storage, sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are attracting more attention because of the abundant sodium resource. [7][8][9] In comparison to the natural abundance of lithium (20 ppm) in the Earth's crust, the abundances of Na (23 000 ppm) and K (17 000 ppm) seem infinite. [10][11][12] Unlike NIBs, really few researches are focused on potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) in a long-trem period. Till last two years, the new concept of KIBs has begun to gain much more attention. [13][14][15][16][17] The advantages of KIBs are obvious: the abundant resource and the closer redox potential of K/K + (−2.93 V vs standard hydrogen electrode) to that of Li/Li + (−3.04 V) than that of Na/Na + (−2.71 V), implying their higher voltage plateau and energy density.Different K ion anode materials such as graphite, [13,18,19] nitrogen-doped graphene, [14,20] Prussian Blue, [21][22][23] and transition metal compound [24,25] have been

Zeolites are microporous materials with pores and channels of molecular dimensions that find numerous applications in catalysis, separations, ion exchange, etc. However, whereas uniformity of micropore size is a most desirable and enabling characteristic for many of their uses, in certain cases, for example in reactions involving bulky molecules, it is a limitation. For this reason, synthesis of hierarchical zeolites with micro- and mesoporosity is of considerable interest as a way to control molecular traffic for improved catalytic and separation performance. Herein, we report a general synthesis route for the confined synthesis of zeolites within three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous carbon templates by conventional hydrothermal synthesis. Various zeolites, including BEA, LTA, FAU, and LTL, with three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous-imprinted structure have been synthesized by this approach. It is expected that these hierarchical zeolite materials will provide building blocks for thin-film and other syntheses and may provide a basis for quantitatively studying the mass-transfer limitation on the catalytic performance of zeolite catalysts.

Accurate, noninvasive, and self-referenced temperature measurements at the submicrometer scale are of great interest, prompted by the ever-growing demands in the fi elds of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. The thermal dependence of the phosphor's luminescence provides high detection sensitivity and spatial resolution with short acquisition times in, e.g., biological fl uids, strong electromagnetic fi elds, and fast-moving objects. Here, it is shown that nanoparticles of [(Tb 0.914 Eu 0.086 ) 2 (PDA) 3 (H 2 O)]·2H 2 O (PDA = 1,4-phenylenediacetic acid), the fi rst lanthanide-organic framework prepared by the spray-drying method, are excellent nanothermometers operating in the solid state in the 10-325 K range (quantum yield of 0.25 at 370 nm, at room temperature). Intriguingly, this system is the most sensitive cryogenic nanothermometer reported so far, combining high sensitivity (up to 5.96 ± 0.04% K −1 at 25 K), reproducibility (in excess of 99%), and low-temperature uncertainty (0.02 K at 25 K).

Zeolites are an important class of materials which are widely used in industry as catalysts, adsorbents and ion-exchangers. Their superior properties are closely related to their unique porous framework structure, as well as composition and morphology. The ever-growing needs for zeolitic materials in applications inspire us to think of the rational synthesis of zeolites with desired structures and properties. However, rationalization of zeolitic materials remains one of the most challenging issues in the zeolite research field due to their unclear formation mechanism. Despite this, many efforts have been devoted to synthesize zeolites in a more rational way. In this tutorial review, first, we demonstrate how the geometrical characteristics of zeolite frameworks affect the catalytic performances of the resulting materials; then, we present recent advances in synthetic innovations to target materials, and we further highlight the developments in computer simulations toward ab initio design and synthesis; finally, the future perspective on the rational synthesis of zeolitic materials with desired functions and structures will be described.

Room-temperature aging of zeolite precursor silica sol was followed by SAXS and cryo-TEM. Cryo-TEM imaging of zeolite materials with structural resolution is demonstrated. The results suggest the formation of predominantly amorphous aggregates before MFI crystallization.