. Finally, the emerging challenges and prospects of core-shell materials are briefly discussed.

Manganese dioxide powders were firstly prepared via electric pulse assisted redox method with KMnO4 and MnSO4 as raw material, then MnO2/C composite materials coated with different amounts of carbon were fabricated via liquid phase sintering with glucose as a carbon source. The effect of amount of coated carbon on the morphology, structure and electrochemical properties of the MnO2/C materials were investigated. Results show that the coated carbon could induce the transformation of crystallographic structure of MnO2 from γ-type into α-type. Under heating conditions glucose decomposed and coated on the surface of MnO2 particles, which could inhibit the grain growth and thus refine grains. When the preparation with the process parameters: glucose concentration was 1.5 g/L and the current density was 2 A·g-1, the prepared MnO2/C material presented the specific capacitance of MnO2 of 722.2 F·g-1, in other words, the carbon coating could increase the specific capacitance by 80%, in comparison with that of the blank ones. Furthermore, after 4000 charge-discharge cycles, the capacitance retention rate could still maintain 74.72%, displayed good electrochemical performance and cycling performance.

The applications of copper (Cu) and Cu-based nanoparticles, which are based on the earth-abundant and inexpensive copper metal, have generated a great deal of interest in recent years, especially in the field of catalysis. The possible modification of the chemical and physical properties of these nanoparticles using different synthetic strategies and conditions and/or via postsynthetic chemical treatments has been largely responsible for the rapid growth of interest in these nanomaterials and their applications in catalysis. In addition, the design and development of novel support and/or multimetallic systems (e.g., alloys, etc.) has also made significant contributions to the field. In this comprehensive review, we report different synthetic approaches to Cu and Cu-based nanoparticles (metallic copper, copper oxides, and hybrid copper nanostructures) and copper nanoparticles immobilized into or supported on various support materials (SiO2, magnetic support materials, etc.), along with their applications in catalysis. The synthesis part discusses numerous preparative protocols for Cu and Cu-based nanoparticles, whereas the application sections describe their utility as catalysts, including electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and gas-phase catalysis. We believe this critical appraisal will provide necessary background information to further advance the applications of Cu-based nanostructured materials in catalysis.

We report the covalent functionalization of graphene by photochemical chlorination. The gas-phase photochlorination of graphene, followed by the structural transformation of the C-C bonds from sp(2) to sp(3) configuration, could remove the conducting π-bands and open up a band gap in graphene. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that chlorine is grafted to the basal plane of graphene, with about 8 atom % chlorine coverage. Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy all indicated that the photochlorinated graphene is homogeneous and nondestructive. The resistance increases over 4 orders of magnitude and a band gap appears upon photochlorination, confirmed by electrical measurements. Moreover, localized photochlorination of graphene can facilitate chemical patterning, which may offer a feasible approach to the realization of all-graphene circuits.

We use resonance Raman and optical reflection contrast methods to study charge transfer in 1-10 layer (1L-10L) thick graphene samples on which NO(2) has adsorbed. Electrons transfer from the graphene to NO(2), leaving the graphene layers doped with mobile delocalized holes. Doping follows a Langmuir-type isotherm as a function of NO(2) pressure. Raman and optical contrast spectra provide independent, self-consistent measures of the hole density and distribution as a function of the number of layers (N). At high doping, as the Fermi level shift E(F) reaches half the laser photon energy, a resonance in the graphene G mode Raman intensity is observed. We observe a decrease of graphene optical absorption in the near-IR that is due to hole-doping. Highly doped graphene is more optically transparent and much more electrically conductive than intrinsic graphene. In thicker samples, holes are effectively confined near the surface, and in these samples, a small band gap opens near the surface. We discuss the properties and versatility of these highly charge-transfer-doped, few-layer-thick graphene samples as a new class of electronic materials.