Rapid synthesis of ZnO ellipsoidal nanostructures in large scale and their photoluminescence properties

ZnO ellipsoidal nanostructures with uniform ellipsoidal morphologies have been synthesized using different hydroxide anion precursors by an ultra-fast, facile (90 °C) solution-phase method without the assistance of sonication or any surfactants. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Based on the experimental results, a growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures was proposed. The obtained ZnO nanostructures exhibit a weak UV emission band at ~ 385 nm and a relatively stronger orange emission band at ~ 615 nm. The solution-phase method is simple, convenient for large-scale fabrication of ZnO ellipsoidal nanostructures.     

Metal nanoparticle synthesis using supercritical alcohol

Metal nanoparticles with uniform size distribution were synthesized in a low carbon number of supercritical alcohol without using reducing agents or surfactants. Nanoparticles of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and silver (Ag) were synthesized in supercritical methanol or supercritical ethanol at 300 bar, 400 °C and reaction time of 5 min. The supercritical alcohol acted both as reaction medium and as a reducing agent. The synthesized particles were spherical in shape. The average diameter of Cu, Ni, and Ag particles was 420 ± 119 nm, 50 ± 10 nm, and 390 ± 114 nm, respectively.     

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of size-controlled monodisperse Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles

Monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with narrow size distribution could be successfully synthesized in large quantities by a facile solvothermal synthetic method in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine. Well-defined assembly of uniform nanoparticles with average sizes of 8 nm can be obtained without a further size-selection process. The sizes of final products could be readily tuned from 5 to 12 nm by adjusting the experimental parameters such as reaction time, temperature, and surfactants. The phase structures, morphologies, and magnetic properties of the as-prepared products were investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and magnetometry with a superconducting quantum interference device. The magnetic study reveals that the as-synthesized nanoparticles are ferromagnetic at 2 K while they are superparamagnetic at 300 K.     

Synthesis,characterization and magnetic performance of Co-incorporated ordered mesoporous carbons

Co-incorporated ordered mesoporous carbon (Co-OMC) with magnetic frameworks has been synthesized via a one-pot self-assembly strategy. The effects of cobalt loading on carbon matrix, adsorption properties and magnetic properties of the resultant mesostructured cobalt/carbon composites were investigated by nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and magnetometer measurements. The results show that the mesoporous composites with a high cobalt content (such as 18.0 wt%) possess an ordered and uniform mesoporous structure (5.3 nm), high surface areas (up to 687 m²/g) and high pore volumes (up to 0.54 cm³/g). Cobalt nanoparticles of size 4–9 nm are confined inside the mesopores or walls of the mesoporous carbon. These materials exhibit typical ferromagnetic characteristics. The saturation magnetization strength can be easily adjusted by changing the content of cobalt. The carbonization temperatures have significant effects on the structure and magnetic properties of Co-OMC also.     

Deterministic Assembly of Single Sub-20 nm Functional Nanoparticles Using a Thermally Modified Template with a Scanning Nanoprobe

A deterministic assembly technique for single sub-20 nm functional nanoparticles is developed based on nanostructured templates fabricated by hot scanning nanoprobes. With this technique, single nanoparticles including quantum dots, polystyrene fluorescent nanobeads, and gold nanoparticles are successfully assembled into 2D arrays with high yields. Experimental and theoretical analyses show that the key for the high yields is the hot-probe-based template fabrication technique, which creates geometrical nanotraps and modifies their surface energy simultaneously. In addition to single nanoparticle patterning, further experiments demonstrate that this technique is also capable of building complex nanostructures, such as nanoparticle clusters with well-defined shapes and heterogeneously integrated nanostructures consisting of quantum dots and silver nanowires. It opens the door to many important applications.     

Bulk synthesis of monodisperse Fe nanoparticles by electromagnetic levitational gas condensation method

A one-step bulk synthesis method for monodisperse Fe nanoparticles was developed by electromagnetic levitational gas condensation (ELGC) process. The Fe vapours ascending from the high temperature levitated droplet was condensed by cryogenic He-Ar gas mixture under atmospheric pressure. The spherical Fe nanoparticles with particle size of 72.1 ± 19.5 nm and a narrow size distribution were prepared using the He-20%Ar gas mixture with the flow rate of 20 l/min. The production rate of the one-step ELGC process was estimated as high as 10 g/h. The nanoparticles were passivated by the formation of a thin layer of Fe oxides with the thickness of 3 nm.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of BaWO4 nanoparticles and its photoluminescence properties

Single-crystal BaWO₄ nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized under microwave irradiation. The results show that nearly monodisperse BaWO₄ nanoparticles have been successfully prepared without using surfactants. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL). The XRD results indicated that the BaWO₄ nanoparticles obtained had a tetragonal unit cell (a = 0.5612, c = 1.2706 nm). The TEM images show that the as-prepared BaWO₄ have good narrow particle-sized distributions containing a number of nanoparticles with uniform sizes. The products show a strong photoluminescence peak at 432–436 nm with the excitation at 365 nm.     

Synthesis of uniform silver nanoparticles with a controllable size

A new method for the synthesis of uniform silver nanoparticles using a single silver reduction step is presented. Fine control over the nanoparticle's size is achieved by varying the concentration of tannic acid, one of the reducing agents, resulting in uniform nanoparticles in the range of 18 nm to 30 nm in diameter with a standard deviation of less than 15%. Changes in the optical properties of the nanoparticles are correlated with their diameter. As the diameter increases the absorption peak is red-shifted. Specifically, for six different sizes of nanoparticles, ranging from 18 nm to 30 nm in diameter, a red-shift from 401 nm to 410 nm in the absorption peaks is measured. In addition, the extinction coefficient increases as the third power of the nanoparticle radius. Rhodamine 123 adsorbed to 30 nm silver nanoparticles exhibits characteristic Raman spectrum suggesting that these nanoparticles are efficient substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.     

Generation of charged nanoparticles in point ion sources

The conditions of formation of a dispersed phase in a point source of indium and tin ions have been studied. Charged droplets are generated in a threshold manner at a certain value of the ion beam current. This is accompanied by the excitation of ion current oscillations at a frequency of 15–20 MHz as a result of the capillary instability of the conducting liquid surface in a strong electric field. The dimensions of emitted nanoparticles determined using an electron microscope are continuously distributed in a range of 2–20 nm, and their average specific charge amounts to 5 × 10⁴ C/kg. Such charged nanodroplets can be used to create various surface quantum structures. The possibility of obtaining nanoparticles of semiconductor materials using a modified source with a porous electrode is discussed.     

Investigating the prospects of bacterial biosurfactants for metal nanoparticle synthesis – a comprehensive review

Establishing biological synthesis of nanoparticles is increasing nowadays in the field of nanotechnology. The search for an optimal source with durability, stability, capacity to withstand higher environmental conditions with excellent characteristics is yet to meet. Consequently, there is need to create an eco‐friendly strategy for metal nanoparticle synthesis. One approach investigated in this review is the use of biosurfactants to enhance the synthesis biologically. In comparison with the other technologies, biosurfactants are less toxic and exhibit higher properties. This method is different from the conventional practice like physical and chemical methods. Several research studies represented that the biosurfactant influences the production of nanoparticles about 2–50 nm. In this manner, the research towards the biosurfactant has raised. This review also addressed the feasibility of biosurfactant and their benefits in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The findings from this review can recommend a conceivable use of biosurfactant as a source for metal nanoparticle synthesis.Inspec keywords: nanoparticles, microorganisms, nanotechnology, biotechnology, nanofabrication, durability, surfactants, reviewsOther keywords: biological synthesis, bacterial biosurfactants, environmental conditions, metallic nanoparticles synthesis, nanotechnology, durability, review, stability, size 2.0 nm to 50.0 nm     

In Vivo Behavior of Ultrasmall Spherical Nucleic Acids

The biological properties of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are largely independent of nanoparticle core identity but significantly affected by oligonucleotide surface density. Additionally, the payload-to-carrier (i.e., DNA-to-nanoparticle) mass ratio of SNAs is inversely proportional to core size. While SNAs with many core types and sizes have been developed, all in vivo analyses of SNA behavior have been limited to cores >10 nm in diameter. However, “ultrasmall” nanoparticle constructs (<10 nm diameter) can exhibit increased payload-to-carrier ratios, reduced liver accumulation, renal clearance, and enhanced tumor infiltration. Therefore, we hypothesized that SNAs with ultrasmall cores exhibit SNA-like properties, but with in vivo behavior akin to traditional ultrasmall nanoparticles. To investigate, we compared the behavior of SNAs with 1.4-nm Au₁₀₂ nanocluster cores (AuNC-SNAs) and SNAs with 10-nm gold nanoparticle cores (AuNP-SNAs). Significantly, AuNC-SNAs possess SNA-like properties (e.g., high cellular uptake, low cytotoxicity) but show distinct in vivo behavior. When intravenously injected in mice, AuNC-SNAs display prolonged blood circulation, lower liver accumulation, and higher tumor accumulation than AuNP-SNAs. Thus, SNA-like properties persist at the sub-10-nm length scale and oligonucleotide arrangement and surface density are responsible for the biological properties of SNAs. This work has implications for the design of new nanocarriers for therapeutic applications.     

Interfacial properties and in vitro cytotoxic effects of surface-modified near infrared absorbing Au-Au2S nanoparticles

Near infrared (NIR) absorbing Au-Au₂S nanoparticles were modified with surfactants of different hydrocarbon chain lengths to allow loading of anticancer drug, cisplatin. The interfacial interactions and surfactant chain length effects on drug loading, optical properties and cytotoxicity were discussed in this work. Short-chain surfactants were oriented closer to the surface normal and were adsorbed at higher densities. Surface modification also changed the optical properties of the particles. Notably, particles modified with short-chain surfactants exhibited a red shift, whereas particles modified with long-chain surfactants showed a blue shift. The in vitro cytotoxicity of drug-loaded surface-modified particles was dependent on the surfactants’ chain length. Significant cytotoxicity was observed for 1 mg/ml of drug-loaded particles using surfactants with the shortest chain length. After NIR triggered drug release, the released Pt compounds were observed to be cytotoxic, while remaining nanoparticles did not exhibit any cytotoxicity. Also, the released Pt compounds upon NIR irradiation of drug-loaded particles were observed to be more toxic and had a different molecular structure from cisplatin.     

Synergistic Contribution of Oligo(ethylene glycol) and Fluorine Substitution of Conjugated Polymer Photocatalysts toward Solar Driven Sacrificial Hydrogen Evolution

To separately explore the importance of hydrophilicity and backbone planarity of polymer photocatalyst, a series of benzothiadiazole-based donor–acceptor alternating copolymers incorporating alkoxy, linear oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chain, and backbone fluorine substituents is presented. The OEG side chains in the polymer backbone increase the surface energy of the polymer nanoparticles, thereby improving the interaction with water and facilitating electron transfer to water. Moreover, the OEG-attached copolymers exhibit enhanced intermolecular packing compared to polymers with alkoxy side chains, which is possibly attributed to the self-assembly properties of the side chains. Fluorine substituents on the polymer backbone produce highly ordered lamellar stacks with distinct π–π stacking features; subsequently, the long-lived polarons toward hydrogen evolution are observed by transient absorption spectroscopy. In addition, a new nanoparticle synthesis strategy using a methanol/water mixed solvent is first adopted, thereby avoiding the screening effect of surfactants between the nanoparticles and water. Finally, hydrogen evolution rate of 26 000 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ is obtained for the copolymer incorporated with both OEG side chains and fluorine substituents under visible-light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). This study demonstrates how the glycol side chain strategy can be further optimized for polymer photocatalysts by controlling the backbone planarity.     

Reliable synthesis of bismuth nanoparticles for heavy metal detection

A reliable and facile pathway is described here for preparing high-quality bismuth nanoparticles. Combined with hydrothermal method and confined growing effect of polymer, bismuth nanoparticles with uniform size and shape were obtained with remarkable productivity. The nanoparticles is proved to be pure Rhombohedral structure Bi crystals with R-3m space group and the diameter of the nanoparticles is about 80 nm with a quite narrow particle size distribution. Those bismuth nanoparticles were predicted to grow from a rolling process by sheet-like Bi nanocrystal intermediates. The obtained bismuth nanoparticles were used to prepare modified electrode for the detection of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in water solution by stripping analysis. Compared with naked glassy carbon electrodes, the modified electrode showed two obvious responses at −0.85 V and −0.62 V, corresponding to the reduction process of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ and this well-resolved stripping response can be observed when the concentration is as low as 10 μg/L, indicating potential application in electroanalysis for environmental inspection.     

Three dimensional single-walled carbon nanotubes

We report a simple fabrication method of creating a three-dimensional single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) architecture in which suspended CNTs are aligned parallel to each other along the conventionally unused third dimension at lithographically defined locations. Combining top-down lithography with the bottom-up block copolymer self-assembly technique and utilizing the excellent film forming capability of polymeric materials, highly uniform catalyst nanoparticles with an average size of 2.0 nm have been deposited on sidewalls for generating CNTs with 1 nm diameter. This three-dimensional platform is useful for fundamental studies as well as technological exploration. The fabrication method described herein is applicable for the synthesis of other very small 1D nanomaterials using the catalytic vapor deposition technique.     

Facile fabrication of ultrasmall and uniform copper nanoparticles

Ultrasmall and uniform copper nanoparticles were synthesized through a trace-level ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-assisted wet chemical route in which Cu(OH)₂ colloid, KBH₄ and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were used as the Cu source, the reducing agent, and the protective agents, respectively. The copper nanoparticles exhibit a spherical morphology with a narrow size distribution, a uniform shape, and the average diameter of ca. 4 nm. The presence of trace EDTA is indispensable for the preparation of ultrasmall and uniform copper nanoparticles. EDTA concentration directly influences the copper nanoparticle size and uniformity. As EDTA concentration decreases, the size of the copper nanoparticles decreases, whereas the uniformity increases. The possible formation mechanism of ultrasmall and uniform copper nanoparticles was determined according to experimental results.     

Formation of drug-loaded nanoemulsions in stirred media mills

The feasibility of stirred media mills for the production of nanoemulsions loaded with active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) using plant oils as disperse phase and different types of the non-ionic emulsifier polysorbate is demonstrated. The influence of the emulsion formulation, namely oil type, surfactant and surfactant-to-oil-weight-ratio (SOR) on the product droplet size at constant stressing conditions is studied in detail. At similar stressing conditions and SOR, the type of the used plant oil and surfactant did not influence the product droplet size and the smallest achievable median droplet size was 20 nm. The API saturated oil phases and the pure oil phases exhibit similar viscosities, emulsification kinetics and final product droplet sizes, i.e. no influence of the API on the emulsification process could be identified. However, a strong dependency of the emulsion droplet size on the SOR has been observed. Moreover, very good long-term stabilities could be achieved for the obtained emulsions. A release test with fenofibrate-loaded peanut oil-polysorbate 80-water nanoemulsions showed remarkably fast drug distribution as compared to a formulation containing the same amount of the non-dissolved micronized drug.     

Ice nucleation in water droplets on glass surfaces: From micro- to macro-scale

Ice nucleation encountered in engineering systems is often induced by solid/water interfaces. When classical nucleation theory is used to analyze ice nucleation in such systems, the uniformity of interfaces that contribute to ice nucleation must be carefully considered, because classical nucleation theory cannot be directly applied to non-uniform interfaces. In this study, to discuss the uniformity of ice nucleating activity of solid/water interfaces, ice nucleation in water droplets prepared on glass surfaces was investigated for various droplet sizes from micrometer to sub-millimeter. When the interfacial area between water and the glass surface was smaller than 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m², the ice nucleation temperature showed scatter of about 2 °C, suggesting uniformity of the interface. However, when the interfacial area was larger than 1 × 10⁻⁸ m², the ice nucleation temperature showed large scatter, suggesting the ice nucleating activity was no longer uniform.     

Silanized polymeric nanoparticles for DNA isolation

The aim of this study is to prepare silanized polymeric nanoparticles for DNA isolation. Polymeric p(HEMA)-IMEO-PBA nanoparticles around 85.7 nm diameter, was obtained by surfactant free emulsion polymerization for DNA isolation. Synthesized nanoparticles for characterization studies were realized scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Zeta-size. Surface area, average particle size and size distribution were also performed. The surface area of synthesized silanized polymeric nanoparticles was 2460 m²/g. Synthesized polymeric nanoparticles were silanized with 3-(2-imidazoline-1-yl)propyl (triethoxysilane) (IMEO). After that, phenylboronic acid (PBA) which is DNA specific ligand were covalently binded to silanized polymeric nanoparticles. The amount of DNA adsorbed onto the p(HEMA)-IMEO-PBA nanoparticles first increased and then reached a saturation value at around 14.0 mg/mL of DNA concentration. The maximum adsorption was 672.41 mg/g silanized polymeric nanoparticles in the optimum adsorption medium. The maximum DNA adsorption was achieved at 4 °C. The overall recovery of DNA was calculated as 95%. In repetitive adsorption–desorption circles, it is observed not being important decrease in DNA adsorption capacities. The results were shown that silanized polymeric nanoparticles can be a good alternative for DNA isolation.     

Effects of aerosol heating rate on the properties of aggregates of lead zirconate titanate nanoparticles produced by spray pyrolysis

The dependence of the shape and size distribution of aggregates of lead zirconate titanate nanoparticles prepared by spray pyrolysis of a sol–gel precursor solution is reported. Decreasing the average heating rate from 300 to 160 °C s⁻¹ in the sub-200 °C section of the reactor decreased the proportion of non-spherical particle aggregates and decreased the maximum size from ~10 to ~5 μm. Microtome sectioning revealed an internal structure composed of <100 nm primary particles. Both solid and hollow particle aggregates were present.