In this paper, a novel graphene oxide (GO)/sodium alginate (SA)/polyacrylamide (PAM) ternary nanocomposite hydrogel with excellent mechanical performance has been fabricated through freeradical polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and SA in the presence of GO in an aqueous system followed with ionically crosslinking of calcium ions. As-prepared GO/SA/PAM (weight ratio SA : AAm ¼ 1 : 2) ternary nanocomposite hydrogel with 5 wt% of GO displays a compressive stress as high as 1.543 MPa at the compressive deformation of 70%. The tensile strength and modulus of the hydrogel achieved $201.7 and $30.8 kPa, respectively. In the meantime, the ternary nanocomposite hydrogels can recover a large proportion of elongation at breakage and exhibits good elasticity. Additionally, the GO/SA/PAM ternary nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited good adsorption properties for water-soluble dyes. After introducing GO, the dye adsorption capacities of the hydrogel were significantly improved.

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a widely used tool for engineering materials and coatings. In this Perspective, dedicated to the memory of ACS Nano associate editor Prof. Dr. Helmuth Möhwald, we discuss the developments and applications that are to come in LbL assembly, focusing on coatings, bulk materials, membranes, nanocomposites, and delivery vehicles.

Designing high‐performance palladium (Pd) supports with enhanced ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) activity has consistently been a challenge. Here, a novel anatase titanium dioxide nanosheets‐black phosphorus (ATN‐BP) hybrid is fabricated as a support for Pd nanoparticles used in the EOR. The direct ball‐milling of BP nanoflakes and ATN under argon protection lead to the formation of ATN‐BP hybrids with BP nanoflakes interconnected by cataclastic ATN with POTi bonds. The structure of ATN‐BP not only is beneficial for improving the electrolyte penetration and electron transportation but also has a strong influence on the stripping of reactive intermediates through the synergistic interaction between Pd and ATN‐BP. The results demonstrate that the Pd/ATN‐BP hybrids with heterointerfaces of Pd, BP, and ATN exhibit ultrahigh electroactivity and durability. In the EOR, the Pd/ATN‐BP catalyst can achieve an electrochemically active surface area of ≈462.1 m2 gPd−1 and a mass peak current density of 5023.8 mA mgPd−1, which are 11.67 and 6.87 times greater, respectively, than those of commercial Pd/C. The Pd/ATN‐BP catalysts also show remarkable stability with a retention rate of the peak current density of ≈30.6% after a durability test of 3600 s.

Three-dimensional (3D) structures of graphene have attracted extensive interest for their practical applications, such as supercapacitors and catalyst supports. Self-assembly is a typical technique to fabricate macroscopic graphene materials integrated with various superior properties. However, an efficient and environmentally-friendly strategy is still needed. In this paper, we report a green and mild method for the synthesis of 3D architectures of graphene. This proposed method is based on the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) with the aid of a range of natural phenolic acids and in situ self-assembly of graphene sheets via p-p interactions. The obtained monolithic graphene exhibits low density, super hydrophobicity, high porosity, excellent mechanical strength and electrical conductivity. These multifunctional products can be used as adsorbents for removal of oils, organic solvents and dyes from contaminated water, as well as electrode materials for supercapacitors.