Renzhi Ma

A wide variety of cation-exchangeable layered transition metal oxides and their relatively rare counterparts, anion-exchangeable layered hydroxides, have been exfoliated into individual host layers, i.e., nanosheets. Exfoliation is generally achieved via a high degree of swelling, typically driven either by intercalation of bulky organic ions (quaternary ammonium cations, propylammonium cations, etc.) for the layered oxides or by solvation with organic solvents (formamide, butanol, etc.) for the

Exfoliation of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) into single layers provides a new type of nanosheet with ultimate two-dimensional anisotropy and positive charge. In this Highlight article, we briefly review the latest advances in this emerging field. In comparison with the previous studies, we show that micrometer-sized and well-defined LDH nanosheets can be readily attained by synthesizing large crystals of LDH-carbonate via so-called homogeneous precipitation and subsequent exfoliation of the

CONSPECTUS: Two-dimensional (2D) materials, represented by graphene, have attracted tremendous interest due to their ultimate structural anisotropy and fascinating resultant properties. The search for 2D material alternatives to graphene, molecularly thin with diverse composition, structure, and functionality, has become a hot research topic. A wide variety of layered metal oxides and hydroxides have been exfoliated into the form of individual host layers, that is, 2D nanosheets. This Account pr

Hydrogen uptake capacities of 1.8 and 2.6 wt % were obtained on BN multiwalled nanotubes and bamboo-like nanotubes, respectively, under approximately 10 MPa at room temperature. The preliminary results show that chemical interactions mainly take place between hydrogen and BN. Taking into consideration the uniform semiconducting electronic property and ultimate stable chemical and thermal stability, BN nanotubes may exhibit some interesting possibilities in storing hydrogen. This will also provid

This paper describes a topochemical synthetic approach to Co2+-Fe3+ layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Micrometer-sized hexagonal platelets of brucite-like Co2/3Fe1/3(OH)2 were first prepared by a homogeneous precipitation of an aqueous solution of divalent cobalt and ferrous ions through hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) hydrolysis under a nitrogen gas atmosphere. A subsequent oxidative intercalation process, by the action of iodine (I2) in chloroform (CHCl3), transformed the precursory brucite-like

High-purity nanotubes and nanobelts could be controllably obtained in hydrothermal treatments of anatase TiO(2) in concentrated NaOH solution depending on treating temperature and duration. Their structural features were studied employing X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray absorption fine structure, and electron diffraction characterizations. The results reveal that both the nanotubes and nanobelts might be of layered titanate structure. The similarity and difference among the nanotubes/nanobelts a

Molecular-scale modulation of interfaces between different unilamellar nanosheets in superlattices is promising for efficient catalytic activities. Here, three kinds of superlattices from alternate restacking of any two of the three unilamellar nanosheets of MoS2, NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH), and graphene are systematically investigated for electrocatalytic water splitting. The MoS2/NiFe-LDH superlattice exhibits a low overpotential of 210 and 110 mV at 10 mA cm–2 for oxygen evoluti

From platelets to sheets: A topochemical phase conversion employing bromine in acetonitrile transforms β-Co(OH)2 into monometallic Co2+–Co3+ layered double hydroxide (LDH) with a Co2+/Co3+ ratio of 2:1 (see the elemental maps of Co, Br, and O in a Br−-intercalated Co2+–Co3+ LDH platelet). Further treatment allows exfoliation of Co2+–Co3+ LDH into positively charged Co(OH)2 nanosheets. Scale bars: 2 μm.

Co-Fe layered double hydroxides at different Fe/Co ratios were synthesized from brucite-like Co(2+)(1-x)Fe(2+)(x)(OH)(2) (0 ≤ x ≤ 1/3) via oxidative intercalation reaction using an excess amount of iodine as the oxidizing agent. A new redoxable species: triiodide (I(3)(-)), promoted the formation of single-phase Co-Fe LDHs. The results point to a general principle that LDHs with a characteristic ratio of total trivalent and divalent cations (M(3+)/M(2+)) at 1/2 may be the most stable in the oxid

A general and facile strategy for the synthesis of a large family of monometallic (Co, Ni) and bimetallic (Co-Ni, Co-Cu and Co-Zn) hydroxide nanocones (NCs) intercalated with DS ions is demonstrated. The basal spacing of the NCs can be varied by adjusting the intercalated DS amount. Especially, electrochemical characterizations reveal that bimetallic Co-Ni hydroxide NCs have a higher specific capacitance than their monometallic counterpart. These results suggest the importance of rational design

We report a Rietveld refinement analysis and X-ray absorption study on a green-color Cl(-)-intercalated alpha-type cobalt hydroxide phase. The refinement clearly demonstrated that one-fifth to one-sixth of the Co(II) at octahedral sites was replaced by pairs of tetrahedrally coordinated Co(II) on each side of the hydroxide plane, represented by a structural formula of [Co(octa)(0.828)Co(tetra)(0.348)(OH)2](0.348+)Cl(0.348).0.456H2O. X-ray absorption spectroscopy also indicated that the divalent

We report a process directly transforming 2D nanosheets into 1D nanotubes. Using unilamellar nanosheets as starting materials, we succeeded in obtaining titanium oxide, manganese oxide, and niobate nanotubes (15−60 nm in diameter). The transformation was achieved in a simple procedure of an ion intercalation/deintercalation procedure at ambient temperature. The intercalation of Na ions leads to stacking up of the colloidal nanosheets. The gradual deintercalation/extraction of Na ions in water ch

When the dimensionality of layered materials is reduced to the physical limit, an ultimate two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy and/or confinement effect may bring about extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), bearing abundant hydroxyl groups covalently bonded within 2D host layers, have been proposed as inorganic anion conductors. However, typical hydroxyl ion conductivities for bulk or lamellar LDHs, generally up to 10^-3 S cm^-1, are co

Abstract Combining transition metal oxide catalysts with conductive carbonaceous material is a feasible way to improve the conductivity. However, the electrocatalytic performance is usually not distinctly improved because the interfacial resistance between metal oxides and carbon is still large and thereby hinders the charge transport in catalysis. Herein, the conductive interface between poorly conductive NiO nanoparticles and semi‐conductive carbon nitride (CN) is constructed. The NiO/CN exhib