Stability and activity of platinum nanoparticles in the oxygen electroreduction reaction: is size or uniformity of primary importance?

• Kirill O. Paperzh,
• Anastasia A. Alekseenko,
• Vadim A. Volochaev,
• Ilya V. Pankov,
• Olga A. Safronenko and
• Vladimir E. Guterman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 593–606, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.49

• distributions were also studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM images were obtained using a JEOL JEM F200 microscope (voltage 200 kV, current 12–15 μA, CFEG). To prepare a sample for measurements, 0.5 mg of the catalyst was placed into 1 mL of isopropanol and dispersed by ultrasound for 10

• were plotted to determine the size of at least 400 randomly selected particles in the TEM images in different regions of the sample. Electrochemical investigation Electrochemical measurements were performed in a three-electrode cell on a VersaSTAT3 potentiostat using a rotating disk electrode (RDE

• 2.6 nm (G30–G40). The difference in the sizes of nanoparticles (crystallites) determined from the results of X-ray diffractometry and TEM is typical for nanostructured Pt/C materials. It is due to several factors: some nanoparticles can consist of several crystallites, so they have a larger size [19

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• characterizations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) were conducted of NM-212 dispersed in DI water, sonicated for 10 min in a bath, and captured on 300 mesh lacey carbon copper grids dipped into the dispersion for

• synthesized nanoceria was determined using the ferric reduction ability of serum assay (FRAS) as described in [46]. The materials were tested in triplicate, at a concentration of 1 m2 ENM/mL serum. Results Physicochemical characterization of NM-212 TEM, conducted at a higher resolution than previously

• 10 of [35]). EDS showed co-localization of not only cerium and oxygen for both NM-212 (Figure 1) and the solvothermally synthesized nanoceria (Figure 2 of [35]), but also carbon, as previously reported [7], and sodium (Figure 1) were found. Calcined nanoceria physicochemical characterization TEM

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of water in aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles

• Paulina Filipczak,
• Krzysztof Hałagan,
• Jacek Ulański and
• Marcin Kozanecki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 497–506, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.40

• -resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was performed to estimate the size and identify the shape of the nanoparticles (see Figure 1). The nanoparticles in the AgNPs blue sample had a triangular prism shape with an estimated average size of 34 ± 14 nm, while in the AgNPs yellow sample, the

• molecules interacting directly with the surface of AgNPs was estimated based on the size and shape of AgNPs in the AgNPs blue sample, which was determined by TEM (Figure 1), and on the Ag concentration in the dispersion (17.96 µg/mL), which was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). It

• as the reference sample. The TEM images were obtained by using a Jeol ARM 200F high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The silver concentration in the AgNP dispersion was determined by FAAS using the GBC 932 plus instrument. The calibration was made using the silver standard solution

Boosting of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via chlorine doping of polymeric carbon nitride

• Malgorzata Aleksandrzak,
• Michalina Kijaczko,
• Wojciech Kukulka,
• Daria Baranowska,
• Martyna Baca,
• Beata Zielinska and
• Ewa Mijowska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 473–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.38

• the morphology of the prepared materials, presented in Figure 1, was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The images of pristine PCN demonstrate the layered structure with a tendency to fold and aggregate. They also show several stacking layers, indicating the planar graphitic-like

• using TEM (Tecnai F30) with an accelerating voltage of 200 kV. The FTIR spectra were recorded on a Nicolet 6700 FT-IR spectrometer. The chemical composition and relative atomic percentages on the surface of the samples were studied by XPS. The measurements were conducted using Mg Kα (hν = 1253.6 eV

• Ar as a carrier). Each catalyst was tested for 3 h. Every hour, 100 µL of gas was withdrawn from the reactor and injected into the gas chromatograph to measure the amount of H2 evolved. TEM images of PCN (a, b) and Cl-PCN (c, d). Scanning transmission electron microscopy image of Cl-PCN (e) and

Rapid controlled synthesis of gold–platinum nanorods with excellent photothermal properties under 808 nm excitation

• Jialin Wang,
• Qianqian Duan,
• Min Yang,
• Boye Zhang,
• Li Guo,
• Pengcui Li,
• Wendong Zhang and
• Shengbo Sang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 462–472, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.37

• Synthesis and characterization of the AuNRs The synthesis of AuNRs was carried out by a seedless-growth method with some modifications of reagent volume in the reaction solution. Figure 1a shows the morphology and size of as-prepared AuNRs characterized by TEM. According to the statistical data obtained

• from TEM images, the average length of the prepared particles is 26.8 ± 3.2 nm, the average width is 6.8 ± 1.1 nm, and the aspect ratio is close to 3.9 (all dimensions in this paper were calculated by counting 100 nanoparticles from TEM images). AuNRs with this aspect ratio showed a longitudinal LSPR

• Au@Pt-1, Au@Pt-2, Au@Pt-3, and Au@Pt-4) were redshifted to 796, 836, 868, and 870 nm, respectively, as shown in Figure 2a. The obvious change of absorption spectra reveals non-negligible differences in the morphology of the different Au@Pt NRs. This hypothesis was further confirmed by TEM

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• experimentally analyzed by UV–vis extinction spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The rate of photo-oxidation in spherical AgNPs was homogeneous and surprisingly inhomogeneous in the case of cubic AgNPs, which was attributed to the difference in morphology. The noticeable formation of small NPs

• (AgxO) around the spherical AgNPs after light exposure, observed in the TEM micrograph shown in Figure 4a, confirmed the quicker photo-oxidation process [52][58]. After 40 h of light irradiation, the level of oxidation in cubic AgNPs was about 30%, while it took only 9 h of light irradiation for the

• complete oxidation of spherical AgNPs, confirming that the oxidation process was much slower in the case of cubic AgNPs, as observed from the representative TEM micrographs depicted in Figure 4b. For a correct assessment, including all studies involving AgNPs at the chemical, pharmacological, biological

Solution combustion synthesis of a nanometer-scale Co₃O₄ anode material for Li-ion batteries

• Monika Michalska,
• Huajun Xu,
• Qingmin Shan,
• Shiqiang Zhang,
• Yohan Dall'Agnese,
• Yu Gao,
• Amrita Jain and
• Marcin Krajewski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 424–431, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.34

• is also important to mention that no impurities have been detected using XRD and RS. This confirms the successful formation of the Co3O4 material which, in addition, is highly pure and well crystalline. The morphology of the investigated cobalt oxide has been determined with SEM and TEM (Figure 2

• specific surface area of around 3 m2·g−1. Wen et al. [52] produced, through the SCS process, the porous Co3O4 nanoscale flakes with a specific surface area of 2.3 m2·g−1 and a pore volume of 0.02 cm3·g−1. Moreover, the TEM measurements indicate that the Co3O4 particles investigated in this work exhibit a

• , and a spot size of about 1 µm. Surface morphology and particle size of the synthesized cobalt oxide powder were observed using a Carl Zeiss CrossBeam Auriga scanning electron microscope (SEM) operated at 5 kV and a JEOL – JEM 1011 transmission electron microscope (TEM) operated at 80 kV. The specific

Spontaneous shape transition of Mn_xGe_1−x islands to long nanowires

• S. Javad Rezvani,
• Luc Favre,
• Gabriele Giuli,
• Yiming Wubulikasimu,
• Isabelle Berbezier,
• Augusto Marcelli,
• Luca Boarino and
• Nicola Pinto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 366–374, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.30

• , and Ge + Mn in the NW and in the buffer layer. In all panels the dashed lines highlight the NW region. Cross-section image of the NW along its length. (a) TEM image of a 1.15 μm long NW capped with a Pt layer. (b) HRTEM image along [110] zone axis. The dashed lines highlight the height of the NW of

Nickel nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide/WO₃ nanocomposite – a promising candidate for gas sensing

• Ilka Simon,
• Alexandr Savitsky,
• Rolf Mülhaupt,
• Vladimir Pankov and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 343–353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.28

• diffraction (P-XRD). The P-XRD pattern shows the reflexes for hexagonal nickel (Figure 1). TEM images show spherical nickel nanoparticles, which are supported on top of rGO (Figure 2). The particles have a size of 25 ± 5 nm. All nanoparticles are supported on rGO. The particle size of Ni@rGO increased in

• diluted 1:100. Transmission electron microscopy, TEM was performed with a FEI Tecnai G2 F20 electron microscope [68] operated at 200 kV accelerating voltage or FEI Titan 80-300 TEM operated at 300 kV accelerating voltage [69]. Conventional TEM images were recorded with a Gatan UltraScan 1000P detector

• . TEM samples were prepared by drop casting the with acetonitrile diluted material on 200 µm carbon-coated copper grids, followed by washing the grid several times with acetonitrile to remove the excess ionic liquid. The size distribution was determined manually or with the aid of the Gatan Digital

Exploring the fabrication and transfer mechanism of metallic nanostructures on carbon nanomembranes via focused electron beam induced processing

• Christian Preischl,
• Linh Hoang Le,
• Elif Bilgilisoy,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Hubertus Marbach

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 319–329, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.26

• hybrid structure can be lifted off from the substrate and transferred onto bulk substrates, such as SiO2, or onto TEM grids in order to obtain a free-standing CNM with a metallic nanostructure on top. It was shown that the membrane is mechanically stable enough during the whole process and that the

The patterning toolbox FIB-o-mat: Exploiting the full potential of focused helium ions for nanofabrication

• Victor Deinhart,
• Lisa-Marie Kern,
• Jan N. Kirchhof,
• Sabrina Juergensen,
• Joris Sturm,
• Enno Krauss,
• Thorsten Feichtner,
• Sviatoslav Kovalchuk,
• Michael Schneider,
• Dieter Engel,
• Bastian Pfau,
• Bert Hecht,
• Kirill I. Bolotin,
• Stephanie Reich and
• Katja Höflich

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 304–318, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.25

• ubiquitous in ion beam machining with well-established applications in material characterization, for example, TEM lamella fabrication, cross sections or tomographies [19][20], or in the fabrication of prototype nanostructures, such as plasmonic antennas [2]. In contrast, appropriate fields of application

Doxorubicin-loaded gold nanorods: a multifunctional chemo-photothermal nanoplatform for cancer management

• Uzma Azeem Awan,
• Abida Raza,
• Shaukat Ali,
• Rida Fatima Saeed and
• Nosheen Akhtar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 295–303, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.24

• -dispersion. A CTAB bilayer remained non-covalently bound onto the GNRs surface to maintain the stability of the final product. The longitudinal localized plasmon resonance (LSPR) and the transverse plasmon resonance (TSPR) of the prepared GNRs were found to be 780 and 526 nm, respectively. TEM images display

• . After that, cells were illuminated with a 808 nm NIR laser (power density = 1.5 W/cm2 for 2 min) with a beam spot of 6 mm in diameter and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. The MTT assay was performed to measure cell inhibition. (a) TEM image of monodispersed GNRs. (b) Histogram showing the aspect ratio of

Characterization, bio-uptake and toxicity of polymer-coated silver nanoparticles and their interaction with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

• Sahar Pourhoseini,
• Reilly T. Enos,
• Angela E. Murphy,
• Bo Cai and
• Jamie R. Lead

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 282–294, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.23

• pristine AgNPs, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). DLS gave a Z-average hydrodynamic size of 33.7 ± 0.7 nm (mean ± standard deviation) and a PDI (polydispersity index) of

• -AgNPs). UV–vis spectra exhibited a characteristic absorption peak at 390 nm for Ag (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1b). TEM imaging of the AgNP stock indicated a mean core size of 16.9 ± 0.3 nm and confirmed a spherical shape of NPs (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1c and Figure S1d

• hydration shell around NPs and should be the same as, or larger than, the core size of NPs measured by TEM. Characterization values for pristine PVP-AgNPs can be found in Table 1. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images of 1000 µg·L−1 PVP-AgNPs in RPMI medium at the beginning of the

Scanning transmission helium ion microscopy on carbon nanomembranes

• Daniel Emmrich,
• Annalena Wolff,
• Nikolaus Meyerbröker,
• Jörg K. N. Lindner,
• André Beyer and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 222–231, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.18

• samples. These membranes are made from aromatic molecules, typically from self-assembled monolayers. Upon electron irradiation, cross-linking of the molecules is induced. A mechanically stable membrane is formed, which can be transferred onto any other substrate, such as TEM grids [22][23]. Since CNMs

• contribution that is overlaying the STIM signal in later experiments, a CNM with a thickness of about 2 nm was imaged (Figure 2). This amorphous and insulating membrane is placed on a conductive Quantifoil TEM support grid. The sample was first imaged in a configuration that excludes all transmitted ions from

• thickness decreased with increasing measurement time. In an extreme test scenario, the same area on the thick CNM was irradiated in TEM for 60 min while the thickness was monitored by EFTEM imaging (Figure 7a). The thickness decreases by 35% over 60 min. It should be noted, however, that one hour is very

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy

• Natalie Frese,
• Patrick Schmerer,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Matthias Schürmann,
• Matthias König,
• Michael Westphal,
• Friedemann Weber,
• Holger Sudhoff and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 172–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.13

• , while many more cell lines have been reported to be refractory to SARS-CoV-2 infection [15]. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to image SARS-CoV-2 [16][17][18][19][20]. While TEM achieves unsurpassed resolution and can visualize

• ), these junctions can also be observed (arrowheads). We assume that this resembles the tubulating cell membrane, which is stabilized by BST-2 to prevent viral scission. This alternative BST-2 interaction was already described for HIV-infected cells via immuno-TEM [42] but has not yet been observed for

• are bound to the cell membrane or/and have a coalesced appearance. It is known that the spike glycoproteins can be visualized by TEM. As the HIM images depicted the virus particles without conductive coating, it is an interesting question, whether or not the spike glycoproteins could, in principle, be

Mapping the local dielectric constant of a biological nanostructured system

• Wescley Walison Valeriano,
• Rodrigo Ribeiro Andrade,
• Juan Pablo Vasco,
• Angelo Malachias,
• Bernardo Ruegger Almeida Neves,
• Paulo Sergio Soares Guimarães and
• Wagner Nunes Rodrigues

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 139–150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.11

• Stavenga [7] and Stavenga et al. [8], except that in those works the spatial profile of the refractive index was taken to be proportional to the gray scale in TEM images. That is, it was assumed that the optical density is directly proportional to the electronic density. We consider our method to be more

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

The role of gold atom concentration in the formation of Cu–Au nanoparticles from the gas phase

• Yuri Ya. Gafner,
• Svetlana L. Gafner,
• Darya A. Ryzkova and
• Andrey V. Nomoev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 72–81, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.6

• spectroscopy (TEM-EDS). Based on the analysis of the spectra, the average of Cu content was 20 ± 1 atom % in the sample with the target composition of Au3Cu and 73 ± 3 atom % in the sample with the target composition of Cu3Au. Also, a MD modeling based on bond-order potential simulated the synthesis of SiC2

ZnO and MXenes as electrode materials for supercapacitor devices

• Ameen Uddin Ammar,
• Ipek Deniz Yildirim,
• Feray Bakan and
• Emre Erdem

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 49–57, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.4

• tantalum carbide MXene sheets was carried out using X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The results of XRD, FE-SEM, and Raman showed that tantalum carbide MXenes are layered solid

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• SEMs (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM). On the other hand, HIM is less demanding in terms of sample preparation compared to both SEM and TEM. In particular, the advantage of HIM is that opaque and non-conductive specimens, which possess a relatively strong topography, can be imaged

• attachment of bacterial parasites to the outer membranes of bacteria at high resolution in, at least compared to TEM, a relatively natural state makes HIM a very powerful tool for the investigation of living antibiotics. The work on the life cycle of the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus by Said

• range of applications to thin sections, similar to the transmission option in SEMs. In combination with the well-established heavy-metal staining techniques used in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), this would allow for ultrastructural research comparable to standard TEM. SRIM [57] simulations

Free and partially encapsulated manganese ferrite nanoparticles in multiwall carbon nanotubes

• Saja Al-Khabouri,
• Salim Al-Harthi,
• Toru Maekawa,
• Mohamed E. Elzain,
• Ashraf Al-Hinai,
• Ahmed D. Al-Rawas,
• Abbsher M. Gismelseed,
• Ali A. Yousif and
• Myo Tay Zar Myint

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1891–1904, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.170

• ) bright-field and dark-field images were acquired at 80 kV. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles and MnFe2O4/MWCNTs samples were dispersed in absolute ethanol and sonicated for 15 min to obtain a homogenous dispersion. Then, the supernatant was micropipetted onto a TEM grid and dried at room temperature (approx. 300 K

• the cubic spinel structure of free MnFe2O4 nanoparticles with a crystallite size of 12 ± 1 nm. The lattice parameter was found to be 0.8488 nm, which is in good agreement with the reported value of 0.8499 nm for bulk MnFe2O4 [14]. A careful analysis of the TEM images indicated that MnFe2O4

• ) Rietveld refined pattern of XRD for free MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. (b) TEM image of free MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. (c) HRTEM image of free MnFe2O4 nanoparticles showing a lattice spacing of the (311) planes. (d) Line profile shown in (c). (e) UPS spectrum of free MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The circle indicates the

Towards 3D self-assembled rolled multiwall carbon nanotube structures by spontaneous peel off

• Jonathan Quinson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1865–1872, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.168

• ., within the MWCNT). This scenario is supported by EDS and TEM data (Figure 4). Nanoparticles with higher atomic weight ratio appear as white features in SEM micrographs and as dark features in TEM micrographs. SEM characterization of vertically aligned MWCNTs, together with Raman spectra acquired on the

• same cross section, unambiguously assign a given morphology to a given structure in a confirmed root-growth mechanism, since the sample can be kept on a substrate [16]. TEM characterization is more challenging since the information regarding the relative position of the different sections is lost

• of iron catalyst particles. (a–d) TEM characterization of a N1/C2 interface marked by the presence of metal (iron) nanoparticles before and after a clear change in the typical structure of N (larger inner diameter and corrugated structure) and C (smaller inner diameter) sections. Panels (a,d) were

Scanning transmission imaging in the helium ion microscope using a microchannel plate with a delay line detector

• Eduardo Serralta,
• Nico Klingner,
• Olivier De Castro,
• Michael Mousley,
• Santhana Eswara,
• Serge Duarte Pinto,
• Tom Wirtz and
• Gregor Hlawacek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1854–1864, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.167

• transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid coated with evaporated thallium chloride (available on https://scienceservices.de/ with product code: Sku:E80045) was also analyzed using STIM. This sample has several small crystallites randomly oriented and it is used as a diffraction standard for TEM. Here, we

• . The pixel dwell time used in the STIM data acquisition was 200 μs. Thallium chloride evaporated on a TEM grid. (a) Secondary electron image. Inset of (a) shows the regions of the detector used to generate the following STIM images. (b) BF STIM image with acceptance angle of 0 to 4°. (c) DF STIM using

Piezotronic effect in AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterojunction nanowires used as a flexible strain sensor

• Jianqi Dong,
• Liang Chen,
• Yuqing Yang and
• Xingfu Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1847–1853, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.166

• (ZEISS Ultra 55), and a TEM (JEM-2100HR, JEM-1400 PLUS). The I–V characteristic curves were measured using a source table including a SR570 low-noise current preamplifier and a DS345 function generator. (a) Schematic diagram of the epitaxial structure. (b) STEM image taken of the AlGaN/AlN/GaN

Unravelling the interfacial interaction in mesoporous SiO₂@nickel phyllosilicate/TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for photocatalytic activity

• Bridget K. Mutuma,
• Xiluva Mathebula,
• Isaac Nongwe,
• Bonakele P. Mtolo,
• Boitumelo J. Matsoso,
• Rudolph Erasmus,
• Zikhona Tetana and
• Neil J. Coville

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1834–1846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.165

• @NiPS/TiO2) core–shell nanostructures. The TEM results showed that the mSiO2@NiPS composite has a core–shell nanostructure with a unique flake-like shell morphology. XPS analysis revealed the successful formation of 1:1 nickel phyllosilicate on the SiO2 surface. The addition of TiO2 to the mSiO2@NiPS

• . Therefore, in this study we report on the growth of mesoporous SiO2@NiPS and titania-coated mSiO2@NiPS (mSiO2@NiPS/TiO2) core–shell nanostructures using a simple deposition-precipitation method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 physisorption analysis, diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopy

• nanostructures (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1a,b). The mSiO2@NiPS/TiO2 composite comprises spherical mSiO2@NiPS with aggregates of TiO2 on the surface (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1c). The TEM images of the mesoporous SiO2 spheres show more clearly that the sample comprises an inner solid