In this work, a facile route using a simple solvothermal reaction and sequential calcinations to synthesize porous R-Fe 2 O 3 flower-like nanostructures without employing templates or matrices for self-assembly is presented. The flower-like nanostructures are composed of nanosheets with a thickness of about 20 nm, which are characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Influencing factors such as the dosage of reactants and the solvents are systematically investigated. A possible formation mechanism for the flower-like nanostructure is proposed. A BET test shows that the product is porous and has a large surface area. The electrochemical, magnetic, and photocatalytic properties of the as-obtained R-Fe 2 O 3 3D nanostructure are systematically investigated. The result shows that these properties are greatly affected by the porous structure.

In this article, a facile route using simple hydrothermal reaction and sequential calcinations to synthesize α-Fe2O3 hollow nanostructures without employing templates or matrices is presented. By simply changing the basic source, hollow spindles and microspheres can be selectively synthesized. The concentration of the reagents and the kind of basic source or coordination reagents are verified to have great influence on the morphologies of the products. TEM images clearly show the hollow natures of the as-obtained products. Growth mechanisms for the hollow nanostructures were proposed. Because of the unique hollow structures of the samples, the potential applications of the as-obtained hematite hollow nanostructures on lithium ion battery and water treatment were also investigated.

Silicon carbide nanobelts have been prepared by a reaction of CH3CH2OH, SiCl4, and Li in an autoclave at 600 °C. According to X-ray powder diffraction, the nanobelts crystallize with the structure of 3C−SiC. Electron microscopy investigations have revealed that the nanobelts are usually 50−200 nm wide, 20−60 nm thick, and up to tens of micrometers long. Some unique optical properties are found in the Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence emission from the 3C−SiC nanobelts, which are different from previous observations of 3C−SiC materials. A possible lithium-assisted growth mechanism for the nanobelts was proposed.

Fe3O4 novel fractal nanocrystals have been synthesized by a surfactant-assisted solvothermal process for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to investigate the novel fractal nanocrystals. The lengths of the fractals are about 2-3 microm, and the trunks and branches of Fe3O4 fractals have almost the same diameters of ca. 30-50 nm. The roles of surfactant PEG-20000 and N2H4 have been discussed in detail. One key fact has been found that the ferrocene concentration has a vital effect on the morphologies of the products. The side-branching process and the oscillation of the concentration have been proposed to illustrate the formation mechanisms of the fractal nanocrystals. In addition, magnetic properties of Fe3O4 fractal nanocrystals have also been detected by a vibrating sample magnetometer, showing relatively high saturation magnetization (Ms) of ca. 78.75 emu/g.