We report the use of organometallic precursors in microwave and microfluidic reactors to synthesize Ni nanoparticles of various shapes: spheres, cubes, trigonal pyramids and tetrapods. Each route has the ability to yield a preferential shape based on kinetic control of crystal growth. Tetrapods are obtained only in a microfluidic reactor. Trigonal pyramids crystallize in the metastable hexagonally close-packed (HCP) phase while spheres, cubes and tetrapods crystallize in the thermodynamically stable face-centred cubic (FCC) phase. The magnetic properties of nanocubes (in particular the magnetic coercive field) are found to be greatly enhanced compared to bulk and previous examples of nanostructured Ni materials.

Herein, we report energy storage devices, which are based on densely packed, vertically aligned MoS₂ (VA-MoS₂) or planar oriented MoS₂ (PO-MoS₂) and compare their electrochemical performances. The VA-MoS₂ films have been processed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to reach unprecedented micron-scale thick films while maintaining the vertical alignment for the whole thickness. The VA-MoS₂ and the PO-MoS₂ films form a high-performance Li-ion electrode, reaching the theoretical limits of reversible capacity for this material (800 mAh/g; twice the specific capacity of graphite). The vertical alignment allows faster charge-discharge rates while maintaining a high specific capacity (C-rate measurements). Noteworthy, the reversible cycling of the Li-ion electrode also benefits from the vertical alignment. In this article, we present the full synthesis, structural and electrochemical characterization of VA-MoS₂ along with the properties of PO-MoS₂ to deconvolute the intrinsic properties of MoS₂ from the influence of the layers’ orientation.

Utilizing supported single atoms as catalysts presents an opportunity to reduce the usage of critical raw materials such as platinum, which are essential for electrochemical reactions such as hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). Herein, we describe the synthesis of a Pt single electrocatalyst inside single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via a redox reaction. Characterizations via electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron microscopy, and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy show the single‐atom nature of the Pt. The electrochemical behavior of the sample to hydrogen and oxygen was investigated using the advanced floating electrode technique, which minimizes mass transport limitations and gives a thorough insight into the activity of the electrocatalyst. The single‐atom samples showed higher HOR activity than state‐of‐the‐art 30% Pt/C while almost no oxygen reduction reaction activity in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell operating range. The selective activity toward HOR arose as the main fingerprint of the catalyst confinement in the SWCNTs.