Xiuling Jiao

Synthesis of novel ZnS nanocages utilizing ZIF-8 polyhedral template

Truncated rhombic dodecahedral zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanocrystals are fabricated with acetate as a modulating ligand; ZnS hollow polyhedra with uniform morphology are obtained using the ZIF-8 templates.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of octahedral nickel ferrite particles

Abstract The octahedral nickel ferrite powders were prepared from α-FeOOH and amorphous Ni(OH) 2 in high alkali medium via a hydrothermal process. The uniformity of the products can be controlled by simply adjusting the concentration of the NaOH solution. The products were characterized by XRD, TEM, IR and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The effects of the precursors and reaction conditions on the crystallization of the products are also discussed.

LiCoO2–MgO coaxial fibers: co-electrospun fabrication, characterization and electrochemical properties

Core–shell LiCoO2–MgO fibers for use as lithium ion batteries were prepared by co-electrospinning combined with a sol-gel process. The rheological properties and viscosity of the spinnable sols, and the pressures of the two sols during the co-electrospinning process were investigated, which had an obvious effect on the diameter and shell thickness of the core–shell fibers. The fibers had a highly crystalline LiCoO2 core composed of partially oriented nanocrystals and a poorly crystalline MgO shell. The cyclic voltammogram (CV) experiments indicated that the coaxial fiber electrode exhibited excellent reversibility, smaller impedance growth and preferable electrochemical properties with obvious improvement of cyclability compared to bare LiCoO2 fiber electrodes.

Lyotropic liquid crystal directed synthesis of nanostructured materials

Abstract This review introduces and summarizes lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) directed syntheses of nanostructured materials consisting of porous nanostructures and zero-dimensional (0-D), one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructures. After a brief introduction to the liquid crystals, the LLCs used to prepare mesoporous materials are discussed; in particular, recent advances in controlling mesostructures are summarized. The LLC templates directing the syntheses of nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires and nanoplates are also presented. Finally, future development in this field is discussed.

Solvothermal preparation and visible photocatalytic activity of polycrystalline β-In2S3 nanotubes

Ultra-thin tetragonal β-In2S3 nanotubes with the outer diameter of 10–20 nm, wall thickness of ca. 2.0 nm and length more than 1.0 μm have been successfully synthesized for the first time via a simple solution route. The polycrystalline nanotube is composed of nanocrystals with a size of 2.0 nm. The formation mechanism of the nanotubes was proposed, which went through the hydrolysis of In3+ cations, the decomposition of lauryl mercaptan and then the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of In2S3. The as-obtained β-In2S3 nanotubes show high photocatalytic performance on the decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) under solar irradiation.

Electrospinning preparation and adsorption properties of mesoporous alumina fibers

Mesoporous alumina fibers were successfully synthesized via an electrospinning technique combined with a sol–gel method in the presence of a triblock copolymer as a structure directing agent. The amorphous alumina fibers derived from the electrospun xerogel fibers after calcinations at 450 °C and the γ-Al2O3 fibers obtained after the xerogel fibers were calcined at 700 °C exhibit uniform mesopores with fiber diameters of 130–200 nm, and BET surface areas up to 264.1 m2 g−1 and 242.6 m2 g−1, respectively. After the xerogel fibers were calcined at 1100 °C, with the transformation from γ-Al2O3 to α-Al2O3, a significant grain growth occurs and the mesopores disappear. Further investigation indicates that the γ-Al2O3 fibers have good adsorption properties toward Congo red with a maximum adsorption capacity of 781.25 mg g−1 for the sample obtained at 700 °C. In addition, the fibers show a good stability in acidic conditions and during a reuse process, which indicates their potential applications in adsorption as well as related areas, such as catalysis and catalyst supports.

Mesoporous TiO2/SiO2 composite nanofibers with selective photocatalytic properties

Mesoporous TiO2/SiO2 composite nanofibers with a diameter of 100-200 nm and silica shell thickness of 5-50 nm have been fabricated by a sol-gel combined two-capillary co-electrospinning method; the composite nanofibers exhibited selective photocatalytic activity based on the decomposition of Methylene Blue, Active Yellow and Disperse Red.

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of Bi4Ti3O12 powders from different precursors

Abstract Tetragonal Bi4Ti3O12 powders have been hydrothermally prepared from different precursors and characterized by XRD, TEM, FTIR and Raman techniques. The effects of reaction conditions such as alkali concentration, reaction temperature and time as well as the precursors on the particle properties are investigated. The hydrothermal powders with spherical and plate-like morphologies appear low agglomeration and narrow particle size distribution.

Hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline MxZn1−xFe2O4 (M=Ni, Mn, Co; x=0.40–0.60) powders

Abstract A series of nanocrystalline M x Zn 1− x Fe 2 O 4 (M=Ni, Mn and Co; x =0.40–0.60) powders have been successfully prepared via hydrothermal process and characterized by XRD, TEM and IR techniques. The effects of reaction temperature and the initial pH value of the starting suspension solution on the particulate properties such as the particle size and morphology are discussed. IR spectra indicate that there are no hydroxyl in as-prepared Ni x Zn 1− x Fe 2 O 4 and Co x Zn 1− x Fe 2 O 4 powders, while there are obvious hydroxyl adsorption on the IR spectrum of Mn x Zn 1− x Fe 2 O 4 powder.

Ultrathin corundum-type In2O3 nanotubes derived from orthorhombic InOOH: synthesis and formation mechanism

Single-crystalline metastable corundum-type In2O3 nanotubes were prepared by annealing solvothermally synthesized InOOH nanotubes under ambient pressure at 300 degrees C, and the formation mechanism of the nanotubes was investigated.