Abstract
Nanoscale amorphous materials are very important member of the non-crystalline solids family and have emerged as a new category of advanced materials. However, morphological control of amorphous nanomaterials is very difficult because of the atomic isotropy of their internal structures. In this review, we introduce some emerging innovative methods to fabricate well-defined, regular-shaped amorphous nanomaterials. We then highlight some examples to evaluate the use of these amorphous materials in electrodes, and their optical response. There is still plenty of room to explore the amorphous world. As researchers continue to advance the scientific tools that underpin the concepts related to “amorphous”, additional applications of these materials will emerge. Their controlled synthesis will undoubtedly attain new heights in the discipline of nanomaterials, and allow nanoscale amorphous materials to become more sophisticated, diverse, and mainstream.
中文摘要
非晶纳米材料是非晶态物质中十分重要的成员, 并已成为先进材料研究领域的一个崭新的分支. 然而, 实现对非晶纳米材料的形貌控制却是十分困难的, 这是由材料原子排列的长程无序性所致. 本综述首先主要介绍了一些最近出现的新颖和独特的非晶纳米材料的制备方法. 所得到的非晶纳米材料具有轮廓分明、 形貌规则等特点, 摆脱了传统非晶材料呈现的无规则状颗粒或者薄膜的局限. 本文选取了一些有特色的新颖的非晶纳米材料, 来说明现阶段它们在电化学电极材料以及光响应方面的应用原理以及方式. 如今, 国内外对于非晶纳米材料的研究刚刚起步, 仍然有很大的探索空间. 研究者们不断开发和创造出来的科学方法和技术将有利于非晶研究的快速发展, 进而开发新的应用. 对非晶纳米材料的可控制备必将掀起纳米领域研究的新高潮.
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Jianwei Nai was born in Guangxi, China in 1985. He received his PhD degree in micro-and nanotechnology from Beihang University, Beijing, China in 2014. He then joined Prof. Lin Guo’s group as a postdoctoral scholar between 2/2014-10/2014. He is now employed as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Dmitri Talapin’s laboratory at the University of Chicago, USA. His current research interests focus on the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials and their application in electrocatalysis.
Jianxin Kang was born in Shandong, China in 1989. He received his BSc degree from the School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University in 2010. He joined Prof. Lin Guo’s group as a PhD candidate in 2010. His research interests are the controlled synthesis and applications of nanomaterials.
Lin Guo was born in 1964. He received his PhD degree from Beijing University of Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, in 1997. He is currently a professor at the School of Chemistry and Environment, Beihang University. His research focuses on the development of new methods for the synthesis of nanostructured materials with potential for future applications and the characterization of their unique properties.
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Nai, J., Kang, J. & Guo, L. Tailoring the shape of amorphous nanomaterials: recent developments and applications. Sci. China Mater. 58, 44–59 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-015-0013-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-015-0013-2