Subnanometer nanowires (SNWs) refer to nanowires with diameters close to the size of a single crystal cell. SNWs show not only qualitative change in nature compared to the bulk materials or nanomaterials with larger size but also show several advantages in assembly and processing due to their polymer‐analog properties. However, the synthesis of SNWs is still a great challenge. Herein, a synthesis method of SNWs assisted by polyoxometalates is developed. Based on this method, several kinds of SNWs are prepared successfully, and the properties of the SNWs can be regulated efficiently and effectively, demonstrating the extensibility of this synthesis method. Among these SNWs, Bi2O3–PMoO SNWs show good photothermal conversion performance and can be processed into freestanding and flexible films through the wet‐spinning method. The Bi2O3–PMoO SNW films show good performance in solar steam generation and seawater desalination. The average stable evaporation rate can reach 1.38 kg m−2 h−1, and the efficiency is ≈91.1% under 1 sun illumination. The concentration of ions in the desalted seawater with the Bi2O3–PMoO SNWs film are reduced by four orders of magnitude, meeting the quality standards of drinking water and potential for practical utilization of solar energy in the seawater desalination.

Microporous materials are extensively used in catalysis due to their unique pore structures. Among them, microporous materials loaded with polyoxometalates (POMs) exhibit considerable potential for catalysis thanks to the combination of the outstanding redox-catalytic properties of POMs and the characteristics of microporous materials. Based on this, we developed a facile hydrothermal method to synthesize helical microporous nanorods (HMNRs) using POM clusters as building blocks, combining the properties of both POMs and microporous materials while circumventing the complicated loading process. The HMNRs show an enhanced photocatalytic performance for toluene oxidation. Comparatively high activity, superior selectivity towards benzaldehyde, and prominent cycling stability were achieved, manifesting a promising prospect for a future application in photocatalysis.

1D superlattices with long‐ranged periodicity present extraordinary application properties due to their unique electronic structures. Here, the visible light driven synthesis of 1D single‐cluster chains constructed by polyoxometalate (POM) and Ag clusters is reported, where two types of clusters align alternatively along the nanowire. Low symmetrical POM clusters of [P2W17O61]10–, [P2W15O56]12–, and [EuW10O36]9– can be used as building blocks. The directly bonding cluster units result in interactive electronic structures of Ag and POM clusters, as well as the greatly promoted electron transfer during the redox reaction. The Ag–P2W17 nanowires perform significantly enhanced activities in both electrochemical sensing and catalytic gasoline desulfurization compared with individual building blocks, demonstrating the extraordinary application properties and promising potentials of cluster‐based heteroconstructions.

Adhesives are applied extensively in daily life and industries, and people have developed numerous commercial polymeric adhesives. However, in most cases, these adhesives work on dry surfaces in air and form permanent bonds with the substrates, limiting the applications of adhesives. Inspired by the innate adhesive functions of some animals, such as geckos, spiders, mussels, and clingfish, scientists have developed various adhesive compositions and structures to meet various conditions. Here, we show a versatile subnanometer nanowire (SNW) adhesive with high strength and great reversibility, which could be prepared at a large scale through a facile room-temperature reaction. The SNW adhesive contacts the substrates at multiple sites due to the ultrahigh flexibility, and meanwhile, the multilevel interactions among the SNWs endow them with strong cohesion, so they exhibit good adhesive performance. This adhesive is applicable to various substrates, such as metals, polymers, and glass, and not only possesses good stability at room temperature in air but also is suitable for underwater environments and ultralow temperatures. Moreover, this adhesive could be easily recycled and removed from the substrates without any residue and damage. The SNW adhesive not only inspires the design of hierarchical adhesive structures with new contact modes but also has potential for practical applications.

Tailoring atomic structures of noble metal nanomaterials with size close to single-unit cell range is essential in both fundamental research and applications, including their development into high catalytic performance materials in renewable, green energy conversions, devices for energy storage, and as biosensors for environmental pollutants. However, several strategies used in fabricating these materials still impose enormous challenges, arising from lack of even size distribution, shape uniformity, and controlled composition, which are critical in determining their specific activities and efficiencies. Herein, we report a facile approach for preparing sub-nano-thick palladium nanobelt-based (PdNB) materials. Then we rationalized the formation mechanism of such highly anisotropic structures by morphology-related thermodynamic and kinetic analysis. Moreover, we investigated if electrocatalysis performance of these NB-based materials were enhanced. The palladium (Pd) NBs featured a thickness of ∼ 0.9-1.2 nm and width of 5-18 nm with length extending to several micrometers [denoted as Pd(0.9)], or a thickness of ∼ 0.7-0.9 nm and width of 2.5-6 nm with length of several hundreds of nanometers [denoted as Pd(0.7)]. According to our theoretical analysis, one-dimensional (1D) growth encountered almost no energy barrier at optimal reaction conditions, whereas the growth of Pd nanostructures with other dimensions confronted high barriers, indicating that it was plausible to prepare 1D structures with sizes close to single-unit cells. Also, platinum (Pt) could be successfully doped into the Pd(0.9) NBs through a galvanic epitaxial growth, forming edge-Pt-enriched Pd NBs (eePtPd NBs). Further, electron transfer from Pd to Pt imparted the eePtPd NBs with high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. The eePtPd NBs showed a 3.5 and 1.8 times higher in exchange current density and mass activity (at −0.1 V), respectively, compared to those of Pt catalysts in perchloric acid (HClO 4 ) solutions. Finally, the NBs all showed high activity toward ethanol and formic acid oxidation reactions. Our current work aids in gaining insights into tailoring Pd nanostructures at an atomic level and provides Pd sub-nanometric 1D structures for further research. Moreover, our morphology-related thermodynamic and kinetic analysis extend our understanding of the control of nanostructure morphology and might shed light on the precision of designing specific morphologies of noble metal nanocrystal structures.