Hollow micro-/nanostructures are of great interest in many current and emerging areas of technology. Perhaps the best-known example of the former is the use of fly-ash hollow particles generated from coal power plants as partial replacement for Portland cement, to produce concrete with enhanced strength and durability. This review is devoted to the progress made in the last decade in synthesis and applications of hollow micro-/nanostructures. We present a comprehensive overview of synthetic strategies for hollow structures. These strategies are broadly categorized into four themes, which include well-established approaches, such as conventional hard-templating and soft-templating methods, as well as newly emerging methods based on sacrificial templating and template-free synthesis. Success in each has inspired multiple variations that continue to drive the rapid evolution of the field. The Review therefore focuses on the fundamentals of each process, pointing out advantages and disadvantages where appropriate. Strategies for generating more complex hollow structures, such as rattle-type and nonspherical hollow structures, are also discussed. Applications of hollow structures in lithium batteries, catalysis and sensing, and biomedical applications are reviewed.

Hollow Micro-/Nanostructures: Synthesis and Applications**

A promising family of mixed transition-metal oxides (MTMOs) (designated as Ax B3-x O4 ; A, B=Co, Ni, Zn, Mn, Fe, etc.) with stoichiometric or even non-stoichiometric compositions, typically in a spinel structure, has recently attracted increasing research interest worldwide. Benefiting from their remarkable electrochemical properties, these MTMOs will play significant roles for low-cost and environmentally friendly energy storage/conversion technologies. In this Review, we summarize recent research advances in the rational design and efficient synthesis of MTMOs with controlled shapes, sizes, compositions, and micro-/nanostructures, along with their applications as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors, and efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Some future trends and prospects to further develop advanced MTMOs for next-generation electrochemical energy storage/conversion systems are also presented.

Mixed transition-metal oxides: design, synthesis, and energy-related applications.

Note: Times Cited: 875 Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-206025doi:10.1021/cr0501846View record in Web of Science URL: ://WOS:000249839900009 Record created on 2015-03-03, modified on 2017-05-12

Complex Hydrides for Hydrogen Storage

Janus particles: synthesis, self-assembly, physical properties, and applications.

Metal oxide hollow structures have received great attention because of their many promising applications in a wide range of fields. As electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), metal oxide hollow structures provide high specific capacity, superior rate capability, and improved cycling performance. In this Research News, we summarize the recent research activities in the synthesis of metal oxide hollow nanostructures with controlled shape, size,composition, and structural complexity, as well as their applications in LIBs. By focusing on hollow structures of some binary metal oxides (such as SnO 2 ,TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , Co 3 O 4 ) and complex metal oxides, we seek to provide some rational understanding on the effect of nanostructure engineering on the electrochemical performance of the active materials. It is thus anticipated that this article will shed some light on the development of advanced electrode materials for next-generation LIBs.

Metal oxide hollow nanostructures for lithium-ion batteries

ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis to applications

Inorganic hollow spheres have attracted considerable interest due to their singular properties and wide range of potential applications. In this critical review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the preparation and applications of inorganic hollow spheres. We first discuss the syntheses of inorganic hollow spheres by use of polymers, inorganic nonmetals, metal-based hard templates, small-molecule emulsion, surfactant micelle-based soft-templates, and the template-free approach. For each method, a critical comment is given based on our knowledge and related research experience. We go on to discuss some important applications of inorganic hollow spheres in 0D, 2D, and 3D arrays. We conclude this review with some perspectives on the future research and development of inorganic hollow spheres (235 references).

Fabrication and application of inorganic hollow spheres

Although the concept of Janus particles was raised in the early 1990s, the related research has not attracted considerable interest until recently due to the special properties and applications of these colloidal particles as well as the advances in new fabrications. Janus particles can be divided into three categories: polymeric, inorganic, and polymeric–inorganic, and each kind of Janus particles can be spherical, dumbbell-like, half raspberry-like, cylindrical, disk-like, or any of a variety of other shapes. Different Janus particles may share common preparation principles or require specific fabrication processes, and may have different assembly behaviours and properties. This critical review discusses the main fabrication methods of the three kinds of Janus particles, and then highlights the important properties and applications of these Janus particles developed in recent years, and finally proposes some perspectives on the future of Janus particle research and development.

Fabrication, properties and applications of Janus particles

A method for the fabrication of monodisperse hollow silica spheres

Superhydrophobic coatings that are also self-healing have drawn much attention in recent years for improved durability in practical applications. Typically, the release of the self-healing agents is triggered by temperature and moisture change. In this study, UV-responsive microcapsules are successfully synthesized by Pickering emulsion polymerization using titania (TiO2) and silica (SiO2) nanoparticles as the Pickering agents to fabricate all-water-based self-repairing, superhydrophobic coatings. These coatings are environmentally friendly and can be readily coated on various substrates. Compared to conventional superhydrophobic coatings, these coatings can regenerate superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning ability under UV light, mimicking the outdoor environment, after they are mechanically damaged or contaminated with organics. They can maintain the superhydrophobicity after multiple cycles of accelerated weathering tests.

Limin Wu

Papers

ZnS nanostructures: From synthesis to applications

Fabrication and application of inorganic hollow spheres

Fabrication, properties and applications of Janus particles

A method for the fabrication of monodisperse hollow silica spheres

Fabrication of All-Water-Based Self-Repairing Superhydrophobic Coatings Based on UV-Responsive Microcapsules