Liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) is a widely used and promising method for the production of 2D nanomaterials because it can be scaled up relatively easily. Nevertheless, the yields achieved by this process are still low, ranging between 2% and 5%, which makes the large-scale production of these materials difficult. In this report, we investigate the cause of these low yields by examining the sonication-assisted LPE of graphene, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS₂ NS). Our results show that the low yields are caused by an equilibrium that is formed between the exfoliated nanosheets and the flocculated ones during the sonication process. This study provides an understanding of this behaviour, which prevents further exfoliation of nanosheets. By avoiding this equilibrium, we were able to increase the total yields of graphene, BNNSs, and MoS₂ NS up to 14%, 44%, and 29%, respectively. Here, we demonstrate a modified LPE process that leads to the high-yield production of 2D nanomaterials.

Reactivity and side products of reactions of diorganodihydridostannanes (R₂SnH₂, R = Me, ⁿBu, ^tBu)) with various alkali metal compounds have been discussed. Alternatively, the synthesis and characterization of a family of novel potassium stannides are described as well. The compounds of type (RR’₂Si)R”₂SnK (R, R’= Me, Ph; R”= , Me, ^tBu, Ph) 4 - 9 were synthesized by reaction of potassium hydride with bis(silyl)stannides ((RR’2Si)2SnR”2). All compounds were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the tri-tert-butyltin compound 3 (LiSntBu₃) and the unsymmetrical silyl substituted stannane 10 were characterized by X-ray crystallography.

The optimization of the thermal treatment of cationic starch in the paper industry offers the opportunity to reduce the energy consumption of this process. Four different industrially relevant cationic starches, varying in source, cationization method and degree of substitution were treated by a steam-jet cooking procedure, comparable to industrially employed starch cooking processes. The influence of the starch properties and cooking parameters on the adsorption behavior of the starches on cellulosic pulp was investigated. The adsorbed amount was affected by the cooking temperature and the type of starch. For some starch grades, a cooking temperature of 115 °C can be employed to achieve sufficient starch retention on the pulp fibers. The energy consumption could further be reduced by cooking at higher starch concentrations without loss of adsorption efficiency.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT ABSTRACT A series of novel and previously published silicon dihydrides, R₂SiH₂ (R = benzyl, fluorenyl, p-tolyl, p-n-butyl, p-biphenyl, m-tolyl, o-tolyl, 2,4-xylyl, 2,6-xylyl, p-biphenyl, 1-naphthyl, 9-anthracenyl), were synthesized and characterized using ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. Effects of substituent bulk on ²⁹Si NMR shifts are compared between reported silicon dihydrides species and novel dihydrides herein. In addition, single crystal X-ray diffraction was employed to elucidate the molecular structure of all solid silicon dihydrides and the at room temperature liquid p-tolyl₂SiH₂. These compounds display non-covalent intermolecular interactions in the form of edge to face, π−π stacking, and CH₃···π interactions. The dependency of substituent type on the nature of interactions present will be highlighted and discussed.

Germanium is a promising basis for nanomaterials due to its low toxicity and valuable optical and electronic properties. However, germanium nanomaterials have seen little research compared to other group 14 elements due to unpredictable chemical behavior and high costs. Here, we report the dehydrocoupling of o‐tolylgermanium trihydride to amorphous nanoparticles. The reaction is facilitated through reflux at 162 °C and can be accelerated with an amine base catalyst. Through cleavage of both H₂ and toluene, new Ge−Ge bonds form. This results in nanoparticles consisting of crosslinked germanium with o‐tolyl termination. The particles are 2–6 nm in size and have masses above approximately 3500 Da. The organic substituents are promising for further functionalization. Combined with strong absorption up to 600 nm and moderate solubility and air stability, there are numerous possibilities for future applications.