Carbon nanofibers, CNFs, due to their superior strength, conductivity, flexibility, and durability have great potential as a material resource but still have limited use due to the cost intensive complexities of their synthesis. Herein, we report the highyield and scalable electrolytic conversion of atmospheric CO 2 dissolved in molten carbonates into CNFs. It is demonstrated that the conversion of CO 2 → C CNF + O 2 can be driven by efficient solar, as well as conventional, energy at inexpensive steel or nickel electrodes. The structure is tuned by controlling the electrolysis conditions, such as the addition of trace transition metals to act as CNF nucleation sites, the addition of zinc as an initiator and the control of current density. A less expensive source of CNFs will facilitate its adoption as a societal resource, and using carbon dioxide as a reactant to generate a value added product such as CNFs provides impetus to consume this greenhouse gas to mitigate climate change.

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Bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinato)-4-phenylphenolate aluminium (BAlq) does not show phosphorescence. Only in the presence of an emitting sensitiser and at low temperature, phosphorescent emission has been reported from this molecule. We report for the first time, up to our knowledge, phosphorescent emission from BAlq at room temperature in the absence of sensitisers by trapping the molecule in a photonic crystal (PhC). BAlq has been embedded first in a polymer matrix and subsequently inserted within a colloidal PhC in order to create the optical confinement that suppresses the available energy modes for fluorescence and favours intersystem crossing, giving rise to the unusual triplet emission.

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