Preparation and Characterization of Fe_3O_4 Magnetic Nano-particles by ~(60)Co Υ-ray Irradiation

By using a new method, 60CoΥ-ray irradiation, Fe3O4 magnetic nano-particles were successfully synthesized at room temperature under ambient pressure. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of these nano-particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. The radiation formation mechanism was also discussed. The results show that the absorbed dose can greatly influence the structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the products. XRD and TEM studies show that the product prepared byΥ-ray irradiation (10 kGy) is pure Fe3O4 phase and the mean diameter of these nano-particles is about 21 nm. The Fe3O4 nano-particles synthesized byΥ-ray irradiation (10 kGy) are mainly in small cubic shape and the size uniformity of these particles is good.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Nickel Nanorods Transferred from Hydrotherally Decomposed Rod-like NiS

Powders of hexagonal-structured single-crystalline nickel sulfide nanorods have been synthesized in cetyltrimethy ammonium bromide （CTAB）/water/hexane/n-pentanol quaternary microemulsion under hydrothermal conditions by using the reaction of carbamide and carbon disulfide as a sulfide source. Single-crystalline nickel nanorods have been synthesized via thermal decomposition by using single-crystalline nickel sulfide nanorods as precursor. The influence of different reaction parameters on the morphology of the products has been investigated. The structure, morphology and magnetic properties of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, calorimeter （TGA-DSC） and vibrating sample magnetometer showed that the specific saturation magnetization （σs） and 37.5 emu/g and 68.50e, respectively. thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning （VSM）. The results of coercivity values （Hc） magnetic measurements of nickel nanorods were     

Solvothermal Synthesis of Boehmite and γ-Alumina Nanorods

Boehmite nanorods were synthesized by a solvothermal method using AICl3·6H2O in mixed solvents of water and aniline. The solvothermal time, heating temperature and the concentration of aniline have effects on the morphology of boehmite. γ-alumina nanorods were prepared by a simple thermal transformation of boehmite nanorods. A rational mechanism based on the oriented attachment is proposed for the formation of boehmite nanorods. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Photoluminescence （PL） spectrum of the boehmite nanorods was also investigated.     

Influences of Reaction Parameters and Ce Contents on Structure and Properties of Nano-scale Ce-HA Powders

Ce-incorporated apatite（Ce-HA） nano-scale particles with different Ce percentage contents（atomic ratio of Ce to Ce ＋ Ca is 5%,10%and 20%,respectively） were synthesized via a simple wet chemical method in this study.The crystal structure,chemical groups,thermal stability,crystal morphologies and crystal sizes of the Ce-HA nano-particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）,and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.The influences of reaction temperature,reaction time,pH value,and the atomic ratio of Ce to Ce ＋ Ca on the structure and performance of Ce-HA particles were studied.The results show that the lattice constants,particle sizes,crystallinity and thermal stability of Ce-HA vary with the doped Ce contents.With the increase of Ce content,the lattice constants of the Ce-HA nano-particles remarkably increase but the particle size,crystallinity and thermal stability gradually decrease.The reaction temperature as well as the reaction time has no significant effect on the properties of the final products,while the pH value has a direct relationship with their final chemical composition.The obtained Ce-HA nanosize particles possess potential application in preparing artificial bone implants,bone tissue engineering scaffold and other bioactive coatings.     

Single Crystal Fe Nanowire Arrays Encapsulated by SiO2 Nanotubes

Aligned silicon dioxide nanotubes with diameter of 60-70 nm were synthesized inside the nanoholes of an anodic AI membrane (AAM) template by pressure impregnating the AAM pores with the SiO_2 sol. The Si0_2 nanotubes with different wall thickness were produced by repeating the process. Using the second-order template of porous AAM with silicon dioxide nanotubes, it was fabricated the nanostructure of Fe nanowires encapsulated by SiO_2 nanotubes by electrochemical deposition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations show that the nanotubes and nanocables are compact, continuous and uniform. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern shows the Fe nanowire is a single crystal. The magnetic properties of these samples were checked by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The coercivities of the samples are greatly improved compared to the corresponding bulk materials.     

Polycarbonate/Polypropylene/Fibrillar Silicate Ternary Nanocomposites： Morphology and Mechanical Properties

Polycarbonate （pc）/polypropylene （pp）/silicate attapulgite （AT） ternary nanocomposites were first prepared via the two-step melt blending process. Phase structure of the ternary composites was characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and dynamic mechanical analysis （DMA）, in which the morphology of encapsulation of AT by PP in the PC matrix were observed. The mechanical properties of the ternary composites were investigated using the tensile tester and Izod impact tester. The results show that encapsulation of AT by PP in PC enhances the toughness of the matrix effectively and give the best tensile and impact strength.     

Antibacterial Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles against E. Coli ATCC-15224

Silver nanoparticles of mean size 16 nm were synthesized by inert gas condensation （IGC） method. Crystalline structure, morphology and nanoparticles size estimation were conducted by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Antibacterial activity of these silver nanoparticles as a function of particles concentration against gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli （E. coli） was carried out in liquid as well as solid growth media. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and TEM studies showed that silver nanoparticles after interaction with E.coli have adhered to and penetrated into the bacterial cells. Antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles are attributed to their total surface area, as a larger surface to volume ratio of nanoparticles provides more efficient means for enhanced antibacterial activity.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Electromagnetic Studies on Nanocrystalline Nickel Zinc Ferrite by Polyacrylamide Gel

Nanocrystalline nickel zinc ferrite powders （Ni=Zn1-xFe2O4, A for x=0, B for x=0.2, C for x=0.5, D for x= 0.8 and E for x= 1） were synthesized by polyacrylamide gel method. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and wave-guide were used to characterize the composition. The XRD results show that the dried gel powders are amorphous, and the characteristic peaks of the spinel Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 appear after the gel is calcined at 400℃ for 1 h. When the calcining temperatures are 600 and 800℃, the average grain sizes are identified by TEM to be 10 and 30 nm, respectively. The NixZn1-xFe2O4 powders have both dielectric loss and magnetic loss in the frequency range of 8.2-11.0GHz. With the increase of Ni^2＋ ions content, the dielectric parameters （ε′） and permeability （u′） of the NixZn1-xFe2O4 powders decrease while the dielectric loss （ε″）, magnetic loss （u″） and the reflection loss increase.     

Synthesis of Ultrafine Fe3O4 Powder via a Novel Ageing Process

Ultrafine Fe3O4 powder was successfully synthesized via a novel ageing process from a precursor FeO(OH), which was the hydrolysate of FeCl3 in the urea solution. The structure of as-synthesized powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphology of these nanoparticles was investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Pure phase Fe3O4 was obtained and the mean diameter of these nanoparticles was about 21 nm. Furthermore, the study indicated that the precursor FeO(OH) played an important role in the formation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The mechanism was also discussed.     

γ-Fe Nano-particles from Fe(CO)_5 by CW CO_2 Laser-driven

γ-Fe nano-particles with size of 20-40 nm were produced by SF6-sensitized CW CO2 laser-induced gaseous pyrolysis of Fe(Co) 5, The γ-Fe stabte in reaction zone at above 910℃ was formed.The rapid quenching prevents from the γ-Fe transforming to α-Fe as rapidly cooling from high temperature to room temperature, The characteristics of the particles were examined at room temperature by TEM. electron diffraction and XRD. It was proved that about 70% of γ-Fe phase in the particles was present. In addition. the lattice constant of the γ-Fe was 0.364 nm in place of 0.360 nm     

Ionic Liquids Assisted Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures:Controlled Size,Morphology and Antibacterial Properties

Systematic analysis about the exploitation of imidazolium based ionic liquids（ILs）,[BMIM]BF₄[IL1],[EMIM]BF₄ [IL2]and[BMIM]PF₆[IL3]as the morphological template on the basic sol-gel method adopted synthesis of nanostructured zinc oxide（ZnO） is presented.X-ray diffraction（XRD）,particle size analysis（PSA） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） have been employed for the characterization of structure and morphology of the synthesized ZnO particles.Well-defined capsule like shaped morphology with lower nanosize is observed for the ZnO nanoparticles with IL1 than those with IL2 and IL3.This confirms that IL1 served as an effective templating material due to their unique properties.Especially the effective aggregation of ZnO particles with a self-organized frame of IL1 was the essential factor to produce the lower nanosized ZnO with capsule shaped structure.The synthesized ZnO samples with IL2 and IL3 fabricated the flake like shaped and rod like shaped morphologies in the range of nanoscale.The formed ZnO nanoparticles with IL2 exhibit higher nanosize than the ZnO nanoparticles produced by IL1,owing to shorter length of alkyl group in its cation which restricts steric effect and permits the nanoparticles to grow longer.Even though IL3 produced the discrete ZnO nanorods,the hydrophobic nature of IL3 created the higher nanosize than the ZnO nanoparticles formed by other two ionic liquids.Antibacterial properties of the synthesized ZnO nanostructures were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus（gram positive） and Escherichia coli（gram negative） bacteria by Agar diffusion test method.Microbial experiments indicate that the synthesized ZnO samples show a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities and performed better against S.aureus than E.coli with the same concentration of ZnO.     

Effect of a Magnetic Field on the Preparation of Silver Nanowires Using Solid Electrolyte Thin Films

The effect of an external magnetic field on the preparation of silver nanowires was studied. The silver nanowires were synthesized using solid electrolyte RbAg4I5 thin films by applying both a direct current （DC） electric field and a magnetic field. The RbAg4I5 thin films, which were prepared by deposition at room temperature and atmospheric pressure on a NaCI substrate, were used for the transfer of Ag^＋ ions between two Ag electrodes during the preparation process. When only the DC electric field is applied, the silver ions migrate toward the cathode. On the edge of the silver film at the cathode the Ag^＋ ions congregate to form aligned nanowires. If the magnetic field is also applied perpendicular to the DC electric field, the morphology of the nanowires can be controlled by rotating the sample in the magnetic field. Experimental results show that the growth of the silver nanowires is determined by the Ag^＋ ionic flux.     

Morphology and Microstructure of Sputtered Superalloy Coating

The morphology and microstructure of magnetron sputtered coating of superalloy K38G on cast al-loy K38G have been investigated by means of SEM, TEM and XRD. The results indicate that thesputtered coating is identical to the substrate in chemical composition but it is composed only of γphase without γ'. The sputtered superalloy coating presents columnar structure and the grain size isin the range of 20-100 nm. There are a great number of planar defects such as stacking faults andmicrotwins in the coating. The morphology and microstructure of the sputtered coating may haveclose relation to the remarkable increase of oxidation resistance of the coating.     

Synthesis and electrocatalytic activity of Au@Pd core-shell nanothorns for the oxygen reduction reaction

Bimetallic core-shell nanostructures with porous surfaces have drawn considerable attention due to their promising applications in various fields, including catalysis and electronics. In this work, Au@Pd core-shell nanothorns （CSNTs） with rough and porous surfaces were synthesized for the first time through a facile co-chemical reduction method in the presence of polyallylamine hydrochloride （PAH） and ethylene glycol （EG） at room temperature. The size, morphology, and composition of Au@Pd CSNTs were investigated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy dispersive spec- troscopy （EDX）, EDX mapping, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The electrochemical properties of as-synthesized Au@Pd CSNTs were also studied by various electrochemical techniques. Au@Pd CSNTs exhibited remarkably high electrocatalytic activity and durability for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in the alkaline media, owing to the unique porous structure and the synergistic effect between the Au core and Pd shell.     

Controlled Microstructure and Photochromism of Inorganic-organic Thin Films by Ultrasound

A series of inorganic-organic thin films based on uniformly dispersed nanoparticles of polyoxometalates （POM）entrapped in polyacrylamide （PAM） matrix were prepared by ultrasonic method with different irradiation time.The microstructure, photochromic behavior and mechanism of the films were studied by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, ultraviolet-visible spectra （UV-VIS） and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）.The microstructure and photochromic properties of the hybrid thin films could be controlled by ultrasound.TEM image revealed that the average size of phosphotungstic acid （PWA） nanoparticles decreased from 20 to 10 nm with the ultrasound irradiation time from 30 to 60 min. After irradiated with ultraviolet light,the transparent films changed from colorless to blue and showed reversible photochromism. The hybrid film, with ultrasound irradiation for 60 min had higher photochromic efficiency and faster bleaching reaction than the one with ultrasound irradiation for 30 min. FT-IR spectra showed that the Keggin geometry of heteropolyoxometalate was still preserved inside the composites, and the interactions between polyanions and polymer matrix increased as the ultrasound time prolonged. It is suggested that the mechanism of the different photochromic properties for the inorganic-organic thin films is the variation of the microstructure and interfacial interactions induced by ultrasound.     

Effect of Phosphor Addition on Intergranular Exchange Coupling of Co-Pt Thin Films

In this paper, ternary Co-Pt-P thin films were prepared by magnetron sputtering with platinum and home-made Co-P chips pasted on the cobalt target. The structure and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. With increasing phosphor content, the coercivities of Co-12 at.% Pt-P films increase from 1034 to 1525 Oe owing to the exchange decoupling among magnetic grains. The decrease of inter-granular exchange coupling was confirmed by delta-M curve measurement and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) with nano- beam composition analysis shows that phosphor segregated at cobalt-based grain boundaries is responsible for the exchange decoupling. It is thus suggested that the phosphor addition is e?ective to tune the exchange coupling of magnetic grains, particularly for perpendicular recording media.     

Surface Modification of a-Fe Metal Particles by Chemical Surface Coating

The structure of a-Fe metal magnetic recording particles coated with silane coupling agents have been studied by TEM, FT-IR, EXAFS, Mossbauer. The results show that a close, uniform, firm and ultra thin layer, which is beneficial to the magnetic and chemical stability, has been formed by the cross-linked chemical bond Si-O-Si. And the organic molecule has chemically bonded to the particle surface, which has greatly affected the surface Fe atom electronic structure. Furthermore, the covalent bond between metal particle surface and organic molecule has obvious effect on the near edge structure of the surface Fe atoms.     

Surface Modification of α-Fe Metal Particles by Chemical Surface Coating

The structure of α-Fe metal magnetic recording particles coated with silane coupling agents have been studied by TEM, FT-IR, EXAFS, Mossbauer. The results show that a close, uniform, firm and ultra thin layer, which is beneficial to the magnetic and chemical stability, has been formed by the cross-linked chemical bond Si-O-Si. And the organic molecule has chemically bonded to the particle surface, which has greatly affected the surface Fe atom electronic structure. Furthermore, the covalent bond between metal particle surface and organic molecule has obvious effect on the near edge structure of the surface Fe atoms.     

Mechanically Driven Alloying and Structural Evolution of Nanocrystalline Fe_(60)Cu_(40) Powder

Highly supersaturated nanocrystalline fcc Fe60Cu40 alloy has been prepared by mechanical alloying of elemental powders. The phase transformation is monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD),Mossbauer spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). The powder obtained after milling is of single fcc structure with grain size of nanometer order. The Mossbauer spectra of the milled powder can be fitted by two subspectra whose hyperfine magnetic fields are 16 MA/m and 20 MA/m while that of pure Fe disappeared. EXAFS results show that the radial structure function (RSF) of Fe K-edge changed drastically and finally became similar to that of reference Cu K-edge, while that of Cu K-edge nearly keeps unchanged in the process of milling. These imply that bcc Fe really transforms to fcc structure and alloying between Fe and Cu occurs truly on an atomic scale. EXAFS results indicate that iron atoms tend to segregate at the boundaries and Cu atoms are rich in the fcc lattice. Annealing experiments show that the Fe atoms at the interfaces are easy to cluster to α-Fe at a lower temperature, whereas the iron atoms in the lattice will form γ-Fe first at temperature above 350℃, and then transform to bcc Fe     

Low-temperature Magnesiothermic Synthesis of Mesoporous Silicon Carbide from an MCM-48/Polyacrylamide Nanocomposite Precursor

Mesoporous silicon carbide with high specific surface area was successfully synthesized from an MCM-48/ polyacrylamide nanocomposite precursor in the temperature range of 550—600℃（below the melting point of Mg） by means of a magnesiothermic reduction process.The MCM-48/polyacrylamide precursor nanocomposite was prepared by in-situ polymerization of acrylamide monomer in the presence of mesoporous MCM-48 synthesized by sol-gel method.The physicochemical properties and microstructures of the nanocomposite precursor and the low-temperature SiC product were characterized by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, differential scanning calorimetry-thermo gravimetric analysis（DSC-TGA）,transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and N₂ adsorption—desorption.TEM micrographs and Brunauer—Emmett—Teller（BET） gas adsorption studies showed that the SiC powder was nanocrystalline and had a specific surface area of 330 m²/g and a mesoporosity in the range of 2—10 nm.The presence of an exothermic peak in the DSC trace corresponds to the self-combustion process of the SiC magnesiothermic synthesis.The results also show that the carbon in excess to that required to produce SiC plays a role in the reduction of the SiO₂.The mechanism of magnesiothermic synthesis of mesoporous SiC is discussed.