Superparamagnetic maghemite/polyrhodanine core/shell nanoparticles: Synthesis and characterization

Maghemite nanoparticles (MNPs) with a thin layer of polyrhodanine (PRd) at the surface were synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization of rhodanine monomer at the MNPs surface in the presence of ferric chloride as oxidant. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern gave direct evidence that the synthesized nanoparticles are crystalline maghemite of about 8 nm in size. Magnetization of the particles versus an applied magnetic field exhibited no hysteresis loop, indicated superparamagnetic behavior in the particles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) together with Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were used to determine the morphology and the chemical structure of the magnetic core and the polymeric shell. Through the microscopy analysis the shell thickness was estimated to be about 1.5 nm, whereas through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) it was estimated to be about 0.6 nm. Moreover inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) measurements revealed that the oxidant residue in the polymer backbone is ca. 4 wt.%.     

Preparation and magnetic characterization of core–shell structure stainless steel/silica nanoparticles

SiO₂-coated martensite stainless steel nanoparticles were prepared using wire electrical explosion technique combined with sol–gel technique, and their structural and magnetic properties were studied. The coating silica on stainless steel nanoparticles was based on the use of silane coupling agent 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (HS-(CH₂)₃Si(OCH₃)₃, MPTS) as a primer to render the stainless steel surface vitreophilic, thus rendering stainless steel surface compatible with silica. The control over the silica coating layer thickness can be achieved by varying the reaction time. For stainless steel nanoparticles, their saturation and remnant magnetizations decreased upon silica coating, and their saturation magnetizations obviously decreased with increasing the thickness of SiO₂ coating layer. These stainless steel/silica core–shell nanoparticles can be utilized as precursors for making property-tunable magnetic nanoparticles, thin films, and multilayered core–shell structure nanocomposites.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of gold/silica core/shell nanorods

We report the preparation of Langmuir- and Langmuir-Blodgett films of mesoporous silica coated gold nanorods. The silica coating on the gold nanorods was found to prevent the aggregation of the plasmonic particles trapped at the air/water interface. Due to the small aspect ratio of the gold core and the presence of the silica shell, the orientational alignment of the nanorods in the Langmuir-Blodgett film is hindered. After particle deposition, no plasmon coupling was observed, which enables the design of the resulting film's optical property at the particle level. By using mesoporous silica as the shell material, the accessibility of the metal core's surface is preserved. Organic dye (Rhodamine 6G) was found to be able to penetrate into the mesoporous shell of the gold nanorods, resulting in a red shift of the longitudinal plasmon mode.     

Folic acid-functionalized magnetic ZnFe2O4 hollow microsphere core/mesoporous silica shell composite particles: Synthesis and application in drug release

A drug delivery system was designed by deliberately combining the useful functions into one entity, which was composed of magnetic ZnFe₂O₄ hollow microsphere as the core, and mesoporous silica with folic acid molecules as the outer shell. Amine groups coated magnetic ZnFe₂O₄ hollow microsphere core/mesoporous silica shell (MZHM-MSS-NH₂) composite particles were first synthesized by a one-pot direct co-condensation method. Subsequently a novel kind of folic acid-functionalized magnetic ZnFe₂O₄ hollow microsphere core/mesoporous silica shell (MZHM-MSS-NHFA) composite particles were synthesized by conjugating folic acid as targeted molecule to MZHM-MSS-NH₂. Ibuprofen, a well-known antiphlogistic drug, was used as a model drug to assess the loading and releasing behavior of the composite microspheres. The results show that the MZHM-MSS-NHFA system has the higher capacity of drug storage and good sustained drug-release property.     

Synthesis,characterization, and electrical property of CdTe/trioctylphosphine oxide core/shell nanowires

Thick trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) layers were controllably coated onto CdTe nanowires. The shell thicknesses were readily tuned by controlling the reaction temperatures in coordinating TOPO solvent or by varying amounts of TOPO in noncoordinating ODE solvent. The shells were coherent and rough if synthesized in the TOPO solvent, while the shells became very uniform and smooth if synthesized in the ODE solvent. The electrically insulating effects of TOPO shells were directly confirmed through nanodevice of individual core/shell nanowire (NW). The present scheme to overcoat TOPO around semiconductor NWs could, in principle, be exploited to be a general approach to encapsulate a variety of colloidal nanocrystals to form novel core–shell nanohybrids.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles coated with a uniform silica shell

Magnetic nanoparticles with a proper surface coating are of outstanding interest for several applications, especially in the biomedical field. In this paper we present the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ magnetic nanoparticles covered by a uniform silica shell. These particles were characterized by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Small Angle Scattering of Polarized Neutrons (SANSPOL). This newly developed technique, taking advantage from the variation of magnetic contrast, allowed us to verify that the thickness of the silica shell can be accurately tailored through a very simple synthetic approach.     

Facile electrochemical characterization of core/shell nanoparticles. Ag core/Ag(2)O shell structures

We report in this paper a facile approach for the formation and electrochemical characterization of silver-silver oxide core-shell nanoparticles (NPs). Thus, thermal treatment at temperatures between 200 and 360 degrees C of Ag NP, in the gas phase or in an organic solvent, has been used to achieve the formation Ag@Ag2O NP. The evidence of formation of such a core-shell structure was obtained by cyclic voltammetry using a Nafion modified electrode (where Nafion containing carbon particles is used as the matrix to encapsulate the core-shell NP). Initial positive scans measure free Ag. Initial negative scans measure Ag2O, with the following positive scan, compared to the initial one, providing a measure of "trapped" or core Ag. The results presented demonstrate the utility of this approach in characterizing core-shell structures, like Ag@Ag2O, which could be extended to other core-shell forms, such as bimetallic core-shell NP.     

Toughened carbon/epoxy composites made by using core/shell particles

Toughened epoxy resin composites have been prepared by resin-transfer moulding by using a range of toughening agents. Two types of epoxy-functional preformed toughening particles were investigated and have a three-layer morphology in which the inner core is crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate), the intermediate layer is crosslinked poly(butyl acrylate) rubber and the outer layer is a poly[(methyl methacrylate)-co-(ethyl acrylate)-co-(glycidyl methacrylate)]. The presence of glycidyl groups in the outer layer facilitates chemical reaction with the matrix epoxy resin during curing. Comparisons were made with acrylic toughening particles that have a similar structure, but which do not have the epoxy functionality in the outer shell, and with a conventional carboxy-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile (CTBN) liquid rubber toughening agent. The composites were characterised by using tensile, compression and impact testing. The fracture surfaces and sections through the moulded composites were examined by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy. Short-beam shear tests and fragmentation tests were used to investigate the interfacial properties of the composites. In general, use of the epoxy-functionalised toughening particles gave rise to superior properties compared with both the non-functionalised acrylic toughening particles and CTBN.     

Synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activity of silver-doped silica nanocomposite particles

Silver nanoparticles were adsorbed preferentially on silica surface to form composite particles using a reverse micelle process that stabilizes the silver particles by an anionic sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) surfactant in isooctane solvent together with the silica particles in which their surface being mediated by a cationic poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) polyelectrolyte. The heterogeneous adsorption was rendered by both electrostatic attraction and hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction, and was carried out in multiple deposition cycles. The resulting nanocomposite particles were characterized by zeta-potential measurement, electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, field-emission electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and inductively coupled plasma analysis, respectively. In addition, antibacterial activity of the composite particles was examined against Escherichia coli (E. coli) in aqueous environment.     

Nickel oxide/polypyrrole/silver nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure: Synthesis,characterization and their electrochemical behaviour with antimicrobial activities

Magnetic and conducting Nickel oxide–polypyrrole (NiO/PPy) nanoparticles with core–shell structure were prepared in the presence of Nickel oxide (NiO) in aqueous solution containing sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant as well as dopant. A stable dispersion of silver (Ag) nanoparticles was synthesized by chemical (citrate reduction) method. NiO/PPy nanocomposites were added to the Ag colloid under stirring. Ag nanoparticles could be electrostatically attracted on the surface of NiO/PPy nanocomposites, leading to formation of NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites with core/shell/shell structure. The morphology, structure, particle size and composition of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and current–voltage (I–V) analysis. The resultant nanocomposites have the good conductivity and excellent electrochemical and catalytic properties of PPy and Ag nanoparticles. Furthermore, the nanocomposites showed excellent antibacterial behaviour due to the presence of Ag nanoparticles in the composite. The thermal stability of NiO–PPy as well as NiO/PPy/Ag nanocomposites was higher than that of pristine PPy. Studies of IR spectra suggest that the increased thermal stability may be due to interactions between NiO and Ag nanoparticles with the PPy backbone.     

核壳结构CdS/ZnS荧光量子点的制备与荧光性能研究

以氧化镉为镉源、硫单质为硫源、油酸为配体、在十八烯体系中合成单分散的CdS纳米颗粒,研究了配体浓度对纳米微粒的生长动力学、颗粒尺寸分布的影响.采用乙基黄原酸锌作为Zn、S源的反应前体,采用逐滴滴加的方法制备了具有核壳结构的CdS/ZnS量子点,吸收光谱和荧光光谱表明CdS/ZnS纳米粒子比单一的CdS纳米粒子具有更优异的发光特性.透射电子显微镜、X射线粉末衍射、X射线光电子能谱、选区电子衍射证明ZnS在CdS表面进行了有效包覆.所制备核壳结构纳米粒子具有较好的尺寸分布,荧光发射峰半高峰宽为18～20nm,荧光量子产率达40%.     

Synthesis of ZnSe quantum dots and ZnSe-ZnS core/shell nanostructures

Colloidal ZnSe nanocrystals were synthesized in hot mixtures of long-chain alkylamines, fatty acids, and alkylphosphines. It was possible to tune the size of nanocrystals by varying the reaction time. Transmission electron microscope images showed the presence of spherical ZnSe nanocrystals and X-ray diffraction pattern of ZnSe nanocrystals showed the existence of both the crystalline phase, namely, wurtzite and zinc blende. The ZnSe nanocrystals were then passivated with higher band gap ZnS; this lead to a 2.6-fold enhancement in the integrated photoluminescence intensity of ZnSe nanocrystals. We also synthesized the reverse type core/shell ZnS/ZnSe nanocrystals. These exhibited a significant red shift in the absorption edge after coating with a thin ZnSe shell.     

环氧树脂/二氧化硅杂化材料的制备与性能表征

溶胶-凝胶法制备环氧树脂/SiO2杂化材料,利用FTIR、SEM和综合热分析仪对杂化材料的结构、显微形态及热性能进行了表征.结果表明,杂化材料中SiO2与环氧树脂两相间存在氢键作用;SiO2质量分数＜7%时SiO2与环氧树脂之间无明显相界面,可获得有机聚合物链段与无机网络互穿的有机/无机杂化材料;SiO2质量分数为11%时材料具有最佳耐热性能.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO/SiO2 core/shell nanocomposites and hollow SiO2 nanostructures

In this paper, we prepared the ZnO nanoparticles by a simple hydrothermal method and fabricated the ZnO/SiO₂ core/shell nanostructures through a sol-gel chemistry process successfully. The hollow SiO₂ nanostructures were obtained by selective removal of the ZnO cores. The structure, morphology and composition of the products were determined by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that the ZnO nanoparticles were sphere-like shape with the average size of 60 nm and belonged to hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. With the coating of SiO₂, the vibration modes of Si-O-Si and Si-OH were found. Furthermore, the measurement results of optical properties showed that spectra of bare ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO/SiO₂ core/shell nanocomposites exhibited similar emission features, including a blue emission peak and an orange emission band.     

炭化聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯／聚丙烯腈核壳聚合物制备炭纳米空心球

采用炭化聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)/聚丙烯腈(PAN)核壳聚合物的方法制备了炭纳米空心球.以两步无皂乳液聚合法制备了PMMA/PAN核壳粒子:首先以间歇无皂乳聚合法制备出直径约200 nm的PMMA粒子乳液,再以其作为种子乳液,以饥饿滴定法在PMMA外表而聚合一层厚度约30 nm的PAN外壳.将制备的PMMA/PAN乳液冷冻干燥后,分别经过250℃预氧化及1000℃炭化工艺,制备了炭纳米空心球.透射电镜结果显示所有核壳粒子均炭化成空心球并呈现交联状态.     

Biomimetic approach to the formation of gold nanoparticle/silica core/shell structures and subsequent bioconjugation

The encapsulation of individual nanoparticles has gained great attention as a method for both stabilizing nanoparticles and tailoring their surface properties. In particular, the encapsulation of nanoparticles with silica shells is advantageous for bioconjugation and applications to (nano)biotechnology. Herein we report a method for constructing gold nanoparticle (AuNP)/silica core/shell hybrid structures by biomimetic silicification of silicic acids. The procedure consists of surface-initiated, atom transfer radical polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) from AuNPs and biomimetic polycondensation of silicic acids by using poly(DMAEMA) as a synthetic counterpart for silaffins that are found in diatoms. The resulting AuNP/silica hybrids were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the immobilization of biological ligands onto the hybrids was investigated for potential applications to biotechnology. As a model ligand, biotin was attached onto the AuNP/silica hybrids through substitution reaction and Michael addition reaction, and the attachment was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy after complexation with fluorescein-conjugated streptavidin.     

Synthesis and characterization of carbon/silica superhydrophobic multi-layer films

C/SiO₂ multi-layer films (3-layer films and 5-layer films) were obtained by sol-gel method and physical deposition on glass plates, and then heated at 500 °C for 1 h under a nitrogen atmosphere. The mechanical adhesive force with the substrate of the multi-layer films was sharply enhanced compared to the as-deposited amorphous carbon film. An absorption layer was formed on heat treated C/SiO₂ multi-layer films by modification of the surface with trimethylchlorosilane, and the wettability of the films changed from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic. The structures of the physically deposited carbon and the multi-layer films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that the 5-layer films had a concentric ring structure that caused the film to be superhydrophobic.     

FIB/TEM characterization of the composition and structure of core/shell Cu-Ni nanowires

Characterization of composition and structure is crucial to understanding the properties and performance of nanomaterials. For nanowires and nanotubes, determining radial compositional and structural modulations is particularly challenging. Here we use a focused ion beam (FIB) lift-out technique to show that Cu-Ni core/shell nanowires fabricated by template synthesis are characterized by large, high purity (>99 atom %) copper grains surrounded by much smaller, high purity (>99 atom %) nickel grains.