Hollow Tin Research Articles

Preparation of chitosan-coated hollow tin dioxide nanoparticles and their application in improving the oral bioavailability of febuxostat

The aim of this study was to design a chitosan-coated hollow tin dioxide nanosphere (CS-HSn) for loading febuxostat (FEB) using an adsorption method to obtain a sustained-release system (CS-HSn-FEB) to improve the oral bioavailability of FEB. The morphological characteristics of hollow tin dioxide nanospheres (HSn) and CS-HSn were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The hemolysis test and CCK-8 test were used to assess the biosafety of HSn and CS-HSn. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning thermal analysis (DSC) were performed on CS-HSn-FEB to analyze the drug presence status. The dissolution behavior and changes in plasma drug concentration of CS-HSn-FEB were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Sections of intestinal tissues from SD rats were obtained to observe whether chitosan could increase the distribution of nanoparticles in the intestinal tissues. The results showed that FEB was present in CS-HSn in an amorphous state. Moreover, CS-HSn, with good biosafety, significantly improved the water solubility and oral absorption of FEB, indicating that CS-HSn has great potential to improve the intestinal absorption and oral bioavailability of insoluble drugs.

Optical properties of hollow plasmonic nanopillars for efficient solar photothermal conversion

Plasmonic nanofluids, which have superior optical properties, provide a novel way to achieve efficient solar thermal utilization. Here, the optical properties and photothermal conversion performance of hollow nanopillar structures based on four plasmonic materials (Ag, Au, Cu, TiN) were investigated and compared with the corresponding solid nanopillar structures. Numerical results show that the most significant increase in photothermal conversion efficiency is the plasmonic nanofluid based on hollow Au nanopillars, with an increase of 34.14%. The underlying physical mechanism is that the local and propagating surface plasmon resonances are further promoted in the hollow structure. In contrast, the increase of the photothermal conversion efficiency is only 1.41% for the hollow TiN nanopillars. This is due to the fact that the solid TiN nanopillars already have a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 97.19%. Thus, we can consider the enhancement of the photothermal properties of the plasmonic nanofluid by the hollow structure, especially for precious metal materials with narrow-band absorption, such as Au and Ag. For plasmonic materials with intrinsic broad-spectrum absorption (TiN, Cu), the enhancement effect is not significant. It is believed that this work will provide theoretical guidance for high-performance direct absorption solar collectors.

Efficient direct absorption solar collector based on hollow TiN nanoparticles

Due to the unique geometric effects and excellent thermophysical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted significant attention in recent years. Compared to composite NPs, the hollow structures are expected to reduce the complexity of the synthesis process and improve the long-term stability of the nanofluids. In this work, we propose a direct absorption solar collector (DASC) based on hollow TiN NPs for efficient solar harvesting. The optical properties of the hollow NPs are investigated using the finite element method. Numerical results show that the photothermal conversion efficiency of hollow TiN can reach 92.64%, which is 7.18% higher than that of solid TiN with the same particle size. The potential physical mechanism can be explained by the fact that surface plasmon resonances are excited on the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow TiN NPs. Further, we investigate the effect of geometrical parameters of hollow TiN NPs on the performance of DASC. Our study demonstrates that hollow TiN NPs have a promising prospect in efficient solar thermal utilization.

Synergistic effect of carbon-decorated hollow TiN architecture for boosting oxygen reduction reaction activity and durability

The development of low-cost and high-efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a severe challenge for the commercial application of fuel cells. Herein, a durable acidic ORR electrocatalyst composed of carbon nanoparticles decorated on a mesoporous structure of TiN hollow spheres (H-TiN/NC-x) is fabricated for the first time through a hydrothermal-calcination strategy. By moderately adjusting carbon content, the H-TiN/NC-1.00 catalyst exhibits remarkable ORR performance in 0.1 M HClO4 electrolyte with a half-wave potential of 0.80 V, which is close to commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.83 V). Meanwhile, the catalyst reveals a high selectivity for the four-electron pathway with lower H2O2 yield (7 %) and superior tolerance ability to methanol crossover. More importantly, the H-TiN/NC-1.00 catalyst exhibits a higher stability with negligible activity decay than Pt/C catalyst (ΔE1/2 = −80 mV) after 10,000 potential cycles. This outstanding ORR performance for H-TiN/NC-1.00 is attributed to the synergistic effect of unique hollow nanostructure and multiple active sites, which can improve electron transfer and ion diffusion/penetration, maintain the structural stability of hollow spheres for exposing more active sites (H-TiN and NC). Our work demonstrates that manipulating surface state and composition of TiN material is a superior method for optimizing ORR performance in fuel cells applications.

Preparation of hollow SnO2@N-C nanospheres for high performance lithium-ion battery

• Hollow tin dioxide nanospheres coated with an N -doped carbon layer were developed. • It involves a sacrificial template method and a subsequent carbon coating process. • Hollow SnO 2 @N-C nanospheres exhibit high stable capacity and high rate performance. • Superior performance is due to the hollow structure and N -doped carbon coating. Hollow micro/nanostructures have attracted considerable interest for lithium storage because of their merits in alleviating volume expansion. This paper presents novel preparation method for hollow tin dioxide nanospheres coated with an ultrathin N -doped carbon layer (SnO 2 @N-C) using MgSn(OH) 6 nanospheres as sacrificial templates through the alkali etching, annealing, acid washing, polydopamine coating, and subsequent carbonization. The resulting hollow SnO 2 @N-C nanosphere anode exhibited good cycling stability (1154.2 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g −1 ) and good rate performance (791.8, 708.6, 595.9, 402.2, 234.1, and 80.7 mA h g −1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 1, 2, and 5 A g −1 , respectively). In addition, a capacity of 734.2 mAh g −1 was obtained as the current density was back to 0.1 A g −1 . The superior electrochemical performance was ascribed to their hollow microstructure and ultrathin N -doped carbon coating.

The Fig-Like hierarchical Double-Shelled hollow TiN particles as sulfur host for Lithium-Sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)’s commercial manufacturing has been mainly retarded by the “shuttle effect” and low electrical conductivity of polysulfides (LiPSs). Designing a cathode with hollow and hierarchically porous structures was expected to solve the above problems. Herein, a kind of TiN particles with the hierarchical hollow double-shelled structures was synthesized and applied to cathodes of LSB. The Fig-like hollow TiO2 particles (FHTiO2s) were firstly synthesized by the hard-template method. Subsequently, the Fig-like hierarchical hollow double-shelled TiN particles (FHTiNs) were synthesized by the template-free sequential transformation and separation approach (STSA). It was verified that the heating temperature and time were key parameters. Special Fig-like double-shell hollow structures could greatly increase the loading of S, and the excellent initial capacity of FHTiNs cathodes was up to 1159 mAh/g. On the one hand, the Fig-like framework in internal cavity and double-shell structures could promote the ultrahigh specific surface area, and the adsorption to LiPSs was improved by increasing active sites; On the other hand, the shuttle effect of LiPSs was weakened by the fig-like framework and double-shell structures, which slowed down the massive dissolution of sulfur in the electrolyte. As a result, the pleasant rate performance of FHTiNs cathodes was up to 400 mAh/g at 5C. This novel structures and synthesis method provided a new strategy for the designing of LSB cathodes.

Heterogeneous Pt-Bi hybrid nanoparticle decorated self-standing hollow TiN nanowire as an efficient catalyst for glycerol electrooxidation

The electrochemical oxidation of glycerol is considered as a promising route to generate high value-added products. Rationally tuning the electronic structure of Pt catalysts by supporter and modifier is desirable for promoting the activity and stability of glycerol electrooxidation reaction (GEOR). In this work, we report Pt–Bi hybrid nanoparticles anchored hollow titanium nitride nanowires grew on carbon cloth (Pt1-x-Bix/TiN HNWs/CC (0≤ x ≤ 1)) as a self-supported monolithic electrode for efficient GEOR. Contributed by 3D porous nanotube structure, high corrosion resistance and conductivity of TiN, and strong electronic coupling effect of Pt, Bi, and TiN, the optimized Pt0.95-Bi0.05/TiN HNWs/CC electrode exhibits good catalytic activity and stability for GEOR. It shows a high peak current density of 88.4 mA cm−2 or 306.7 mA mgPt−1 in 0.05 M glycerol +1.0 M KOH solution. After continuous electrolysis for 8 h in 0.05 M glycerol +1.0 M KOH solution at a constant potential of 0.85 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE), a high glycerol conversion of 87.0%, a moderate selectivity of 36.6% for glyceric acid, and a good stability were achieved, which is superior to other compared electrodes and most of the reported Pt–Bi catalysts.

Chemiresistive gas sensor based on electrospun hollow SnO2 nanotubes for detecting NO at the ppb level

Detecting some appropriate target gases through the optimization of material structure is still applicable to some old sensing materials. In this work, we showed that hollow tin oxide (SnO2) nanotubes (NTs) exhibited a remarkable sensing performance for nitric oxide (NO) at 160 °C. The sensing materials were prepared by direct annealing of electrospun precursor nanofibers, and hollow NTs can be obtained at an appropriate heating rate of 6 °C/min. Given the large surface area of hollow SnO2 NTs, their sensing performance is better than that of solid SnO2 NTs. The response of hollow SnO2 NTs is approximately 33.3 upon exposure to 500 ppb of NO at 160 °C. The hollow SnO2 NTs also exhibit good repeatability, long-term stability, and excellent selectivity. These remarkable sensing properties indicate that conventional SnO2 still has great practical applications because of the fine design of the material structure and proper control of working conditions.

Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous TiN Nanostructures as An Efficient Catalyst Support for Methanol Electro-Oxidation

The development of efficient catalyst materials that can drive high catalytic performance is challenging. Here, we report a well-defined hollow mesoporous TiN nanostructure for use as Pt catalyst support material for methanol electro-oxidation. The hollow TiN nanostructure was synthesized by the ammonia nitridation of pre-synthesized mother hollow anatase TiO2, which was prepared by SiO2 template-assisted sol–gel synthesis followed by chemical etching, acid treatment, and sequential calcination. The variation in the ammonia nitridation temperature allowed the crystalline properties of the samples to be finely tuned. As the ammonia nitrification temperature increased, the crystallinity of the resulting hollow TiN continuously increased, and the corresponding Pt catalysts showed enhanced activity toward methanol electro-oxidation. The hollow TiN-800 sample (H-TiN-800), with a well-developed pure TiN phase, exhibited the highest electrical conductivity and the lowest resistance. The corresponding Pt/H-TiN-800 catalyst exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic activity. In this study, we systemically analyzed the physicochemical characteristics and electrochemical performance of hollow TiN samples and their corresponding Pt catalysts.

Rational construction of well-defined hollow double shell SnO2/mesoporous carbon spheres heterostructure for supercapacitors

The selection of proper electrode materials and the design of rational structure are two efficient approaches to improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. Carbonaceous materials have become an important choice of electrode materials due to their good electrical conductivity and accommodation for volume expansion of metal oxides. In this contribution, hollow double-shell structured H-SnO2/MesCHS (mesoporous carbon hollow spheres) heterostructure is successfully achieved by silica template and in-situ polymerization methods. The H-SnO2/MesCHS composites demonstrate a specific surface area of 747.7 m2 g-1 and an average pore size of ca. 4.9 nm in the mesoporous carbon shell, where the outer layer of mesoporous hollow carbon layer act as a buffer to confine the volume expansion of the inner hollow tin oxide sphere. As consequence, hollow double-shell H-SnO2/MesCHS heterostructure demonstrates an excellent electrochemical performance with a high specific capacitance of 470 F g-1, exceptional cycling stability (88.4% retention of capacitance over 4000 cycles) and outstanding coulombic efficiency of 86.5% at high current density of 20 A g−1. The work provides an alternative route for the preparation of spherical hollow heterostructures materials with tunable double shell architectures, which may potentially be used as electrode materials for high-performance of energy storage.

Facile preparation of one-dimensional hollow tin dioxide@carbon nanocomposite for lithium-ion battery anode

To improve the lithium storage performance of SnO2 anode for lithium-ion batteries, a one-dimensional hollow nanostructured SnO2@C composite has been synthesized by a well-designed facile approach. The good conductive and flexible carbon component can not only enhance the conductivity of whole composite but also buffer the volume change of key SnO2 component. With thin shells, meanwhile, the hollow structure can not only provide free space for accommodating the SnO2 volume change, but also shorten the diffusion length for both lithiun-ions and electrons. As expectedly, the synergistic effect of carbon and hollow structure offers the as-prepared SnO2@C composite with good structural stability and electrochemical properties. Consequently, the as-prepared SnO2@C composite exhibits good cycling and superior rate performance as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, a high capacity of 797 mAh g−1 is obtained at 200 mA g−1 after 390 cycles as well as 972, 887, 836, 751, 668, and 606 mAh g−1 can be obtained at 100, 300, 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 mA g−1, respectively. Thus good performance offers the as-prepared SnO2@C composite great promising for a high-performance anode for lithium-ion batteries.

Hollow TiN Nanospheres as Advanced Host Materials for High Performance Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries

AbstractTo improve the electrochemical performance of lithium‐sulfur batteries, the issues of poor electronic conductivity and shuttle effect of soluble polysulfide must be solved. In this work, hollow mesoporous TiN nanospheres are developed and designed as host materials for the lithium‐sulfur batteries. The as‐prepared TiN/S composites show initial high specific capacity of 1316 mAh g−1 at the current density of 0.1 C. Furthermore, the TiN/S composites deliver superior cycle stability and excellent rate capability. The superior electrochemical performance could be ascribed to the following advantages: (a) The presence of TiN could enhance the electronic conductivity; (b) The mesoporous structure is beneficial for inhibiting the shuttle effect of soluble polysulfide.

Preparation of mesoporous double‐layer carbon microsphere‐based solid acid catalyst by hydrothermal method and its application in catalytic transesterification of waste frying oil

AbstractBACKGROUNDMesoporous double‐layer carbon microspheres (DCSs) were synthesized using hollow tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) microspheres as hard template and sucrose as carbon precursor via the hydrothermal method. Sulfonic acid groups (‐SO3H) were introduced onto the surfaces of DCS by sulfuric acid heating and sulfanilic acid diazonium coupling, respectively, to form two solid acids (DCS‐SS and DCS‐DS, respectively).RESULTSThe transmission electron microscopy images showed that the carbon microspheres possessed a hollow double‐layer structure with diameters of about 200 to 300 nm and shell thickness of about 30 to 50 nm. Furthermore, the sulfonate treatments caused no changes in the morphology of carbon microspheres. The nitrogen (N2)‐Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) results indicate that DCS, DCS‐SS, and DCS‐DS featured mesopores with an average pore size of 4.5 to 4.8 nm and BET surface areas of 75 m2/g, 57 m2/g, and 53 m2/g, respectively. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier‐transform infrared results confirmed that the DCS‐SS and DCS‐DS contained a ‐SO3H group and their surface acid densities are 4.5 and 4.1 mmol/g, respectively.CONCLUSIONDCS‐SS and DCS‐DS were used to catalyze the transesterification of waste frying oil, and the highest yields of fatty acid methyl esters, that is, 85% and 80%, respectively, could be obtained. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Fabricating thin two-dimensional hollow tin dioxide/carbon nanocomposite for high-performance lithium-ion battery anode

Both thin two-dimensional (2D) and hollow nanostructural materials are of great potential for high-performance anodes of lithium-ion batteries owing to their unique structural properties and surface characteristics. In this context, tin dioxide (SnO2) materials possessing well-designed thin 2D or hollow nanostructures have attracted immense attention and been considered as promising candidates to serve as anodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries. It is believed that thin 2D hollow nanostructures of SnO2 materials will have the advantages of both thin 2D and hollow nanostructures but they are difficult to be prepared due to the increased complexity of structures. Herein, a peculiar thin 2D hollow nanostructure of SnO2/carbon (SnO2/C) composite, composed of carbon in-situ coating thin SnO2 hollow nanosheets, has been prepared through a well-designed strategy. It is thus clear that this composite possesses the advantages of both thin 2D and hollow nanostructures as an anode for lithium-ion batteries. Expectedly, it is demonstrated that thus peculiar architecture offers the as-prepared SnO2/C composite superior electrochemical kinetics and outstanding structural stability. As a result, the as-prepared SnO2/C composite exhibits outstanding electrochemical lithium storage performance, delivering 707.8 and 483.2 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively, as well as superior rate capabilities.

Electrochemical sensor based on conductive polyaniline coated hollow tin oxide nanoparticles and nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots for sensitively detecting dopamine

The hollow tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles prepared using a simple hydrothermal synthesis were served as a core for the fabrication of SnO2/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites using in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The chemical and structure of the nanocomposites were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposites were then coated with nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) obtained by hydrothermal synthesis through electrostatic interaction. The catalytic behavior of nanocomposites modified glass carbon electrode towards dopamine (DA) has been investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The EIS test for prepared SnO2/PANI/N-GQD nanocomposites shows the very low charge-transfer resistance. The electrochemical performance of SnO2/PANI/N-GQD nanocomposites present the large peak currents, indicating the nanocomposites reveal better electrochemical activity of the presence of N-GQD. The SnO2/PANI/N-GQD nanocomposites contained linear response of detecting DA in the concentration range of 5 × 10−7–2 × 10−4 M with detection limit 2.2 × 10−7 M (S/N = 3). The fabricated nanocomposites also show excellent determination of DA at the presence of a mixture of l-ascorbic acid and uric acid. Because of the excellent electrochemical performance obtained in this report, we believe that the SnO2/PANI/N-GQD nanocomposites will be a promising biosensor material for the detection of dopamine.

Monodisperse tin nanoparticles and hollow tin oxide nanospheres as anode materials for high performance lithium ion batteries

Monodisperse Sn nanoparticles and hollow/amorphous SnOx nanospheres are prepared via a facile colloidal method, and they exhibit good electrochemical performances as anode materials in lithium ion batteries.

Hollow TiN nanotrees derived from a surface-induced Kirkendall effect and their application in high-power supercapacitors

A surface decoration strategy was explored to trigger a nanoscale Kirkendall effect to fabricate hollow TiN nanotrees for high-power symmetric supercapacitors.

Synthesis of hollow tin dioxide and its improvement of flame retardancy and toughness on poly(vinyl chloride)

Hollow tin dioxide (S-SnO2) and solid SnO2 (B-SnO2) were prepared by a hydrothermal-calcination method with and without carbon spheres as templates, respectively. The flame retardancy, mechanical and thermal degradation properties, and char residues of the poly(vinyl chloride) samples treated with S-SnO2 and B-SnO2 were contrastively investigated by a limiting oxygen index instrument, cone calorimeter (Cone), tensile properties tests, and thermogravimetric analyzer. When the loading level of SnO2 was 2 phr, the limiting oxygen index of the poly(vinyl chloride) sample treated with S-SnO2 (poly(vinyl chloride)/S-SnO2) increased by 5.3% and 2%, and its elongation is 27.3% and 29.9% higher than that of the blank poly(vinyl chloride) and the poly(vinyl chloride) sample treated with B-SnO2 (poly(vinyl chloride)/B-SnO2), respectively. Compared with the blank poly(vinyl chloride) and the poly(vinyl chloride)/B-SnO2, the total heat release of poly(vinyl chloride)/S-SnO2 decreased by 24.5% and 9.4%, and the peak of smoke production rate decreased by 56.7% and 11.7%, respectively.

Organic-Inorganic Layered and Hollow Tin Bromide Perovskite with Tunable Broadband Emission.

Recently, layered perovskites attracted great attention for its excellent stability and light-emitting property. However, most of them rely on the toxic element lead and their emission quantum yields are generally low. Here, a unique hollow two-dimensional perovskite was developed in which the organic hexamethylene diamines (C6H18N22+) strongly coupled with distorted tin bromide anions (SnBr64-). This toxic-free low-dimensional tin perovskite exhibits a broadband emission in the visible region with a high luminescence quantum yield of 86%. First-principles calculation indicate the broadband emission is associated with the recombination of self-trapped excitons. And the emission is related to the geometry of tin bromide anions. An ultraviolet light-pumped white light emitting diode with excellent color-rendering index of 94 was fabricated using it together with a commercially available blue phosphor.

Self-templated preparation of hollow mesoporous TiN microspheres as sulfur host materials for advanced lithium–sulfur batteries

Although lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are an advanced energy storage system, their development has been impeded due to poor cycling stability and low sulfur utilization. Hollow TiN microspheres with a porous shell were prepared to host sulfur (TiN-S) for use as a Li–S battery cathode. The TiN-S electrode delivered a high capacity of 1206.1 mA h/g at 0.1 C, and a narrow value domain of 1218.2 ± 17.7 mA h/g was obtained from initial discharge capacities of 9 cells. Furthermore, a capacity of 623.3 mA h/g (with a retention of 67.5%) was maintained after 300 progressive cycles at 1 C. The superior cycling performance of the TiN-based cathode can be ascribed to the following: (1) TiN improved the electrical conductivity of the cathode, effectively increasing the active sulfur utilization; (2) the hollow TiN microspheres with pores restricted the soluble polysulfides by both chemical and physical interactions; (3) the large void of the spherical cavity in TiN could accommodate the change in volume of the cathode during the discharge–charge processes.