Short Nanorods Research Articles

Anisotropic morphology, formation mechanisms, and fluorescence properties of zirconia nanocrystals

ZrO2 nanocrystals with spheres and elongated platelets were systemically prepared through a simple hydrothermal method by the use of ZrOCl2·8H2O and CH3COOK as raw materials. The anisotropic morphology and formation mechanism of the monoclinic and/or tetragonal ZrO2 were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope techniques. The uniform elongated platelets and star-like structures were composed of short nanorods with a diameter of approximately 5 nm and a length of approximately 10 nm. The different morphologies were formed due to the different contents of CH3COO− and Cl− and their synergy. The fluorescence band position and the band shape remained about the same for excitation wavelengths below 290 nm and the different morphologies of the nanocrystals.

Structural evolution and fusion behavior of gold supercrystals under stress: Insights from atomistic simulations

Stress-driven assembly and sintering of nanocrystal (NC) supercrystals is an effective mechanical method for fabricating ordered 1D nanostructure arrays. Here, we preform atomistic molecular dynamics simulations for alkylthiol-coated gold supercrystal to reveal its structural evolution and fusion behavior under high-pressure-induced stress. On initial hydrostatic compression, the supercrystal reduces lattice dimension nonlinearly with pressure and displays a reversible pressure-dependent change of interparticle distance, in good agreement with the experiment. Subsequently, the deviatoric compression results in a distorted and noncubic superstructure, where an unexpected structural hysteresis is observed during a compression–release cycle. These structural changes are explained in terms of the molecular conformation of passivating ligands as well as its variations caused by the change in the external stress. In particular, when the pressure exceeds a threshold, neighboring NCs start to contact one another and consolidate into numerous dimers and trimers, which further evolve into short nanorods and finally lead to an irreversible formation of stable nanowires. The structural and stress change in the gold NCs during the compression process are also analyzed. This work is expected to provide useful insights into the mechanical response of supercrystals subjected to an external stress.

Controlled growth of single-crystalline Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br nanorods under hydrothermal conditions for enhanced photocatalytic reduction of Cr (VI)

Abstract The rational design of composition and structure of the photocatalytic materials is especially critical for the practical application of photocatalytic technology. Herein, uniform single-crystal Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br nanorods were synthesized for the first time using a one-pot hydrothermal method. By prolonging the hydrothermal reaction time, the evolution process of Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br from nanoparticles to short nanorods, and finally to long nanorods was observed. Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br nanorods can effectively inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and effectively adsorb of Cr (VI) due to the presence of surface defects and unique structure, thereby promoting the photocatalytic activity. Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br nanorods exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance as well as promising recyclability in rapidly reducing aqueous Cr (VI) to Cr (III) under visible light. The degradation rate of Cr (VI) reached 90.96% within 60 min, and the structure of Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br did not change after six photocatalytic cycles. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism of nanorods was proposed based on the band structure of Bi.333(Bi6S9)Br and electron spin resonance radical scavenging assay.

Percolation of polydisperse nanorods in polymer nanocomposites: Insights from molecular dynamics simulation

The aspect ratio of nanorods (NR) is polydisperse in the real application which is often omitted in the electrical conductivity. In this work, by adopting a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, the effect of the polydispersity index (PDI) of NRs on the conductive probability of polymer nanocomposites has been investigated in details under the quiescent state and under the shear field which aims to uncover their relationship. By analyzing the conductive network, it is found that the percolation threshold is inversely proportion to the PDI under the quiescent state. On one hand, one long NR can connect more other NRs than one short NR. In addition, more long NRs participate in building the conductive network with the PDI than short NRs, which thus enhances the conductive probability. Compared with in the quiescent state, the percolation threshold is enhanced under the shear field. By characterizing the orientation degree and the connection mode of both long NRs and short NRs, the shear field significantly changes the original conductive network which rationalizes the conductive probability. Interestingly the percolation threshold first increases and then decreases with the shear rate which reaches the maximum value at the intermediate shear rate. At the low shear rate, the initial orientation of NRs induces the breakage of the conductive network perpendicular to the shear direction which improves the percolation threshold. In addition, more short NRs participate in building the conductive network than long NRs with the further increase of the shear rate. Meanwhile more direct contact aggregation structure of NRs appears which induces the recovery of the conductive network.

Fabrication of vanadium sulfide (VS4) wrapped with carbonaceous materials as an enhanced electrode for symmetric supercapacitors

Exploring electrode materials with excellent electrochemical performance is the key to the development of applications in energy storage and conversion. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) vanadium sulfide/carbon nanotubes/reduced graphene oxide (VS4/CNTs/rGO) composite is synthesized by a simple one–step hydrothermal method. VS4 short nanorods cover the both sides of the rGO sheets, and CNTs distribute at the edge of the composite to form a sandwich-like structure, which effectively prevents the accumulation of rGO. Due to the special 3D hierarchical structure, VS4/CNTs/rGO exhibits a large specific surface area and a rich pore structure, and the addition of CNTs and rGO also improves the electrochemical properties of VS4. At 1 A·g−1, VS4/CNTs/rGO exhibits a capacitance of 497 F·g−1 (1374.0 C·g−1) in the voltage range of −1.4 to 1.4 V, which is much higher than those binary materials including CNTs/rGO, VS4/CNTs and VS4/rGO. The VS4/CNTs/rGO symmetric supercapacitor (SSC) device shows a remarkable electrochemical performance in a large potential window up to 2.2 V. The capacitance of VS4/CNTs/rGO SSC device can reach 1003.5 mF·cm−2 (2207.6 mC·cm−2) at 0.5 mA·cm−2, and it exhibits an energy density of 6.75 Wh·m−2 (72.07 Wh·kg−1) at a power density of 1.38 W·m−2 (14.69 W·kg−1). The high capacitance and energy density of the VS4/CNTs/rGO composite in the high voltage interval make it as the potential energy storage material.

Preparation of Sr-substituted Hydroxyapatite Nanorods for Liquid Crystal Phase Transition

A citrate-assisted hydrothermal method was utilized for the preparation of Sr-substituted hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles. The influences of Sr-substituting degree on the phase identifications, microstructures and colloidal stability of the resultant products were studied. The experimental results show that the crystalline structures and morphologies of final resultants are significantly changed by controlling the Sr-substituting degree. As the Sr-substituting degree increases, the colloidal stability of samples first increases and then decreases rapidly; the morphology of the product first changes from nanorods to short nanorods rod and then becomes nanowires. Uniform HA hexagonal nanorods with high aspect ratio (>4.0) and excellent aqueous colloidal stability were prepared by 6 h hydrothermal reaction at 180 °C without Sr substitution. The dispersion underwent the phase transition from isotropic to liquid-crystalline state upon the increasing concentration of 25wt% and the complete liquid-crystalline phase was achieved when at the concentration above 31wt%. These novel findings provide new insights into the role of Sr substitution on both the citrate-assisted hydroxyapatite crystallization and tailoring of colloidal stability. Moreover, HA liquid crystal behavior was successfully observed, which lays a foundation for the fabrication of macroscopically assembled hydroxyapatite-based biomimetic materials for biomedical applications.

Electrospun zirconium oxide embedded in graphene-like nanofiber for aptamer-based impedimetric bioassay toward osteopontin determination.

An impedimetric bioassay was constructed based on a nanohybrid of zirconium oxide nanoparticles and graphene-like nanofiber (denoted by ZrO2@GNF) for the determination of osteopontin (OPN). A series of ZrO2@GNF nanohybrids with different morphologies and nanostructures were derived from zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (UiO-66) entrapped within the electric spun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber (represented by UiO-66@PAN) by calcination at different temperatures. The basic characterizations revealed that the UiO-66@PAN nanofibers were collapsed into short nanorods. As such, homogeneously distributed ZrO2 nanoparticles were found to be embedded within the GNF nanostructure. This transition in the chemical structure and nanostructure not only can greatly enhance the electrochemical conductivity of the nanohybrid but also can strengthen the adsorbed bioaffinity toward OPN aptamer strands. As compared with bioassays based on ZrO2@GNF calcined at 500°C and 900°C, the ZrO2@GNF nanohybrid obtained at 700°C (ZrO2@GNF700) demonstrated superior sensing performance, showing a determination limit of 4.76fgmL-1 within a OPN concentration ranging 0.01pgmL-1 to 2.0ngmL-1. It also displayed high selectivity, accompanied by good reproducibility and stability, acceptable applicability, and excellent repeatability. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of an impedimetric aptasensor based on nanohybrids of zirconium oxide nanoparticles and graphene-like nanofiber (ZrO2@CNF) was constructed for osteopontin detection. The ZrO2@CNF700 nanohybrid-based aptasensor demonstrated superior sensing performances, providing a promising tool for detecting cancer markers in biomedical diagnosis.

Facile fabrication of trepang-like CeO2@MnO2 nanocomposite with high catalytic activity for soot removal

CeO2@MnO2 nanocomposite oxide with trepang-like hierarchical structure was prepared by hydrothermal method followed by calcination using Ce(OH)CO3 and KMnO4 as the precursor. The catalyst was characterized by several techniques and investigated for soot oxidation. During the hydrothermal process, KMnO4 could oxidize Ce(OH)CO3 into CeO2, accompanying with the formation of flower-like birnessite attached on the surfaces of the generated CeO2. These flowers further transformed into short nanorods after calcination, leading to the generation of trepang-like CeO2@MnO2 composite material. The introduction of MnO2 not only enhanced the redox property of catalyst induced by the interaction between Ce and Mn, but also contributed to the emergence of more adsorbed oxygen species, which helped to improve the catalytic activity. Moreover, the generated trepang-like structure of CeO2@MnO2, with hollow spindle CeO2 in the middle and short nanorods MnO2 on the surfaces, offered extra active sites and enhanced the contact between soot and the catalyst, which could also accelerate the soot oxidation. CeO2@MnO2 exhibited good catalytic performance for soot oxidation, with T50 at 373 °C under an atmosphere of 5% O2/500 ppm NO balanced with N2. The implementation of this work may offer a new strategy to develop high-performance catalysts for soot removal.

YBa2Cu3O7−x films with Ba2Y(Nb,Ta)O6 nanoinclusions for high-field applications

The structural and transport properties of YBa2Cu3O7−x films grown by pulsed laser deposition with mixed 2.5 mol% Ba2YTaO6 (BYTO) and 2.5 mol% Ba2YNbO6 (BYNO) double-perovskite secondary phases are investigated in an extended film growth rate, R = 0.02–1.8 nm s−1. The effect of R on the film microstructure analyzed by TEM techniques shows an evolution from sparse and straight to denser, thinner and splayed continuous columns, with mixed BYNO + BYTO (BYNTO) composition, as R increases from 0.02 nm s−1 to 1.2 nm s−1. This microstructure results in very efficient flux pinning at 77 K, leading to a remarkable improvement in the critical current density (Jc) behaviour, with the maximum pinning force density Fp(Max) = 13.5 GN m−3 and the irreversibility field in excess of 11 T. In this range, the magnetic field values at which the Fp is maximized varies from 1 T to 5 T, being related to the BYNTO columnar density. The film deposited when R = 0.3 nm s−1 exhibits the best performances over the whole temperature and magnetic field ranges, achieving Fp(Max) = 900 GN m−3 at 10 K and 12 T. At higher rates, R > 1.2 nm s−1, BYNTO columns show a meandering nature and are prone to form short nanorods. In addition, in the YBCO film matrix a more disordered structure with a high density of short stacking faults is observed. From the analysis of the Fp(H, T) curves it emerges that in films deposited at the high R limit, the vortex pinning is no longer dominated by BYNTO columnar defects, but by a new mechanism showing the typical temperature scaling law. Even though this microstructure produces a limited improvement at 77 K, it exhibits a strong Jc improvement at lower temperature with Fp = 700 GN m−3 at 10 K, 12 T and 900 GN m−3 at 4.2 K, 18 T.

A novel cheap, one-step and facile synthesis of hierarchical TiO2 nanotubes as fast electron transport channels for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

The well-aligned hierarchical TiO2 nanotubes (HTNTs) have been synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method employing potassium titanium oxalate, ethanol and H2O, which are strongly adhered onto transparent conducting oxide glass. The preparation is straightforward, cheap and applicative for mass manufacture. The thickness of membranes is changed from 12 to 22 μm by adjusting the reaction time. The HTNTs consist of one-dimensional (1D) long TiO2 nanotube trunks and numerous short TiO2 nanorod branches, which can balance surface area and charge transport. By employing optimized HTNTs for dye-sensitized solar cells, a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 9.89% is obtained. The result is superior to P25 (8.34%), because 1D trunk-1D branch structure of HTNTs offers the advantages of strong light-harvesting, directed electron transport, and efficient charge collection. The HTNTs may find an underlying application in the manufacture of photovoltaic devices.

Quantifying Capacitive‐Like and Battery‐Like Charge Storage Contributions Using Single‐Nanoparticle Electro‐optical Imaging

AbstractPseudocapacitors promise to combine the high‐rate capability of electrochemical capacitors with the high energy‐density of batteries. A major challenge in the field is to demonstrate that pseudocapacitors behave electrochemically like a capacitor and the charge storage process is faradaic in nature. It is challenging to do so because pseudocapacitive charging has the same electrical signatures as non‐faradaic electrical double‐layer charging. Here we use electro‐optical imaging to measure Li‐ion insertion reactions in single WO3 nanoparticles. On average, these WO3 particles exhibit a hybrid charge storage mechanism: both diffusion‐limited (battery‐like) and pseudocapacitive (capacitor‐like) mechanisms contribute to the total charge stored. Individual particles exhibit different charge storage mechanisms at the same applied potential. Longer nanorods store more pseudocapacitive charge than shorter nanorods, presumably due to 1) a surface step edge gradient that exposes large hexagonal window Li‐ion binding sites along the nanorod length and/or 2) higher structural water content that influences the Li‐ion binding energetics and diffusion behavior. Importantly, we quantified the penetration depth of Li‐ion insertion and concluded that Li ions insert as deep as two‐unit cells below the surface. The methodology presented herein can be applied to a wide range of solid‐state ion‐insertion materials.

Chemophysical acetylene-sensing mechanisms of Sb2O3/NaWO4-doped WO3 heterointerfaces.

Sb2O3-loaded NaWO4-doped WO3 nanorods were fabricated with varying Sb contents from 0 to 2 wt% by precipitation/impregnation methods and their p-type acetylene (C2H2) gas-sensing mechanisms were rigorously analyzed. Material characterization by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption indicated the construction of short NaWO4-doped monoclinic WO3 nanorods loaded with very fine Sb2O3 nanoparticles. The sensors were fabricated by powder pasting and spin coating and their gas-sensing characteristics were evaluated towards 0.08-1.77 vol% C2H2 at 200-350 °C in dry air. The gas-sensing properties of the NaWO4-doped WO3 sensor with the optimum Sb content of 1 wt% showed the highest p-type response of ∼250.2 to 1.77 vol% C2H2, which was more than 20 times as high as that of the unloaded one at the best working temperature of 250 °C. Furthermore, the Sb2O3-loaded sensor offered high C2H2 selectivity against CH4, H2, C3H6O, C2H5OH, HCHO, CH3OH, C8H10, C7H8, C2H4 and NO2. Mechanisms responsible for the observed p-type sensing and response enhancement behaviors were proposed based on the NaWO4-doped WO3-Sb2O3 (p-n) heterointerfaces and catalytic spillover effects. Consequently, the Sb2O3-loaded NaWO4-doped WO3 nanorods have potential as alternative p-type gas sensors for selective and sensitive C2H2 detection in various industrial applications.

Crystal Transformation from the Incorporation of Coordinate Bonds into a Hydrogen-Bonded Network Yields Robust Free-Standing Supramolecular Membranes.

In this work, we report on the synthesis of a free-standing, macroscopic robust supramolecular membrane by introducing silver-nitrogen coordinate bonding into preorganized, supramolecular hydrogen-bonded cyanuric acid-melamine (CAM) crystals. With the assistance of ammonia, silver ions competitively replace two of the three hydrogen atoms from cyanuric acid resulting in the transformation from short CAM nanorods to long CAM-Ag nanofibers (length over 1000 μm), accompanied by tautomerization of cyanuric acid. The single crystal structure of the CAM-Ag nanofibers is solved in the space group P1, with the asymmetric unit containing eight silver atoms, four melamine and four cyanuric acid molecules, which generate 1D coordination polymer chains consisting of alternating melamine and dianionic cyanurate ligands linked via silver-nitrogen bonds. The presence of interchain hydrogen bonds results in the expansion of the supramolecular network into undulating 2D sheets, which then stack into a 3D network via a series of intersheet hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions. Significantly, the CAM-Ag nanofibers spontaneously assemble into a free-standing membrane, with lateral size up to square centimeters and thickness of 30 μm. The membrane shows high flexibility and mechanical strength, owing to the improved flexibility of the CAM-Ag nanofibers with bonded chain structure, and can be reversibly and repeatedly bent over 90 degrees. Remarkably, the CAM-Ag membrane demonstrates distinct optical transmittance being shortwave IR transmissive but impenetrable to UV and visible light.

Fabrication of a transparent p–n junction using CuBr1-xIx and ZnO nanorods

A transparent fine structure of p–n junctions using zinc oxide nanorods with different aspect ratios and CuBr1-xIx was prepared by the solution coating method. The structures and electrical properties of the p–n junctions were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and current–voltage measurements. Clear rectification characteristics were obtained from all the samples. The leak current in the reverse direction was small in the p–n junction with large diameter nanorods. In the p–n junction with short nanorods, the rise of forward current was steep and a large current flowed. Carrier generation by UV light irradiation was confirmed from all p–n junctions.

Synthesis and characterization of urchin-like CuO nanorod/TiCu-based metallic glass core-shell powders with surface photovoltage performance

The core-shell urchin-like powders (i.e. the microsized core composed of the residual metallic glass matrix powders and short CuO nanorod as the shell) were obtained through selective hydrothermal dealloying and annealed oxidation methods. TiCu-based metallic glass powders were used as precursors. Furthermore, the morphology and photoelectric conversion property of urchin-like CuO nanorod/metallic matrix powders were comprehensively investigated. These core-shell powders possess considerable surface photovoltage properties, and the sample annealed at 500 °C in air exhibits optimal surface photoelectric responses in visible light range (~600 nm). The surface photovoltage property was determined by the synergistic effect of crystallinity and surface morphology for the CuO phase. This study provides a strategy for in-situ synthesis of novel micro-nano-sized core-shell functional materials using facile dealloying and annealing of multiple-component alloys. The advantage of obtained products will further accelerate their applications in the green industry since this kind of micro-nano-sized powder material is easy to separate and recycle.

Interfacial assembled Langmuir films of isomeric lipid derivative: Effect of hydrogen bond and chirality transfer

The assembled behaviors of three isomeric L-glutamic lipid derivatives at the water/air interface are different via Langmuir-Blodgett method. Various nanostructures were formed by different mode of hydrogen bond. In the mode of intramolecular hydrogen bond interaction, relative long and thin nanowire appeared. If intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction plays an important role, short nanorod nanostructures were obtained. While both intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bond interactions exist, the morphology exhibits the mixture of nanowire and nanosheet. In the case of tetrakis (4-sulfonatonphenyl)-porphine (TPPS) added to the subphase, the nanostructures of self-assembly change obviously and achiral TPPS can be induced to appear supramolecular chirality, which due to the interaction between TPPS and the chiral lipid. And the opposite supramolecular chirality ascribed to TPPS can be induced by the origin chirality of lipids.

Fabrication of 1D Fe2O3 with Flexible Ligands as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

Fe2O3 short nanorods, nanorods and nanowires were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method by using different flexible ligands (oxalic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid) as templates to adjust the L/D (length/diameter) ratios of the one-dimensional (1D) Fe2O3–nanostructures for the first time. The growth mechanism of Fe2O3 nanorods and nanowires were proposed. Their potential applications as anodes for lithium ion batteries were investigated by electrochemical analysis. This novel straightforward strategy to fabricate 1D metal oxide with different L/D ratios may provide a promising method to make advanced Fe2O3-based nanostructures for Li-ion battery applications.

Role of hexamethylenetetramine in ZnO-cellulose nanocomposite enabled UV and humidity sensor

Spherical nanoparticles and short nanorods of ZnO nanocrystals were grown on cellulose fibers by a simple one pot aqueous chemical bath deposition technique using hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) as the surfactant. The role of surfactant on UV and humidity sensing properties of ZnO-cellulose nanocomposite (ZCN) has been investigated. The structure, morphology and composition of the ZCNs were investigated by X-rays diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The morphology, shape and size of the ZCN were analyzed by a transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties were investigated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The band gap values of the composites, obtained from DRS, were in the range of 3.22–3.24 eV. The ZCN synthesized with 0.9 wt% of HMT showed a very high response to ultraviolet (UV) light, characterized by a large increase in the photocurrent under UV illumination. Due to UV illumination, the surface photocurrent recorded from a pellet of the above nanocomposite powder increased from 7.416 × 10−7 A to 3.161 × 10−5 A in 8 s. The ON to OFF ratio of the photocurrent (IUV/IDark) was 42.624, whereas the response and recovery times were 8 s and 10 s, respectively. The humidity sensing properties of the nanocomposite powder were studied in the relative humidity (RH) range 40–90% and a sensitivity of 4.487 MΩ/%RH was recorded for the powder synthesized at optimized condition. The high ON/OFF ratio, short response and recovery time imply the importance of the material as a good UV sensor, whilst the notable sensitivity of the material promises for efficient humidity sensing applications.

Thin film electrodes from Pt nanorods supported on aligned N-CNTs for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The enhanced performance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) over carbon black as a catalyst support and the outstanding catalytic activities of one-dimensional (1D) Pt nanostructures endow them big potential for applications in fuel cells. However, the research has been mainly focused on the materials, and a combination of both 1D Pt nanostructures and CNTs to fabricate practical high power performance fuel cell electrodes still remains a challenge. In this work, we demonstrate catalyst electrodes from Pt nanorods grown on aligned nitrogen doped CNTs for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. Short Pt nanorods are grown on CNTs deposited directly on 16 cm2 carbon paper gas diffusion layers (GDLs) via plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and nitrided using active screen plasma (ASP) treatment, which are directly employed as cathodes for H2/air PEMFCs. The thin open catalyst layer effectively enhances mass transfer performance and, with a less than half of the Pt loading, 1.23 fold power density is achieved as compared with that from commercial Pt/C catalysts. A better durability is also confirmed which can be attributed to the good structure stability of nanorods and the enhancement effects from the N-CNT support.

Influence of single-nanoparticle electrochromic dynamics on the durability and speed of smart windows

Nanomaterials have tremendous potential to increase electrochromic smart window efficiency, speed, and durability. However, nanoparticles vary in size, shape, and surface defects, and it is unknown how nanoparticle heterogeneity contributes to particle-dependent electrochromic properties. Here, we use single-nanoparticle-level electro-optical imaging to measure structure-function relationships in electrochromic tungsten oxide nanorods. Single nanorods exhibit a particle-dependent waiting time for tinting (from 100 ms to 10 s) due to Li-ion insertion at optically inactive surface sites. Longer nanorods tint darker than shorter nanorods and exhibit a Li-ion gradient that increases from the nanorod ends to the middle. The particle-dependent ion-insertion kinetics contribute to variable tinting rates and magnitudes across large-area smart windows. Next, we quantified how particle-particle interactions impact tinting dynamics and reversibility as the nanorod building blocks are assembled into a thin film. Interestingly, single particles tint 4 times faster and cycle 20 times more reversibly than thin films made of the same particles. These findings allow us to propose a nanostructured electrode architecture that optimizes optical modulation rates and reversibility across large-area smart windows.