A coating process was applied to prepare nickel-silica composite hollow nanospheres (650 nm) with controllable shell thickness. The nanospheres were characterized through X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. This material with large BET surface area (288 m2/g) exhibits good catalytic activity and high selectivity in acetone hydrogenation reaction, showing the potential application as a catalyst in industry.

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Three dimensional (3D) DNA walkers hold great potential in serving as an ideal candidate for signal transduction and amplification in bio-assays.