Formation of silver nanoparticles by through thin film ablation

Well dispersed Ag nanoparticles have been formed by a process denoted Through Thin Film Ablation. The nanoparticles were deposited on room temperature substrates, had a most probable size of 1 nm, and were not agglomerated. The nanoparticle deposit produced by this process showed no evidence of the larger particles commonly observed from conventional pulsed laser ablation that uses a bulk target. Synthesis of nanoparticles by Through Thin Film Ablation should be possible for any material that can be made as a thin film target and may enable the unique properties of isolated, non-agglomerated nanoparticles to be exploited more fully.     

Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles in a polymer solvent: formation of a nanochain through nanoscale soldering

By exploiting the orientation of the polymer methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG), directional growth of silver particles has been obtained in the presence of ultraviolet irradiation for the first time. MPEG generates free radicals, serves as the reducing agent in presence of ultraviolet irradiation towards the silver ions, and also acts as the template for the silver particles involved in the formation of a silver chain.     

Polyelectrolyte assisted silver nanoparticles synthesis and thin film formation

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by the reduction of silver salts with sodium borohydride and capped with a copolymer of styrene sulfonate and maleic monomers. The synthesized nanoparticles were then deposited on a glass substrate using the layer-by-layer deposition technique in alternance with polycationic poly(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride) PDADMAC. The synthesis of the silver nanoparticles as well as the layer-by-layer deposition with PDADMAC was easily monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy due to the strong plasmon absorbance at 400 nm of the silver nanoparticles. Our study shows that increasing the concentration ration between the co-polyelectrolyte and silver nitrate has a negative effect on the size distribution of the resulting silver nanoparticles. For the layer-by-layer assembly, the PSS-co-Maleic was found to be a good capping agent since it allows later the formation of uniform thin films when deposited with PDADMAC. A linear increase in absorbance as a function of the number of deposited layers was observed.     

Electroforming of a carbon thin film device with a silver film

To elucidate the process by which a voltage-controlled negative resistance is generated and enhanced in the carbon thin film devices, the transient current-voltage characteristics during the process were measured. A number of areas with a low secondary electron emission yield under the scanning electron beam of an electron microscope were found in the formed region. X-ray microanalyses showed that those areas included the contact material silver.     

Fabrication of a novel organic polymer thin film

Fabrication of organic polymer thin films and organic semiconductors are critical for the development of sophisticated organic thin film based devices. Radio Frequency plasma polymerisation is a well developed and widely used fabrication technique for polymer thin films. This paper describes the fabrication of an organic polymer thin film from a monomer based on Lavandula angustifolia. Several polymer thin films were manufactured with thicknesses ranging from 200 nm to 2400 nm. The energy gap of the polymer thin film was measured to be 2.93 eV. The refractive index and extinction coefficient was determined to be 1.565 (at 500 nm) and 0.01 (at 500 nm) respectively. The organic polymer thin film demonstrates the possibility of an environmentally friendly, cost effective organic semiconductor.     

负载纳米银颗粒的纳米纤维膜的制备与表征

采用一步还原法和螯合法制备Ag/PAN纳米纤维膜。采用SEM,UV,XRD,FT-IR傅里叶变换红外光谱仪对该纤维形貌,银粒子晶型、尺寸、官能团进行表征。得知两种方法都可制备出嵌有(或附着)纳米银颗粒的PAN纳米纤维膜,银粒子的粒径可以达10nm,且经过比较,Ag/PAN膜经过还原处理后,表面Ag粒子的含量更高,分布更均匀。     

Self-assembly of silver nanoparticles into dendritic flowers from aqueous solution

Similar to folding of proteins into three-dimensional (3D) structure, self-assembly of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) into dendritic or other supramolecular structures is of greater interest, yet less understood. We observed spontaneous, template-free organisation of silver NPs into 3D, dendritic, elegant, flower-like structures from an aqueous solution containing AgNO₃ and L-cysteine (Cys). The resultant NPs and dendritic structures were characterised using UV–Vis spectroscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The process initiated most likely by diffusion-limited aggregation in the liquid phase, which were further grown into elegant, dendritic flowers probably by evaporation of residual wetting layer of larger NPs. Electrostatic attraction between –COO^? and –NH₃ ⁺ groups of L-Cys on the surface of silver NPs may also have a role in their growth.     

Laser annealing induced melting of silver nanoparticles in a glass matrix

We have studied the effect of nanosecond-pulsed KrF excimer laser radiation on a composite metamaterial based on a soda-lime-silicate glass containing ion-synthesized silver nanoparticles, depending on the number of pulses. It is established that, as the number of laser pulses increases, the average size of silver nanoparticles in the ion-implanted layer monotonically decreases. In addition, the laser annealing is accompanied by the diffusion of silver inward the glass and by the partial evaporation of silver from the sample surface. The observed decrease in the size of silver nanoparticles is considered with allowance for the simultaneous melting of both the metal particles and glass matrix.     

Delocalizing strain in a thin metal film on a polymer substrate

Under tension, a freestanding thin metal film usually ruptures at a smaller strain than its bulk counterpart. Often this apparent brittleness does not result from cleavage, but from strain localization, such as necking. By volume conservation, necking causes local elongation. This elongation is much smaller than the film length, and adds little to the overall strain. The film ruptures when the overall strain just exceeds the necking initiation strain, ε_N, which for a weakly hardening film is not far beyond its elastic limit. Now consider a weakly hardening metal film on a steeply hardening polymer substrate. If the metal film is fully bonded to the polymer substrate, the substrate suppresses large local elongation in the film, so that the metal film may deform uniformly far beyond ε_N. If the metal film debonds from the substrate, however, the film becomes freestanding and ruptures at a smaller strain than the fully bonded film; the polymer substrate remains intact. We study strain delocalization in the metal film on the polymer substrate by analyzing incipient and large-amplitude nonuniform deformation, as well as debond-assisted necking. The theoretical considerations call for further experiments to clarify the rupture behavior of the metal-on-polymer laminates.     

Formation of silver nanoparticles in low-alkali borosilicate glass via silver oxide intermediates

A successful procedure has been worked out for the subsequent colouration of low-alkali borosilicate glass that comprises silver doping by silver/sodium ion exchange below the glass transformation temperature followed by thermal processing well above, at 750 °C. The particle formation process as studied by electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy revealed the formation of silver nanoparticles proceeding via silver oxide intermediates. The intermediate nanoparticles are supposed to result from a phase separation within the silver ion-doped glass. Their formation and succeeding transformation to silver nanoparticles upon thermal processing is accompanied by characteristic absorption peaks in the visible range which gradually convert to the surface plasmon resonance of spherical silver nanoparticles. The optical density of the silver-based colouration achieved this way assumes values comparable to those usually obtained with soda lime silicate glass.     

Work of fragmentation of a thin oxide coating on a polymer film

Abstracts are not published in this journal     

Formation of nanoparticles in a thin metal film on a dielectric substrate under the action of a nanosecond pulsed high-power ion beam

We have studied the formation of nanoparticles in a thin metal film-dielectric substrate system under the action of a high-power nanosecond pulsed proton-carbon ion beam. Data on the particles formed from 5-to 60-nm-thick aluminum and nickel films on ST-50 Sitall (glass-ceramic composite) substrates are presented. Possible mechanisms of nanoparticle formation in ion-irradiated metal films on dielectric substrates are considered.     

CdS nanoparticles grown in a polymer matrix by chemical bath deposition

Nanocrystallites of CdS have been grown by chemical bath deposition within the pores of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on glass and Si substrates. The CdS-PVA composite films are transparent in the visible region. XRD and TEM diffraction patterns confirmed the nanocrystalline CdS phase formation. TEM study of the film revealed the manifestation of nano CdS phase formation and the average particles size was varied in the range 5-12 nm. UV-vis spectrophotometric measurement showed high transparency (nearly 80% in the wavelength range 550-900 nm) of the films with a direct allowed band gap lying in the range 2.64-3.25 eV. Particle sizes have also been calculated from the shift of band gap with respect to that of bulk value and were found to be in the range 3.3-6.44 nm. The high dielectric constant (lies in the range 120-250 at high frequency) of PVA/CdS nanocomposite compared to that of pure PVA (-28) has been observed. The dielectric constant decreases with increase of dispersibility of the CdS nanoparticles within PVA. The nanocrystalline PVA/CdS thin films have also showed field emission properties with a turn-on field of approximately 6.6 V/microm, whereas only PVA thin film and bulk CdS on PVA have shown no field emission.     

Fabrication of a near-infrared sensor using a polyaniline conducting polymer thin film

Near infrared (NIR) photo-responsive polyaniline-based conducting thin films are developed for sensor application. Upon NIR illumination (2.43 W/cm²), the electrical conductance of the polyaniline thin films was enhanced 5.9% and the response time was 20 s. NIR sensing performance of polyaniline conducting polymer thin film is comparable with that of bolometric carbon nanotube (CNT) network devices with the merits of polymers over CNTs such as processability, productivity and economy.     

ZnS:Cu polymer nanocomposites for thin film electroluminescent devices

Copper-doped zinc sulphide nanoparticles with varying copper content were synthesized via a coprecepitation method and embedded in polymer thin films by phase transfer technique to examine direct current electroluminescence (DC-EL) properties. A single layer structure (ITO/ZnS:Cu@ polymer/Al) was chosen to examine the influence of film thickness, copper content and polymeric matrix. Two types of devices were investigated based either on an insulating polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix or a semiconducting poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) matrix. The resulting DC-EL differs in spectral characteristics showing a broad EL emission over the whole visible range for PMMA based devices and EL with narrow full width at half-maxima values (FWHM) and maxima positions close to those observed in photoluminescence (PL) spectra of particle dispersions.     

Influence of interfaces on thin polymer film behaviour

In many ways interfaces and surfaces dominate the behaviour of not only bulk polymers but also thin film behaviour. The critical nature that the interface plays on numerous physical properties has stimulated significant effort to understand such behaviour. A number of theoretical models, particularly using mean-field approximations, have been developed to predict critical parameters associated with these interfaces and surfaces. Only with the advance of a number of powerful techniques have the finer details of such theories been able to be critically tested. This paper reviews both the relevant theories and experimental work associated with predominantly polymer-polymer interfaces, with particular emphasis on capillary waves, dewetting, patterning, diffusion and adhesion.     

Formation of aligned silver nanoparticles by ion implantation

Synthesis of metal nanoparticles by ion implantation has a number of advantages. Nevertheless, certain remaining difficulties must be overcome in order to optimize the characteristics of ion-implanted nanocomposites. The principle among these are the lack of control over the size distribution and position of the precipitates within the implanted layer. Two-dimensionally ordered arrangements of Ag nanoparticles are formed in Ag-implanted silica glass by post-implanted Cu ions. The spherical Ag nanoparticles are formed to align at the same deep depth in the silica. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Ag nanoparticles are a size of 35-48 nm in diameter. The evolution of nanoparticles is characterized by transmission electron microscopy.     

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix in solution and thin films through laser irradiation

Here we communicate our experimental results on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in solution and thin films using silver nitrate and poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) mixture at different concentrations and different laser irradiations. Detailed studies were carried out by varying pulse width, wavelength, exposure time, and energy of the laser. Formation of nanoparticles was confirmed through color change from transparent to yellow. Irradiated solutions and thin films at different concentrations showed plasmon peak in the absorption spectra. Formation of different sized nanoparticles at different energies with peak shift is observed. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) results confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with size of the particles varying from 2 to 200 nm. Formation of silver nanoparticles with hexagonal and different shapes were observed in particular with 355 nm laser irradiation. Influence of wavelength, pulse width, exposure time, and energy in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles is highlighted. Electron diffraction patten of a single nanoparticle in TEM showed polycrystallinity with cubic nature for the silver nanoparticles prepared. We also compared the linear and nonlinear absorption properties of the freshly prepared nanoparticles with nanoparticles solution left in a shelf for a long period of time.     

Surface acoustic wave characterization of a thin, rough polymer film

Laser generated surface acoustic waves (SAW) in a heterodyne diffraction scheme is a powerful technique for elastic characterization of thin films and it is frequently used on samples of high optical quality. We show that the method can also be effectively used in difficult conditions, on rough samples. Measurements are presented on a 3 µm thick film of polymer, spin-coated on steel, and on the same sample after addition of an aluminum coating. The experimental data are interpreted using a model assuming a stack of perfect layers. The analyses show good consistency within the SAW results for both configurations, and consistency with nano-indentation results, cross-validating both approaches.