New boron nitride whiskers: showing strong ultraviolet and visible light luminescence

Boron nitride whiskers with a special structure have been synthesized by a thermal reaction process. The as-prepared BN whiskers have a length of tens of micrometers and a mean diameter of 500 nm. High-resolution TEM analysis shows that the as-prepared BN whiskers can be described as a nanofiber-interweaved network. Infrared and electron energy loss spectra reveal that the BN whiskers are composed of both sigma-sp2 and sigma-sp3 chemical bonds. The UV-vis absorption spectrum displays the energy band gap of the BN whiskers and multiple fine absorption peaks of the phonon-electron coupling. Both photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements show the specially structured BN emits strong UV and visible luminescences, which is a promising material for deep-blue and UV applications.     

ZnS-Zn nanocables and ZnS nanotubes

ZnS-Zn nanocables and ZnS nanotubes have been synthesized by a thermochemical process in a simple and safe way. The as-prepared nanocables consist of a single crystal Zn core with a diameter of 20 nm and a polycrystalline ZnS sheath with a thickness of 8 nm. The evaporation of the Zn core leads to the formation of ZnS nanotubes.     

MgCl2/R'nAl(OR)3-n: an excellent activator/support for transition-metal complexes for olefin polymerization

A new and effective method for the activation, and simultaneously, immobilization of bis(phenoxyimine) early-transition-metal complexes for olefin polymerization (known as FI catalysts), which makes use of MgCl(2)/R'(n)Al(OR)(3-n) as an activator/support, has been developed. Ti-, Zr-, and V-FI catalysts combined with this MgCl(2)-based compound can form highly active MgCl(2)-supported single-site catalysts capable of demonstrating superior catalytic properties, compared to the corresponding homogeneous methylaluminoxane- (Ti- and Zr-FI catalysts) or alkylaluminum-activation systems (V-FI catalysts), in terms of their catalytic activity, molecular weight, stereoselectivity, and comonomer incorporation. Additionally, these new catalysts can produce polymers of significant morphology with high efficiency. Notably, the MgCl(2)-based compounds can also effectively activate and immobilize the early-to-late transition-metal complexes that have emerged recently. Thus, the application of MgCl(2)-based compounds as activators/supports for transition-metal complexes for olefin polymerization provides a conceptually new strategy for the development of methylaluminoxane- and borate-free, high-performance, single-site catalysts capable of controlling polymer morphology.     

Direct synthesis of B-C-N single-walled nanotubes by bias-assisted hot filament chemical vapor deposition

Direct synthesis of large-scale ternary boron carbonitride single-walled nanotubes (BCN-SWNTs) via a bias-assisted HFCVD process was presented. The BCN-SWNTs were grown over the powdery Fe-Mo/MgO catalyst by using CH4, B2H6, and ethylenediamine vapor as the reactant gases. As high as 16 atom % nitrogen can be incorporated within the nanotube shells, with the boron content in the range of 2-4 atom %. The ternary covalent bonding nature of the BCN-SWNTs was well characterized, and the B, C, and N elemental maps were clearly imaged by energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy.     

Thickness-dependent photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanoplatelets

In this paper, we report the large-scale synthesis of ZnO nanoplatelets as thin as 10 nm. The nanoplatelets show higher efficiency in photodegrading organic dyes than ZnO nanorods do, and for the nanoplatelets, the thinner they are, the higher the performance. The photocatalytic decomposition of organic dyes (eosin B) by ZnO nanoplatelets compares favorably to the performances of ZnS porous nanoparticles and commercial Degussa P25 titania particles. This finding may have significant implications in the environment remediation and the fabrication of functional nanodevices.     

In situ UV-vis and EPR study on the formation of hydroperoxide species during direct gas phase propylene epoxidation over Au/Ti-SiO(2) catalyst

In recent years, there have been great experimental and theoretical advances in the understanding of the epoxidation of propylene by O(2) and H(2) over Au supported on titanium-containing oxidic supports; however, thus far spectroscopic evidence of reacting species for proposed mechanisms has been lacking. Hydroperoxide species have been postulated as an intermediate responsible for the epoxidation of propylene with O(2) and H(2). In order to obtain direct evidence for the different type of active oxygen species, in situ UV-vis and EPR measurements were carried out during the epoxidation of propylene with O(2) and H(2) over a Au/Ti-SiO(2) (Ti/Si = 3:100) catalyst. It was determined that the adsorbed species of oxygen (O(2)(-)) resided on Au, more likely at a perimeter site, and it led to the formation of titanium hydroperoxo species. These results support the possible mechanism of formation of these hydroperoxo species via H(2)O(2) produced from O(2) and H(2) adsorbed on the Au surfaces.     

Thermal conductivity of nanostructured boron nitride materials

We have measured the thermal conductivity of bulky pellets made of various boron nitride (BN)-based nanomaterials, including spherical nanoparticles, perfectly structured, bamboo-like nanotubes, and collapsed nanotubes. The thermal conductivity strongly depends on the morphology of the BN nanomaterials, especially on the surface structure. Spherical BN particles have the lowest thermal conductivity while the collapsed BN nanotubes possess the best thermoconductive properties. A model was proposed to explain the experimental observations based on the heat percolation passage considerations.     

Synthesis and field emission of carbon nanotubular fibers doped with high nitrogen content

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubular fibers with a very high nitrogen concentration (approximately 20 at.%) were synthesized through the aerosol-assisted decomposition of dimethylformamide in the presence of catalyst. The synthesized fibers process a novel "pearl necklace-like" morphology and exhibit an excellent field emission performance.