Dendrigraft polymer-based synthesis of silver nanoparticles showing bright blue fluorescence

A novel method is reported here for the synthesis of optically clear and stable colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles. According to size they show different colours depending upon their plasmonic absorption frequencies. The materials have been synthesized at room temperature by chemical reduction of silver ions (silver nitrate) coordinated with dendrigraft polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI) using formaldehyde in aqueous medium. UV-vis absorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show single-band absorption with peak maximum at 354 nm for ∼3 nm sized particles, whereas a side band at ∼400 nm was observed when the particle size increased to ∼20 nm. Highly narrow particle size distribution was observed in case of samples having ∼3 nm size silver particles and also the process of reduction could be completed within minutes. More interestingly, the 3-nm sized particles showed strong blue (474 nm) fluorescence under UV excitation. Thin films of all synthesized samples were prepared on silica substrate by fine spray coating technique.     

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles in a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) paste, and their optical properties in a film and in ethylene glycol

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized in a paste of polyvinylpyrrolidone formed after mixing PVP with acetone and a small volume of aqueous silver nitrate under magnetic stirring. A film made with the material was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. The obtained spectrum shows a single peak at 438 nm, arising from the surface plasmon absorption of silver colloids. This result clearly indicates that silver nanoparticles are embedded in PVP. When the pre-treated PVP-Ag colloid is dissolved in ethylene glycol, the UV-vis spectrum of the resulting dispersion shows an absorption peak at 433 nm, whose maximum absorption blue shifts to 416 nm after 18 days of agitation. The silver nanoparticles have an average particle size of 4.12 nm. Because the IR band assigned to the carbonyl group of the PVP shifts to longer wavelengths, the interaction of this polymer with silver nanoparticles seems to take place through the carbonyl oxygen.     

Photoluminescence study of PVP capped CdS nanoparticles embedded in PVA matrix

Photoluminescence properties of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) capped cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol matrix (PVA) are reported. The PVP-CdS nanoparticles are prepared by non-aqueous method wherein cadmium nitrate is used as the cadmium source and hydrogen sulphide as the sulphur source. The synthesized nanoparticles are dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix and cast as self-standing flexible (PVP-CdS)-PVA films. The nanocomposites are characterized by optical absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. XRD and TEM studies show the formation of cubic CdS particles with average size ∼3-5 nm. Thermal studies, carried out to observe the changes in PVA matrix due to the incorporation of PVP-CdS nanoparticles show strong interaction between the polymer matrix and nanoparticles. The photoluminescence emission spectra of the nanocomposites show two peaks, at 502 and 636 nm, which are attributed to the band edge and surface defects respectively, of CdS nanoparticles. Effective surface capping with optimum concentration of polyvinyl pyrrolidone leads to the quenching of surface defect-related emission.     

Synthesis, characterization and fluorescence property of CdS/P(N-iPAAm) nanocomposites

A novel nanocomposite in which CdS nanoparticles were embedded in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (P(N-iPAAm)) matrix have been fabricated. The particle size of CdS nanoparticles ranged from 10 nm to 40 nm could be adjusted with the varying of the inorganic contents. The nanocomposites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra (FLS) measurements. The cell volume of CdS nanoparticles embedded in polymer matrix was smaller than the standard value and the nanocomposites with 12.0% inorganic content showed a good fluorescence property.     

Hydroxy propyl cellulose capped silver nanoparticles produced by simple dialysis process

Silver (Ag) nanoparticles (∼6 nm) were synthesized using a novel dialysis process. Silver nitrate was used as a starting precursor, ethylene glycol as solvent and hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC) introduced as a capping agent. Different batches of reaction mixtures were prepared with different concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO₃). After the reduction and aging, these solutions were subjected to ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UVS). Optimized solution, containing 250 mg AgNO₃ revealed strong plasmon resonance peak at ∼410 nm in the spectrum indicating good colloidal state of Ag nanoparticles in the diluted solution. The optimized solution was subjected to dialysis process to remove any unreacted solvent. UVS of the optimized solution after dialysis showed the plasmon resonance peak shifting to ∼440 nm indicating the reduction of Ag ions into zero-valent Ag. This solution was dried at 80 °C and the resultant HPC capped Ag (HPC/Ag) nanoparticles were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for their particle size and morphology. The particle size distribution (PSD) analysis of these nanoparticles showed skewed distribution plot with particle size ranging from 3 to 18 nm. The nanoparticles were characterized for phase composition using X-ray diffractrometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).     

Fabrication of PbS nanoparticle coated amorphous carbon nanotubes: Structural, thermal and field emission properties

A simple chemical route for the synthesis of PbS nanoparticle coated amorphous carbon nanotubes (aCNTs) was described. The nanocomposite was prepared from an aqueous suspension of acid functionalized aCNTs, lead acetate (PbAc), and thiourea (TU) at room temperature. The phase formation and composition of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray studies. The Fourier transformed infrared spectra analysis revealed the attachment of PbS nanoparticles on the acid functionalized aCNT surfaces. Morphology of the samples was analyzed with a field emission scanning electron microscope. UV-Vis study also confirmed the attachment of PbS nanoparticles on the walls of aCNTs. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed that the PbS coated aCNTs are more thermally stable than functionalized aCNTs. The PbS coated aCNTs showed enhanced field emission properties with a turn-on field 3.34 V μm⁻¹ and the result is comparable to that of pure crystalline CNTs.     

Properties of size-tuned PbS nanocrystals stabilized in a polymer template

Nanoclusters of PbS embedded in polymer matrices have recently been shown to have interesting optical properties with the capability of tuning the effective band gap over a wide spectral range. The results of a systematic investigation of the preparation and characterization of size-tuned PbS nanocrystals stabilized in the polymer nanotemplate of Nafion and their size-dependent physical properties are presented in this paper. These nanocrystals exhibit large characteristic blueshift in optical absorption from the bulk absorption onset value of 3020 nm. XRD and HRTEM measurements indicate the presence of PbS nanocrystals in the size range of 2-6 nm, in the regime of strong quantum confinement. Thermal and electrical properties of the polymer are found to be influenced to a great extent by the embedded PbS nanocrystals.     

Silver nanoparticles: Large scale solvothermal synthesis and optical properties

Silver nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by a simple and modified solvothermal method at large scale using ethanol as the refluxing solvent and NaBH₄ as reducing agent. The nanopowder was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-visible and BET surface area studies. XRD studies reveal the monophasic nature of these highly crystalline silver nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopic studies show the monodisperse and highly uniform nanoparticles of silver of the particle size of 5 nm, however, the size is found to be 7 nm using dynamic light scattering which is in good agreement with the TEM and X-ray line broadening studies. The surface area was found to be 34.5 m²/g. UV-visible studies show the absorption band at ∼425 nm due to surface plasmon resonance. The percentage yield of silver nanoparticles was found to be as high as 98.5%.     

Highly transparent o-PDA functionalized ZnS-polymer nanocomposite thin films with high refractive index

We prepared highly transparent nanocomposite films with high refractive index using fluorescent nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs). The as synthesized transparent solution of ZnS NQDs was blended with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) to prepare nanocomposite thin films. Morphological data, studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), revealed that NQDs were impregnated with polymer matrix and the size distributions (3.0 ± 0.30 nm) of them were preserved in the composite films. The nanocomposite films show high optical transparency (T > 95% at 400 nm and T > 98.5% at 750 nm) and the refractive index is satisfactorily increased (1.565 at 550 nm, 15 wt.% ZnS) compared to the base polymer (1.480 at 550 nm). The nanocomposite films show defectless fluorescence emissions as observed from NQDs before impregnation.     

Fabrication of nanocomposite particles with superparamagnetic and luminescent functionalities

A new kind of superparamagnetic luminescent nanocomposite particles has been synthesized using a modified Stöber method combined with an electrostatic assembly process. Fe₃O₄ superparamagnetic nanoparticles were coated with uniform silica shell, and then 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane was used to terminate the silica surface with amino groups. Finally, negatively charged CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were assembled onto the surface of the amino-terminated SiO₂/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles through electrostatic interactions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), microelectrophoresis, UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy and magnetometry were applied to characterize the nanocomposite particles. Dense CdSe QDs were immobilized on the silica surface. The thickness of silica shell was about 35 nm and the particle size of the final products was about 100 nm. The particles exhibited favorable superparamagnetic and photoluminescent properties.     

Selective synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence study of YPO4:Eu nanorods and nanoparticles

Two different morphological varieties of YPO₄:Eu³⁺ (nanorods and nanoparticles) have been synthesized by convenient template-assisted routes. A surfactant-mediated synthesis route generated the nanorods, while a complex based precursor solution method led to the formation of the nanoparticles. The nanorods have an average diameter of ∼33 nm and an average length of ∼290 nm, whereas the spherical nanoparticles show an average diameter of ∼34 nm. Upon photoluminescence study of the as-prepared samples, the chromaticity of the dopant ion was found to be sensitive to the host morphology as well as the preparative strategy adopted for sample fabrication.     

A facile method to prepare PbS nanorods

PbS nanorods with an average diameter of about 30 nm have been successfully prepared through a simple polyglycol-assisted route for the first time. The obtained PbS nanorods have been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electronic diffraction (SAED). Experiments show that polyglycol plays an important role for the control of the morphology of PbS nanostructures. The preliminary result of the UV-vis absorption spectrum of the PbS nanorods is also presented.     

Synthesis and anti-bacterial activity of Cu, Ag and Cu-Ag alloy nanoparticles: A green approach

Metallic and bimetallic nanoparticles of copper and silver in various proportions were prepared by microwave assisted chemical reduction in aqueous medium using the biopolymer, starch as a stabilizing agent. Ascorbic acid was used as the reducing agent. The silver and copper nanoparticles exhibited surface plasmon absorption resonance maxima (SPR) at 416 and 584 nm, respectively; while SPR for the Cu-Ag alloys appeared in between depending on the alloy composition. The SPR maxima for bimetallic nanoparticles changes linearly with increasing copper content in the alloy. Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) showed monodispersed particles in the range of 20 ± 5 nm size. Both silver and copper nanoparticles exhibited emission band at 485 and 645 nm, respectively. The starch-stabilized nanoparticles exhibited interesting antibacterial activity with both gram positive and gram negative bacteria at micromolar concentrations.     

Black tea leaf extract derived Ag nanoparticle-PVA composite film: Structural and dielectric properties

Biosynthesized metal (Ag) nanoparticles have been used to prepare high dielectric polymer composite film of technological importance. Different amounts of the tea leaf extract (E) (mother leaker prepared by soaking 2 g tea leaf in 100 ml boiled water for 3 min) were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles from 10⁻³ M AgNO₃ solution. Such a resultant solution containing Ag nanoparticles was mixed with 20 ml PVA solution (5 g PVA in 100 ml water) was used to make anhydrous Ag/PVA composite film where spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of average diameter 10 nm are well dispersed in the composite. The Ag particle size in the composite was found to enhance with the increase of E content in PVA. XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV–vis, TGA and DSC studies are made to characterize the nanoparticles. Detailed frequency and E concentration dependent electrical and dielectric properties of the nanocomposites have been made showing low loss (∼0.14) and high dielectric property of these films. Maximum value of dielectric permittivity (∼900 which is almost 170 times higher than that of pure PVA ∼ 5.2) have been observed for 15 ml E-AgNPs/PVA nanocomposite film at 1 kHz and room temperature. Present study establishes the importance of the biosynthesized metal nanoparticles for industrial applications as in capacitors.     

Rapid preparation, characterization, and photoluminescence of ZnO films by a novel chemical method

A novel and simple chemical route was developed for the deposition of ZnO film from aqueous solution, integrating the merits of successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction and chemical bath deposition. ZnO thin films on glass and Si(1 0 0) substrates were deposited with the precursor of zinc-ammonia complex. As-deposited ZnO film exhibits good crystallinity with the hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure and the preferential orientation along (0 0 2) plane. With a dense and continuous appearance, the film is composed of ZnO particles in even size of 200-300 nm. Under the excitation of 340 nm, strong and sharp near band gap emission (∼391 nm) dominates the photoluminescence spectra with several weak emission peaks related to the deep level (∼450-500 nm). In addition, the mechanism for the deposition process of ZnO from aqueous solution was preliminarily discussed.     

Novel nanocomposite concept based on cross-linking of hyperbranched polymers in reactive cellulose nanopaper templates

Cellulosic fibers offer interesting possibilities for good interfacial adhesion due to the high density of hydroxyl groups at the surface. In the present study, the potential of a new nanocomposite concept is investigated, where a porous cellulose nanofiber network is impregnated with a solution of reactive hyperbranched polyester. The polymer is chemically cross-linked to form a solid matrix. The resulting nanocomposite structure is unique. The matrix surrounds a tough nanopaper structure consisting of approximately 20 nm diameter nanofibers with an average interfiber distance of only about 6 nm. The cross-linked polymer matrix shows strongly altered characteristics when it is cross-linked in the confined space within the nanofiber network, including dramatically increased T_g, and this must be due to covalent matrix-nanofiber linkages.     

Preparation and properties of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles via sol-gel auto-combustion method

Using nickel and ferric nitrates and citric acid, NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles are prepared by a simple and cost-effective polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) assisted sol-gel auto-combustion method. The synthesised nanoparticles consist of single phase inverse spinel structure of NiFe₂O₄. The particles are in spherical shape with an average size of ∼8 nm. The vibrational properties show tetrahedral and octahedral sites of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. The super-paramagnetism is observed with magnetic saturation (M_s) of 50.4 emug^−1.     

Synthesis of ZnO flowers and their photoluminescence properties

Flower-like ZnO nano/microstructures have been synthesized by thermal treatment of Zn(NH₃)₄²⁺ precursor in aqueous solvent, using ammonia as the structure directing agent. A number of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scan electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the obtained ZnO structures. The photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicated that the as-synthesized ZnO structures showed UV (∼375 nm), blue (∼465 nm), and yellow (∼585 nm) emission bands when they were excited by a He-Gd laser using 320 nm as the excitation source. Furthermore, it has been interestingly found that the intensity of light emission at ∼585 nm remarkably decreased when the obtained ZnO nanocrystals were annealed at 600 °C for 3 h in air. The reason might be the possible oxygen vacancies and interstitials in the sample decreased at high temperature.     

Size-dependent optical and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline ZnS thin films synthesized via rf-magnetron sputtering technique

Nanocrystalline ZnS thin films have been synthesized by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique on glass and Si substrates at a substrate temperature 300 K. X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction studies confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline cubic phase of ZnS in the films, although the target material was hexagonal ZnS. The particle size, calculated from the XRD patterns of the thin films was found in the range 2.06-4.86 nm. TEM micrographs of the thin films revealed the manifestation of ZnS nanoparticles with sizes in the range 3.00-5.83 nm. UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometric measurements showed that the films were highly transparent (∼90%) in the wavelength range 400-2600 nm with a blue shift of the absorption edge. The direct allowed bandgaps have been calculated and they lie in the range 3.89-4.44 eV. The particle size, calculated from the shift of direct bandgap, due to quantum confinement effect lying in the range 3.23-5.60 nm, well support the TEM results. The room temperature photoluminescence spectra of the films showed two peaks centered around 315 and 450 nm. We assigned the first peak due to bandgap transitions while the latter was due to sulfur vacancy in the films. The composition analysis by energy dispersive X-rays also supported the existence of sulfur deficiency in the films. The dielectric property study showed high dielectric constant (85-100) at a higher frequency (>5 kHz).     

Growth of PbS nanopyramidal particulate films for potential applications in quantum-dot photovoltaics and nanoantennas

We report a simple interfacial process called the liquid-liquid interface reaction technique (LLIRT) that leads to the formation of nanosized PbS particulate films with hitherto unreported pyramidal morphology. The resultant PbS films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffractometery (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The pyramidal morphology is speculated to originate from the preferred orientation of the 2 2 0 plane of cubic PbS. Our nanopyramidal PbS particulate films display remarkably sharp excitonic peak centered around 656 nm that accounts for a band gap of 1.8 eV suggesting, in turn, their potential application in QD photovoltaics. Interestingly, the feasibility of such nanopyramids to potentially act as nanoantennas (as revealed by the NSOM) is also suggested.