Recent progress in research on Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals has attracted much attention both for investigating fundamental nanomagnetism and their potential applications in nanocatalysis, biosensing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents and drug delivery. In this feature article, we provide an overview of synthetic strategies and growth mechanisms of various Fe(3)O(4) nanostructures, discuss the uniqueness of associated properties, and illustrate their potential applications.

Shale oil has attracted more attention, as a very important substitutable fuel resource. In the present research, the classes and structures of nitrogen species in hydrotreated and untreated Fushun shale oil (FSO) are characterized by electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Experimental results have demonstrated that most of the nitrogen compounds in FSO are removed effectively during the hydrotreatment. N1 and N2 classes are dominant in FSO, and their structures are deduced in terms of the double bond equivalent (DBE) values and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. N1 class species in FSO are probably pyridines, indoles, carbazoles, benzocarbazoles, and their derivatives. After hydrotreating, the N1 class species in hydrotreated Fushun shale oil (HFSO) extend over a wider range of DBE values and carbon numbers than in the original FSO. It can be concluded that the N1 class species in HFSO are generated from compounds containing two or more heteroatoms, such as N2, N1O1, N1O2, N1O1S1, N1S1, and N2S1 class species.

Fully exposed ternary hydroxides electrodeposited on Ni foam (NiCoFe/NF) exhibited superb oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactivity in alkaline media, and this monolithic-structured electrode further enabled a high-efficiency water electrolyzer.