Hard Template Method Research Articles

NiCo2S4 nanoparticles encapsulated within hollow mesoporous carbon spheres enabling rapid and stable sodium storage

Poor rate capability and cycling performance significantly impair the utilization of NiCo2S4 as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries. Herein, hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (HMCSs) are synthesized using a hard-template method. NiCo2S4 nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 15 to 43 nm are grown in-situ within HMCSs (NiCo2S4@HMCS) by melt adsorption, solution impregnation, and gas-phase sulfurization. Specifically, NiCo2S4 nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the inner walls of HMCSs and within the mesoporous channels of spherical shells. In half-cells, NiCo2S4@HMCS exhibits reversible capacities of 482 mAh g−1 after 340 cycles at 1.0 A g−1, 340 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 5.0 A g−1, and 271 mAh g−1 after 700 cycles at 10.0 A g−1. In NiCo2S4@HMCS//Na3V2(PO4)3 full-cells, NiCo2S4@HMCS maintain reversible capacities of 203 mAh g−1 after 1200 cycles at 1.0 A g−1 and 122 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles at 5.0 A g−1. The unique nano-encapsulated structure prevents the detachment of NiCo2S4 from HMCSs, maintaining electrochemical activity and stability of NiCo2S4. Additionally, the nano-encapsulated structure also facilitates electrolyte penetration and enhances the electronic conductivity of NiCo2S4. These effects synergistically result in rapid and stable sodium storage performance.

Reaction site-isolation for simultaneous removal of NOx and toluene: A reverse strategy to realize bifunctional catalysis

In this study, 3V5W/Cu@Ti catalyst with the function of reaction site-isolation was prepared to achieve the simultaneous removal of NO and toluene. The catalyst was prepared through the hard template and impregnation method, and V-W, and Cu species were introduced into the outer and inner layers of the hollow spherical shell TiO2, respectively. Under the coexistence of multi-pollutants, toluene was completely removed with NO conversions above 90% at 250 ℃. Even at high temperatures of 350-400 ℃, complete conversions of NO and toluene were maintained with apparent lower by-products than those for other catalysts. DFT calculations and activation energy(Ea) indicate that NH3 tends to adsorb and react at the V/W sites on the catalyst's outer layer, while toluene is more likely to adsorb and react at the Cu sites on the inner layer. The Ea and DFT results were well-consistent with the catalytic reactivity, revealing the achievement of reaction site-isolation.

Nanoarchitectonics of hierarchical porous biochars from heavy bio-oil by coupling calcium salts assisted template carbonization and K2CO3 activation for high-performance supercapacitors

Biochar derived from biomass has shown potential as electrode materials for supercapacitors, but controlling its pore structure is a challenge. Additionally, coking issues have limited the industrial application of heavy bio-oil, which could be used to prepare carbonous biochar as a substitute for biomass. Herein, to widen the utilization of bio-oil and to control the pore structure, this study introduces a novel approach to utilize heavy bio-oil and regulate pore structure by combining the hard template method and activation method, in which calcium citrate tetrahydrate (CCT), calcium acetate and calcium carbonate act as templates and K2CO3 acts as activator. Through CCT-assisted template carbonization at 700 °C and K2CO3 activation with a mass ratio of 1:2, a hierarchical porous biochar (CCT-700–1:2) with a specific surface area of 2213.09 m2 g−1 was successfully synthesized. The CCT-700–1:2 electrode shows outstanding capacitive performance with a specific capacitance of 213.86 F g−1 at 0.5 A. The assembled solid-state symmetric supercapacitor displays impressive rate capability, maintaining the capacity retention ratio being 69.7 % at 20 A g−1. Furthermore, it demonstrates exceptional cycle stability and the capacitance retention is around 98 % even after 60,000 cycles. The symmetric supercapacitors also show the high energy density being 16.36 W h kg−1 at 250 W kg−1. This study presents a hopeful method for producing sustainable carbon materials by bio-oil used as energy storage devices, enhancing the potential utilizations of biomass derived products in the area of supercapacitors.

Zeolite Crystallization Inside Chemically Recyclable Ordered Nanoporous Co3O4 Scaffold: Precise Replication and Accelerated Crystallization.

The synthesis of mesoporous zeolites has garnered attention with regard to improving their catalytic and adsorption performances. While the hard-templating method provides opportunities to design precisely controlled hierarchical micro- and mesoporous structures, synthesizing mesoporous zeolites without external precipitation requires significant work. This is mainly due to the absence of usable templates other than carbon with hydrophobic surfaces. Herein, it is demonstrated that the Co3O4 template is valuable in preparing mesoporous silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 with a precisely controlled porous structure through hydrothermal synthesis. Unlike conventional carbon templates, the Co3O4 template is relatively hydrophilic, effective in suppressing external precipitation, and is reusable by dissolving in an acidic solution. The crystallization process also differs from that of the carbon template, as the silicate precipitates on a 3D ordered nanoporous Co3O4 scaffold, followed by crystallization and crystal growth. Furthermore, it is unexpectedly observed that the zeolite crystallization is accelerated in the Co3O4 template. The synthetic approach utilizing nanoporous metal oxides opens new doors for the control of the hierarchical structure of zeolites, as well as for the design of metal oxide-zeolite nanocomposite catalysts, due to the potential extensibility of the combination of metal oxides and zeolites.

CoCe composite catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation: Effect of pore structure

In order to realize the dual carbon goals of “carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality”, the design and development CO2 hydrogenation catalyst with high performances is of great significance. In this study, the CoCe composite catalysts were prepared by different methods and used to CO2 catalytic hydrogenation. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, TEM/HRTEM, and H2-TPD. The characterization results indicated that the studied CoCe composite catalytsts with different pore structure can be prepared by different preparation methods. The suitable preparation method can promote Co species to be dissolved into the CeO2 lattice to form Ce-O-Co solid solution, which can promote the corresponding Co species to be reduced by H2 to form active Co0 species. The large specific surface area and developed ordered mesoporous structure of the CoCe-HT catalyst precursor, which was prepared by hard-template method, are conducive to the formation of active Co0 species and activation of H2 to produce reactive H species. The CO2 hydrogenation activity of the studied CoCe composite catalysts follows the following order: CoCe-HT > CoCe-CP > CoCe-CA > CoCe-HY. The CoCe-HT catalyst showed high CO2 hydrogenation conversion of 53.9 % and good using stability at 360 °C for 600 min. However, the CoCe-CA prepared by complex method has a poor use stability.

Multi-shell bowl-like carbon microspheres for lightweight and broadband microwave absorption

Carbon materials have made significant progress in the field of microwave absorption (MA), but achieving wide effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) at low filler content still remains a great challenge. In this work, we design multi-shell bowl-like mesoporous carbon microspheres (MBMCs) by a facile hard template method for efficient MA. It is demonstrated that the spacing between inner and outer shell and second shell thickness play a vital role on the configuration of carbon microspheres. By controlling the second addition of silica template, the microstructure of carbon microsphere evolves from spherical to bowl shape geometry. Expanded shell spacing is beneficial for forming bowl-like microsphere. The dielectric loss and MA properties are highly associated with the configuration of MBMCs. Well-proportioned MBMCs with appropriate shell spacing present wide EAB of 7.3 GHz under a low filling ratio of 12 wt.%. This work paves a new way to broaden EAB and lower filling content of carbon materials via asymmetric multilayer microstructure design.

Ethanol steam reforming for hydrogen production over cobalt catalyst supported on the cerium oxide prepared via the one-step hard template method

This study describes a cobalt catalyst supported on highly porous cerium oxide beads (CeO2-XAD) prepared via the one-step hard template method (using resin Amberlite® XAD7HP as a template) for catalytic steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) for hydrogen production. For comparative purposes, Co catalyst supported on a commercial CeO2 is discussed (Co/CeO2-COM). Comprehensive studies, including TEM, XPS and H2-TPR analysis, reveal that the bare CeO2-XAD consists of tiny particles with highly damaged surfaces, which contain various forms of oxygen. The hierarchical structure of the support beads, fixed after calcination, ensures high mesoporosity favouring the formation of small, evenly dispersed Co3O4 crystallites on CeO2-XAD (∼3 times smaller than in Co/CeO2-COM), which then, after reduction, transformed into fine, homogenously dispersed Co particles that strongly interact with the support. Consequently, the Co catalyst supported on CeO2-XAD exhibits high catalytic activity in SRE (much higher than Co/CeO2-COM). Although both catalysts deactivate during SRE due to carbon deposition the process is less severe for the catalyst with smaller Co crystallites and nanostructured support. This study reveals the huge role played by the appropriate morphology and nanostructure of the catalyst support in SRE since they affect not only the ethanol conversion efficiency but also increase the selectivity of the process and thus limit the deactivation of the catalyst.

Bifunctional electrode materials: Enhancing microbial fuel cell efficiency with 3D hierarchical porous Fe3O4/Fe-N-C structures

The rational development of high-performance anode and cathode electrodes for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is crucial for enhancing MFC performance. However, complex synthesis methods and single-performance electrode materials hinder their large-scale implementation. Here, three-dimensional hierarchical porous (3DHP) Fe3O4/Fe-N-C composites were prepared via the hard template method. Notably, Fe3O4/Fe-N-C-0.04-600 demonstrated uniformly dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles and abundant Fe-Nx and pyridinic nitrogen, showing excellent catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.74 V (vs. RHE), surpassing Pt/C (0.66 V vs. RHE). Moreover, Fe3O4/Fe-N-C-0.04-600 demonstrated favorable biocompatibility as an anode material, enhancing anode biomass and extracellular electron transfer efficiency. Sequencing results confirmed its promotion of electrophilic microorganisms in the anode biofilm. MFCs employing Fe3O4/Fe-N-C-0.04-600 as both anode and cathode materials achieved a maximum power density of 831.8 ± 27.7 mW m−2, enduring operation for 38 days. This study presents a novel approach for rational MFC design, emphasizing bifunctional materials capable of serving as anode materials for microorganism growth and as cathode catalysts for ORR catalysis.

Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon as metal-free catalysts for the aerobic oxidation of alcohols

The selective oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds is a crucial reaction in organic chemistry. In this study, we report the synthesis of nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon material by hard template method using biomass derivative sucrose and melamine as carbon and nitrogen sources and silica sol as template agent. Using molecular oxygen as the oxidant, the obtained NC-900 exhibits excellent selectivity in the oxidation of primary alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes without generating over-oxidized acid. For example, under optimal reaction conditions, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol is almost quantitatively converted to 4-methoxybenzaldehyde. The catalytic system showed robust tolerance to sensitive functional groups and demonstrated favorable reaction effects in gram-scale experiments and multi-step, one-pot reaction sequences. The catalyst was reused for 5 times, and its catalytic activity did not decrease significantly. Hammett correlation studies indicated that the reaction favored substrates with electron-donating substituents. Characterization and experimental results indicate that the synergistic effect of graphitic N and mesoporous structure plays a pivotal role in enhancing the catalytic activity of NC-900 in this transformation. The mechanism study shows that the reaction involves free radical process.

Synthesis of nitrogen enriched porous carbon sponge with the assistance of hard template and physical activation for highly efficient CO2 adsorption

Porous carbons are attractive materials for CO2 capture due to their unique properties. In the current work, N-doped porous carbon sponge (NDPCS) was synthesized with a combined hard template and CO2 activation method, and the applications in CO2 adsorption were also studied. Correlations between synthesis parameters and the product’s morphology were revealed, and effects of the activation conditions on N content and textural properties were analyzed. CO2 adsorption performances of the NDPCS were also thoroughly investigated. The influences of various physicochemical properties on adsorption properties were discussed. CO2 uptake at 25 °C and 1 bar was relatively low (2.16–2.50 mmol/g). However, NDPCS-3–3 showed impressively high adsorption efficiency of 1.63 (mmol/g)/(100 m2/g), much better than some of the best performing samples from reported works. The superior performances were attributed to the combined effects of abundant ultramicropores and enriched N-doping. The current work showed that the NDPCS had great potential for applications in CO2 capture.

CO2 Adsorption by CMK-3 at Low Temperatures and High Pressure to Reduce the Greenhouse Effect.

In this study, the maximum CO2 capture capacity of an ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-3) was evaluated at high pressure (35 atm) and several temperatures (0, 10, 20, and 35 °C). CMK-3 was synthesized with the hard template method (silica SBA-15) using furfuryl alcohol and toluene as carbon sources. The CO2 adsorption isotherms were fitted to the following adsorption theories: Freundlich, Langmuir, Sips, Toth, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin. The maximum capture capacity (726.7 mg·g-1) was achieved at 0 °C and 34 atm. The results of the study of successive adsorption-desorption cycles showed that multi-cycle reversible gas capture processes could be used in optimal temperature and pressure conditions. It was determined that 0.478 g of CMK-3 would be required to reduce the CO2 concentration in 1 m3 of air to pre-industrial levels (280 ppm). The obtained results may contribute to technological developments for the mitigation of human impacts on the environment through the capture of atmospheric CO2.

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous CeZrVOx catalyst with remarkable NH3-SCR performance and SO2 tolerance: Key roles of the morphology and highly dispersed V species

Developing effective low-temperature deNOx catalysts with high activity, SO2 tolerance, and stability is crucial yet challenging. Thus, in this work, CeZrVOx catalyst with a three-dimensional ordered macroporous structure was successfully prepared using the PMMA hard template method, and the catalyst has a macropore diameter of up to 110−140 nm. The modification with highly dispersed V significantly enhances the low-temperature activity and broadens the activity temperature window of the catalyst. This is mainly attributed to the increased number of surface acid sites, as well as the higher proportion of Ce3+ and active surface oxygen species induced by V modification. The V species prepared by this method are highly dispersed on the CeZrOx solid solution and combine with Ce to form CeVO4, which is also an important factor in enhancing catalytic activity. The catalyst does not react with SO2 to produce inactive sulfate species; even the formed cerium sulfate species are beneficial for high-temperature performance. More importantly, due to its unique interconnected three-dimensional ordered structure, the catalyst can significantly inhibit the blockage and coverage of NH4HSO4 on the catalyst, thereby exhibiting remarkable resistance to physical poisoning caused by SO2. Even in high concentrations of sulfur-containing atmospheres, the catalyst still shows high catalytic activity. This work offers meaningful guidance into developing denitration catalysts that show superior performance and robust resistance to both physical and chemical poisoning induced by SO2.

Direct photo-curing 3D printed bionic multistage Mo-doped tungsten oxide catalysts for static and dynamic oxidative desulfurization of fuels

3D printed monolithic catalysts have attracted increasing attention in the petrochemical industry due to their advantages of the freedom of configuration, the rapidity of fabrication and the control of the fluid properties of the reaction medium. However, this remains challenging in constructing of micromorphology, reliable manufacturing, and adaptive functionality. Herein, inspired by the function of acicular plant fractal structure, we have developed bionic multistage monolithic catalysts based on direct photo-curing 3D printing technology. We also design two configuration strategies for static and dynamic oxidative desulfurization of fuels. Below the catalyst surface, the porous structure prepared by the hard template method can increase the specific surface area of the catalyst to disperse the active center and adsorb organic sulfur to strengthen the oxidation effect. The 3D-MoWO/PC-CE monolithic catalyst shows excellent activity in the static reaction with 100% sulfur removal. Above the catalyst surface, microcrystalline cellulose is introduced in-situ in 3D printed ink to build needle-like structures to enhance mass transfer efficiency and reduce surface pressure in dynamic fixed bed reaction. This work provides valuable ideas for the fabrication of efficient monolithic catalysts in various reactions.

“Template-assisted synthesis” strategy to improve the bifunctional catalytic activity of oxygen electrode for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cell

Reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cell (R-PCEC) is a new energy conversion device that can achieve efficient conversion between chemical energy and electrical energy. However, the oxygen electrode has poor activity towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which hinders the large-scale application of R-PCEC. Therefore, in order to improve the catalytic activity of oxygen electrodes, La0.5Sr0.5Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) is prepared using mesoporous silica SiO2 (SBA-15) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as templates, and it was combined with BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ (BZCY) to form a composite oxygen electrode for R-PCEC. Compared to the LSCF with solid-state reaction method, LSCF with hard-template method shows higher specific surface area and more oxygen vacancy, resulting in excellent ORR catalytic activity. In addition, LSCF prepared using PMMA as a template exhibits the best ORR catalytic activity, and the single cell with this composite oxygen electrode shows the highest maximum power density of 406 mW cm−2 in fuel cell (FC) mode with wet H2 (3%H2O) and air as the fuel and oxidant, respectively. Additionally, it demonstrates a current density of −973 mA cm−2 at 1.3 V in electrolysis cell (EC) mode with wet air (10%H2O) as the oxidant. The single cell also shows good reversibility in FC mode and EC mode. This work provides a new strategy to improve the bifunctional activity of oxygen electrode in R-PCEC.

Fabrication of Polypyrrole Hollow Nanospheres by Hard-Template Method for Supercapacitor Electrode Material.

Conducting polymers like polypyrrole, polyaniline, and polythiophene with nanostructures offers several advantages, such as high conductivity, a conjugated structure, and a large surface area, making them highly desirable for energy storage applications. However, the direct synthesis of conducting polymers with nanostructures poses a challenge. In this study, we employed a hard template method to fabricate polystyrene@polypyrrole (PS@PPy) core-shell nanoparticles. It is important to note that PS itself is a nonconductive material that hinders electron and ion transport, compromising the desired electrochemical properties. To overcome this limitation, the PS cores were removed using organic solvents to create hollow PPy nanospheres. We investigated six different organic solvents (cyclohexane, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, acetone, and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)) for etching the PS cores. The resulting hollow PPy nanospheres showed various nanostructures, including intact, hollow, buckling, and collapsed structures, depending on the thickness of the PPy shell and the organic solvent used. PPy nanospheres synthesized with DMF demonstrated superior electrochemical properties compared to those prepared with other solvents, attributed to their highly effective PS removal efficiency, increased specific surface area, and improved charge transport efficiency. The specific capacitances of PPy nanospheres treated with DMF were as high as 350 F/g at 1 A/g. And the corresponding symmetric supercapacitor demonstrated a maximum energy density of 40 Wh/kg at a power density of 490 W/kg. These findings provide new insights into the synthesis method and energy storage mechanisms of PPy nanoparticles.

Carbon nanofibers supported sorbents with enhanced performance via microwave-assisted in-situ structural modifications for H2S removal

The construction of sorbent with excellent structure and highly dispersed active components is vital to improving its desulfurization activity. Herein, the Fe nanoparticles/carbon nanofibers (Fe/CNFs) desulfurization sorbents were fabricated via electrospinning, template method and microwave carbonization. The structure of sorbents was successfully regulated with the adjustments of Fe content and the types of sacrificial phases. It was found that the Fe content impacted strongly on both structural and desulfurization performance of the sorbents. The sorbents with various Fe contents showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increased Fe content in breakthrough sulfur capacity. Among the various samples, the sample with the highest sulfur content was 7.21 g S/100 g sorbent. Furthermore, the Fe/CNFs sorbents were optimized via soft and hard template methods, by taking polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and SiO2 nanospheres as sacrificial phases. Desulfurization tests implied that the PMMA and SiO2 modified sorbents involved sulfur capacity of 13.76 and 14.18 g S/100 g sorbent, respectively. According to the characterizations, the modified sorbents were imparted with micro- and open-type macro-porous structure, respectively, upon which, the active components were uniformly dispersed and exposed. The excellent performance of sorbent could be attributed to the synergistic effect of porous structure and widely distributed Fe nanoparticles on CNFs. This work highlights new strategy for the synthesis of desulfurization sorbent.

Ultrasmall Inorganic Mesoporous Nanoparticles: Preparation, Functionalization, and Application.

Ultrasmall mesoporous nanoparticles (<50nm), a unique porous nanomaterial, have been widely studied in many fields in the last decade owing to the abundant advantages, involving rich mesopores, low density, high surface area, numerous reaction sites, large cavity space, ultrasmall size, etc. This paper presents a review of recent advances in the preparation, functionalization, and applications of ultrasmall inorganic mesoporous nanoparticles for the first time. The soft monomicelles-directed method, in contrast to the hard-template and template-free methods, is more flexible in the synthesis of mesoporous nanoparticles. This is because the amphiphilic micelle has tunable functional blocks, controlled molecule masses, configurations and mesostructures. Focus on the soft micelle directing method, monomicelles could be classified into four types, i.e., the Pluronic-type block copolymer monomicelles, laboratory-synthesized amphiphilic block copolymers monomicelles, the single-molecule star-shaped block copolymer monomicelles, and the small-molecule anionic/cationic surfactant monomicelles. This paper also reviews the functionalization of the inner mesopores and the outer surfaces, which includes constructing the yolkshell structures (encapsulated nanoparticles), anchoring the active components packed on the shell and building an asymmetric Janus architecture. Then, several representative applications, involving catalysis, energy storage, and biomedicines are presented. Finally, the prospects and challenges of controlled synthesis and large-scale applications of ultrasmall mesoporous nanoparticles in the future are foreseen.

Synthesis Of Nano-Porous Strontium Titanate Materials for Photocatalysis

Strontium titanate semiconductor materials have been widely used in the field of photocatalysis due to their high dielectric constant and band gap. Uniform, micron-sized SrTiO3 particles didn’t tend to aggregate, and the low surface area of larger particles could be improved by incorporating porous structures, thus offering superior performance for a range of applications. In this study, six mainly methods to prepare nano-porous SrTiO3 particles were showed and discussed. The methods include hydrothermal method，sol gel method, chemical co-precipitation method, high temperature solid phase method, hard template method and soft template method. These processes and their advantages and disadvantages were analysised.

Spatial confinement of Co3O4 in hollow carbon sphere to boost peroxymonosulfate activation for effective degradation of organic pollutants

Herein, hollow carbon sphere (HCS) is constructed via hard template method for loading the Co3O4, and obtained catalyst (namely Co3O4/HCS) is then employed to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the removal of tetracycline (TC). Owing to high specific surface area and good conductivity of HCS, Co3O4 modified with HCS exhibits low interface resistance and fast charge transfer rate. Meanwhile, hollow structure of HCS can provide spatial confinement effect for Co3O4 and accelerate the mass transfer process between Co3O4 and PMS. As predicted, peroxy bond break of PMS over Co3O4/HCS is significantly boosted compared with pure Co3O4, so reaction system can produce more SO4•–, OH•, 1O2 and high-valent metal complexes to conduct TC degradation. Importantly, Co3O4/HCS-mediated electron transfer process between PMS and TC is also involved in TC degradation. As a result, Co3O4/HCS shows excellent performance in TC degradation, and the highest removal efficiency of TC is more than 95 % within 10 min. Benefiting from the protective effect of HCS, only a small amount of Co ion is released from Co3O4/HCS during the reaction process. Besides, Co3O4/HCS possesses good reusability and anti-interference ability. In short, current work provides a promising catalyst for PMS activation to treat wastewater containing antibiotic.

ZnO-CeO2 Hollow Nanospheres for Selective Determination of Dopamine and Uric Acid.

ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres have been successfully synthesized via the hard templating method, in which CeO2 is used as the support skeleton to avoid ZnO agglomeration. The synthesized ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres possess a large electrochemically active area and high electron transfer owing to the high specific surface area and synergistic effect of ZnO and CeO2. Due to the above advantages, the resulting ZnO-CeO2 hollow spheres display high sensitivities of 1122.86 μA mM-1 cm-2 and 908.53 μA mM-1 cm-2 under a neutral environment for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid. The constructed electrochemical sensor shows excellent selectivity, stability and recovery for the selective analysis of dopamine and uric acid in actual samples. This study provides a valuable strategy for the synthesis of ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres via the hard templating method as electrocatalysts for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid.