One-step wet chemistry for preparation of magnetite nanorods

A magnetite with high aspect ratio has been synthesized by a wet chemical process. A surfactant, polyethylene glycol, was used as the template, and a ferrous ammonia sulphate was used as iron source. In the one-step synthesis, a suitable ratio between the rates of deposition and oxidation of ferrous ions was achieved by adjusting the diffusion of ammonia and resulted in the iron oxide deposited with nanorod morphology. According to X-ray powder diffraction analysis, these nanorods crystallize in structure of magnetite phase. Transition electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction investigations have revealed that nanorods are single crystal and up to 2000 nm long and their diameters generally range from 20 to 100 nm. The measurement by vibration sample magnetization shows the magnetization of the as-synthesized nanorods is higher than 50 emu/g. The presented one-step synthesis approach provides an advantageous access to large quantity of this important anisotropic nanomaterial.     

Flame synthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals

Distinctive zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals were synthesized on the surface of Zn probes using a counter-flow flame medium formed by methane/acetylene and oxygen-enriched air streams. The source material, a zinc wire with a purity of ～99.99% and diameter of 1 mm, was introduced through a sleeve into the oxygen rich region of the flame. The position of the probe/sleeve was varied within the flame medium resulting in growth variation of ZnO nanocrystals on the surface of the probe. The shape and structural parameters of the grown crystals strongly depend on the flame position. Structural variations of the synthesized crystals include single-crystalline ZnO nanorods and microprisms (ZMPs) (the ZMPs have less than a few micrometers in length and several hundred nanometers in cross section) with a large number of facets and complex axial symmetry with a nanorod protruding from their tips. The protruding rods are less than 100 nm in diameter and lengths are less than 1 μm. The protruding nanorods can be elongated several times by increasing the residence time of the probe/sleeve inside the oxygen-rich flame or by varying the flame position. At different flame heights, nanorods having higher length-to-diameter aspect-ratio can be synthesized. A lattice spacing of ～0.26 nm was measured for the synthesized nanorods, which can be closely correlated with the (0 0 2) interplanar spacing of hexagonal ZnO (Wurtzite) cells. The synthesized nanostructures were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM (HR-TEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED). The growth mechanism of the ZnO nanostructures is discussed.     

Forced‐ and Self‐Rotation of Magnetic Nanorods Assembly at the Cell Membrane: A Biomagnetic Torsion Pendulum

In order to provide insight into how anisotropic nano‐objects interact with living cell membranes, and possibly self‐assemble, magnetic nanorods with an average size of around 100 nm × 1 µm are designed by assembling iron oxide nanocubes within a polymeric matrix under a magnetic field. The nano–bio interface at the cell membrane under the influence of a rotating magnetic field is then explored. A complex structuration of the nanorods intertwined with the membranes is observed. Unexpectedly, after a magnetic rotating stimulation, the resulting macrorods are able to rotate freely for multiple rotations, revealing the creation of a biomagnetic torsion pendulum.     

Vapor phase synthesis of aligned ZnO nanorod arrays from elements

A vapor phase process is described for the synthesis of one-dimensional zinc oxide nanocrystal arrays. Using this process, well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays are grown on (100) Si substrates with no catalyst. Cathodoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy results demonstrate that the nanorods are characterized by high purity, stoichiometric composition, and perfect crystal structure.     

Ordered arrays of <100>-oriented silicon nanorods by CMOS-compatible block copolymer lithography

Dense, ordered arrays of <100>-oriented Si nanorods with uniform aspect ratios up to 5:1 and a uniform diameter of 15 nm were fabricated by block copolymer lithography based on the inverse of the traditional cylindrical hole strategy and reactive ion etching. The reported approach combines control over diameter, orientation, and position of the nanorods and compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology because no nonvolatile metals generating deep levels in silicon, such as gold or iron, are involved. The Si nanorod arrays exhibit the same degree of order as the block copolymer templates.     

Modulation of field emission properties of znO nanorods during arc discharge

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have been synthesized via the arc discharge method. Different oxygen partial pressures were applied in the arc discharge chamber to modulate the field emission properties of the as-synthesized ZnO nanorods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out to analyze the morphology of the ZnO nanorods. The ion beam analysis technique of proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) was performed to probe the impurities in ZnO nanorods. SEM images clearly revealed the formation of randomly oriented ZnO nanorods with diameters between 10-50 nm. It was found that the morphology and the electrical properties of the ZnO nanorods were dependent on the oxygen partial pressure during arc discharge. In addition enhanced UV-sensitive photoconductivity was found for ZnO nanorods synthesized at high oxygen partial pressure during arc discharge. The field emission properties of the nanorods were studied. The turn-on field, which is defined at a current density of 10 microA cm(-2), was about 3 V microm(-1) for ZnO nanorods synthesized at 99% oxygen partial pressure during arc discharge. The turn-on field for ZnO nanorods increased with the decrease of oxygen partial pressure during arc discharge. The simplicity of the synthesis route coupled with the modulation of field emission properties due to the arc discharge method make the ZnO nanorods a promising candidate for a low cost and compact cold cathode material.     

Characterization of individual barium titanate nanorods and their assessment as building blocks of new circuit architectures

In this work, we report on the integration of individual BaTiO(3) nanorods into simple circuit architectures. Polycrystalline BaTiO(3) nanorods were synthesized by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of barium titanate sol into aluminium oxide (AAO) templates and subsequent annealing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed the presence of slabs of hexagonal polymorphs intergrown within cubic grains, resulting from the local reducing atmosphere during the thermal treatment. Electrical measurements performed on individual BaTiO(3) nanorods revealed resistivity values between 10 and 100 Ω cm, which is in good agreement with typical values reported in the past for oxygen-deficient barium titanate films. Consequently the presence of oxygen vacancies in their structure was indirectly validated. Some of these nanorods were tested as proof-of-concept humidity sensors. They showed reproducible responses towards different moisture concentrations, demonstrating that individual BaTiO(3) nanorods may be integrated in complex circuit architectures with functional capacities.     

Aqueous chemical growth of alpha-Fe2O3-alpha-Cr2O3 nanocomposite thin films

We are reporting here on the inexpensive fabrication and optical properties of an iron(III) oxide-chromium(III) oxide nanocomposite thin film of corundum crystal structure. Its novel and unique-designed architecture consists of uniformed, well-defined and oriented nanorods of Hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) of 50 nm in diameter and 500 nm in length and homogeneously distributed nonaggregated monodisperse spherical nanoparticles of Eskolaite (alpha-Cr2O3) of 250 nm in diameter. This alpha-Fe2O3-alpha-Cr2O3 nanocomposite thin film is obtained by growing, directly onto transparent polycrystalline conducting substrate, an oriented layer of hematite nanorods and growing subsequently, the eskolaite layer. The synthesis is carried out by a template-free, low-temperature, multilayer thin film coating process using aqueous solution of metal salts as precursors. Almost 100% of the light is absorbed by the composite film between 300 and 525 nm and 40% at 800 nm which yields great expectations as photoanode materials for photovoltaic cells and photocatalytic devices.     

New Templated Ostwald Ripening Process of Mesostructured FeOOH for Third‐Harmonic Generation Bioimaging

Emerging advances in iron oxide nanoparticles exploit their high magnetization for various applications, such as bioseparation, hyperthermia, and magnetic resonance imaging. In contrast to their excellent magnetic performance, the harmonic generation and luminescence properties of iron oxide nanoparticles have not been thoroughly explored, thus limiting their development as a tool in photomedicine. In this work, a seed/growth‐inspired synthesis is developed combined with primary mineralization and a ligand‐assisted secondary growth strategy to prepare mesostructured α‐FeOOH nanorods (NRs). The sub‐wavelength heterogeneity of the refractive index leads to enhanced third‐harmonic generation (THG) signals under near‐infrared excited wavelengths at 1230 nm. The as‐prepared NRs exhibit an 11‐fold stronger THG intensity compared to bare α‐FeOOH NRs. Using these unique nonlinear optical properties, it is demonstrated that mesostructured α‐FeOOH NRs can serve as biocompatible and nonbleaching contrast agents in THG microscopy for long‐term labeling of cells as well as in angiography in vivo by modifying lectin to enhance the binding efficiency to the glycocalyx layers on the wall of blood vessels. These results provide a new insight into Fe‐based nanoplatforms capable of emitting coherent light as molecular probes in optical microscopy, thus establishing a complementary microscopic imaging method for macroscopic magnetic imaging systems.     

Spinel LiMn2O4 nanorods as lithium ion battery cathodes

Spinel LiMn2O4 is a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and highly abundant material for Li-ion battery cathodes. Here, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of single-crystalline beta-MnO2 nanorods and their chemical conversion into free-standing single-crystalline LiMn2O4 nanorods using a simple solid-state reaction. The LiMn2O4 nanorods have an average diameter of 130 nm and length of 1.2 microm. Galvanostatic battery testing showed that LiMn2O4 nanorods have a high charge storage capacity at high power rates compared with commercially available powders. More than 85% of the initial charge storage capacity was maintained for over 100 cycles. The structural transformation studies showed that the Li ions intercalated into the cubic phase of the LiMn2O4 with a small change of lattice parameter, followed by the coexistence of two nearly identical cubic phases in the potential range of 3.5 to 4.3 V.     

从无序到有序ZnO纳米棒的制备

采用3种不同的方法在氧化铟锡玻璃衬底上沉积一层ZnO纳米晶薄膜,然后采用改进的水热法在制备有ZnO纳米晶薄膜的衬底上生长ZnO纳米棒,实现了纳米棒从无序到有序的生长.从XRD和SEM图可得,有序的纳米棒沿(002)择优取向,基本与衬底垂直,平均直径约为40nm.     

Synthesis of neodymium hydroxide nanotubes and nanorods by soft chemical process

A facile soft chemical approach using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as template is successfully designed for synthesis of neodymium hydroxide nanotubes. These nanotubes have an average outer diameter around 20 nm, inner diameter around 2 nm, and length ranging from 100 to 120 nm, high BET surface area of 495.71 m(2) g(-1). We also find that neodymium hydroxide nanorods would be obtained when CTAB absented in reaction system. The Nd(OH)3 nanorods might act as precursors that are converted into Nd2O3 nanorods through dehydration at 550 degrees C. The nanorods could exhibit upconversion emission characteristic under excitation of 591 nm at room temperature.     

Effect of Oxide Assisted Metal Nanoparticles on Microstructure and Morphology of Gallium oxide Nanowires

Several researches have been reported about the characteristic of β-Ga2O3 nanowires which was synthesized on nickel oxide particle. But indeed, recent researches about synthesis of β-Ga2O3 nanowires on oxide-assisted transition metal are limited to nickel or cobalt oxide catalyst. In this work, Gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3 ) nanowires were synthesized by a simple thermal evaporation method from gallium powder in the range of 700 - 1000℃ using the iron, nickel, copper, cobalt and zinc oxide as a catalyst, respectively. The β-Ga2O3 nanowires with single crystalline without defects were successfully synthesized at the reaction temperature of 850, 900 and 950℃ in all the catalysts. But optimum experimental condition in synthesis of nanowires varied with the kind of catalyst. As increasing synthesis temperature,the morphology of gallium oxide nanowires changed from nanowires to nanorods, and its diameter increased. From these results, we could be proposed that the growth mechanism of β-Ga2O3 nanowires was changed with synthesis temperature of nanowires. Microstructure and morphology of Synthesized nanowire was characterized by HR-TEM, FE-SEM, EDX and XRD.     

Structural and optical properties of hydrothermally grown zinc oxide nanorods on polyethersulfone substrates as a function of the growth temperature and duration

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were grown on polyethersulfone substrates with a seed layer by hydrothermal synthesis. The effects of the growth temperature and duration on the structural and optical properties of the ZnO nanorods were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope and photoluminescence measurements. Improvement of the structural properties was confirmed when the ZnO nanorods were grown at a moderate thermal energy. Thermal energies that were too high or too low resulted in structural degradation: low thermal energies did not provide enough energy for the ZnO growth, and high thermal energies contributed to improper growth by creating an uncommon flake-like structure. Photoluminescence measurements showed that the near-band-edge emission to deep-level emission peak ratio increases with increasing growth temperature at growth duration of 5 h.     

Nanorods of iron oxalate synthesized using reverse micelles: facile route for alpha-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Uniform and smooth nanorods of iron oxalate dihydrate have been synthesized using the reverse micellar route in the presence of the cationic surfactant CTAB (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide). These rods have an average diameter of 70 nm and length of 470 nm and show an antiferromagnetic ordering at 27 K. The oxalate rods act as suitable precursor for obtaining a variety of iron oxide nanoparticles depending on the nature of the atmosphere in which decomposition is performed. Spherical alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (approximately 50 nm) were obtained when the nanorods were decomposed in air (500 degrees C) and show a transition from a weakly-ferromagnetic to weakly anti-ferromagnetic behaviour at approximately 225 K which is reminiscent of a Morin-like transition. Cuboidal Fe3O4 nanoparticles (approximately 60-70 nm) were obtained by the decomposition at 500 degrees C in vacuum (approximately 10(-5) torr) and show a Verwey transition at 122 K.     

Formation of nanoparticles in flames; measurement by particle mass spectrometry and numerical simulation

The size distributions of nanoparticles in flames are measured using a novel particle mass spectrometer (PMS), which is developed for the size range between 0.3 and 50?nm and for number concentrations between 10(9) and 10(13). Using this instrument the particles are sampled without prior dilution from the flame into a molecular beam. The charged nanoparticles are then deflected by an electric field, to determine the mass according to the time-of-flight principle. The PMS is installed in a low pressure combustion chamber operated at 30?mbar. Measurements are made on primary soot particles and iron oxide particles in a laminar, premixed acetylene/oxygen flame. The soot particles increase in size as a function of the height above the burner and the C/O ratio from 2 up to 10?nm. Iron oxide particles of 3-5?nm are detected as a function of burner height. The soot particles form more rapidly than the iron oxide particles. A model calculation for the formation of silica and iron oxide in hydrogen/oxygen flames is developed, based on previously published reaction mechanisms. On adding a mono-disperse particle coagulation scheme, the time history of the particle number concentration and the particle size is calculated. In agreement with experimental data, the calculations show that iron oxide particles are formed more slowly than silica particles.     

Templated growth of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by temperature programming in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol)

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanostructures with different morphologies including uniform nanoparticles, magnetic beads and nanorods were synthesized via a co-precipitation method. The synthesis process was performed at various temperatures in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at different concentrations. It is shown that small amounts of PVA act as a template in hot water (70 °C), leading to the oriented growth of Fe₃O₄ nanorods, which was confirmed by selected area electron diffraction. Individually coated magnetite nanoparticles and magnetic beads were formed at a relatively lower temperature of 30 °C in the folded polymer molecules due to the thermo-physical properties of PVA. When a moderate temperature (i.e. 50 °C) was used, nanorods and nanobeads co-existed. At higher concentrations of PVA (polymer/iron mass ratio of 5), however, the formation of magnetic beads was favored. The nanorods were shown to be unstable upon exposure to electron beams. Freezing/thawing process was applied post synthesis as temperature programming to fabricate stable nanorods with rigid walls.     

Application of reaction synthesis principles to thermal spray coatings

Reaction synthesis principles have been extended to plasma spraying to obtain coatings consisting of mixed oxide phases and iron aluminides. Elemental powders of iron and aluminium were fed through a d.c. plasma torch to deposit intermetallic coatings on carbon steel substrates. Carbon steel substrates were also pre-heated with a plasma flame to create an iron oxide surface on the substrate such that an exothermic thermite reaction takes place when molten splats of aluminium impinge the pre-heated substrate at sub- or supersonic velocities. A thermite reaction between iron oxide and aluminium allowed the formation of alumina, FeAl2O4, iron, and iron aluminide phases. The presence of FeAl2O4 and Al2O3 increased the surface hardnesses of the coating, and the hardnesses of the coatings are significantly higher than the hardnesses of steel substrate, and aluminium particles. X-ray analysis of the coatings, microstructural observations, and microhardness measurements suggest that plasma spraying conditions can be tailored to obtain coatings with high hardness values with in situ synthesized reinforcements (spinel and alumina) or iron aluminide phases. Aluminium-rich phases were observed in the as-deposited coatings when a mixture of aluminium and iron or aluminium and nickel were fed through the plasma gun in ratios equivalent to Fe3Al, FeAl, Ni3Al, and NiAl. In some cases, annealing allowed the formation of iron-rich or nickel-rich aluminide phases. High solidification rates of molten splats allowed very limited diffusional reactions between the splats of aluminium and iron, or aluminium and nickel because the available diffusional time for exothermic interfacial reactions is limited to a fraction of a second at best. Oxidation of part of the aluminium led to the formation of alumina in the as-deposited coatings, and therefore, a vacuum plasma spraying technique is desirable to obtain intermetallic phases. The results suggest that reactive spraying will allow deposition of coatings by utilizing the heats of reaction between the constituents, and reactive spraying will broaden the engineering applications of reaction synthesis techniques.     

Room temperature synthesis of rod-like FeC(2)O(4)·2H(2)O and its transition to maghemite, magnetite and hematite nanorods through controlled thermal decomposition

FeC(2)O(4)·2H(2)O nanorods with diameter of about 50?nm and length of up to several micrometers were synthesized at room temperature in a surfactant-assisted system, which was obtained by dissolving bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) in a mixed solution composed of water and ethylene glycol (EG). The influence of reaction conditions on the morphology of FeC(2)O(4)·2H(2)O is discussed in detail. Through direct thermal decomposition of FeC(2)O(4)·2H(2)O under different calcination conditions, maghemite (γ-Fe(2)O(3)), magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) and hematite (α-Fe(2)O(3)) can be selectively obtained, preserving the rod-like morphology. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) characterizations showed that the as-obtained iron oxide nanorods were composed of fine particles with different crystal orientations. The magnetic properties of the as-obtained iron oxide nanorods were systematically investigated.     

Fast synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles and nanorods

The microwave-hydrothermal method has been investigated for the fast synthesis of rare earth cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles and nanorods. This approach combines the advantages of both hydrothermal and microwave heating techniques. It is facile, rapid, energy-saving, and environmentally-benign and leads to high-yields. The average sizes of the obtained CeO2 nanoparticles could be adjusted from approximatrly 1.6 nm to approximately 20 nm. Moreover, by changing cerium source and adjusting the amount of the added ammonia water, CeO2 nanorods could be synthesized under microwave-assisted conditions for the first time. No calcination process or surfactant is required in our experiments for both CeO2 nanoparticles and nanorods. The ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) spectra show the obvious size-dependence of the position of the absorbance peak. The Brunaur Emmett Teller (BET) nitrogen adsorption indicates that these nanoparticles and nanorods have high specific surface areas, which are needed for potential applications in many fields. Compared with conventional hydrothermal method, microwave-assisted hydrothermal method shows its advantages of rapidity, convenience and perhaps cost-effectiveness and could be extended to the synthesis of other nanoparticles and nanorods.