Bimetallic Pt-based nanodendrites are of particular interest in various catalytic applications due to their high surface areas and low densities. Herein, we provide a facile method for one-pot synthesis of PtRu nanodendrites via the co-reduction of Pt and Ru precursors in oleylamine by H. The as-fabricated PtRu nanodendrites exhibit superior catalytic activity and durability compared with PtRu nanocrystals (NCs), synthesized under the same reaction conditions, and the commercial Pt/C catalyst towards the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR).

Over the wire and back again: The reversible hydrogenation–oxidative dehydrogenation of quinolines is reported by using Pt nanowire (NW) as the catalyst under mild reaction conditions. Pt NW shows high activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of quinolines under H2 pressure (1 bar=100 kPa), and these hydrogenation products can be easily oxidized under the same conditions in an atmosphere of oxygen (1 bar) or in air.

A simple and scalable coordination-derived method for the synthesis of porous Co3O4 hollow nanospheres is described here. The initially formed coordination-driven self-assembled aggregates (CDSAAs) could act as the precursor followed by calcination treatment. Then the porous hollow Co3O4 nanospheres are obtained, in which the primary Co3O4 nanoparticles are inter-dispersed. When the nanospheres are used as anode materials for lithium storage, they show excellent coulombic efficiency, high lithium storage capacity and superior cycling performance. In view of the facile synthesis and excellent electrochemical performance obtained, this protocol to fabricate special porous hollow frameworks could be further extended to other metal oxides and is expected to improve the practicality of superior cycle life anode materials with large volume excursions for the development of the next generation of LIBs.

Traditionally important in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and synthetic dye industries, C-N coupling has proved useful for the preparation of a number of valuable organic compounds. Here, a new method for the direct one-pot reductive C-N coupling from carbonyl and aromatic nitro compounds is described. Employing ultrathin platinum nanowires as the catalyst and hydrogen as the reducing agent, N-alkylamines were achieved in high yields. Debenzylation products were not detected after prolonged reaction times. Time-dependent analysis, ReactIR spectroscopy and DFT calculations revealed that the C-N coupling proceeded through a different mechanism than traditional "reductive amination." N-Alkylamines were directly obtained by intermolecular dehydration over platinum nanowires under a hydrogen atmosphere, instead of intramolecular water elimination and imine hydrogenation.

Herein, we have developed a facile and effective approach for synthesizing a novel kind of porous nitrogen-doped carbon-coated MnO nanosphere. The porous MnO nanospheres are initially obtained by the calcination treatment of a coordination self-assembled aggregation precursor (referred to as Mn(OAc)-C-8). Then, MnO@N-doped carbon composites (MnO@NCs) are obtained by the calcination of the MnO nanospheres coated with polydopamine (MnO@PDA). The MnO@NCs are evaluated as an anode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), which exhibit high specific capacity, stable cycling performance (1096.6 mA h g after 100 cycles at 100 mA g) and high coulombic efficiency (about 99% over 100 cycles). The unique structure design and synergistic effect not only settle the challenges of low conductivity and poor cycling stability of transition metal oxides but also resolve the imperfection of inferior specific capacity of traditional graphite materials. Importantly, it may provide a commendable conception for developing new-fashioned anode materials to improve the lithium storage capability and electrochemical performance.