An easy route to prepare carbon black-silver hybrid catalysts for electro-catalytic oxidation of hydrazine

Carbon black-silver hybrid catalysts were easily synthesized by a mixing method of acid-oxidized carbon black and the colloidal dispersion of silver nanoparticles. The silver colloidal dispersion was pre-synthesized by a chemical reduction of silver nitrate by dimethyl sulfoxide in the presence of trisodium citrate dihydrate as capping agents. In the mixing method, approx. 6.0 nm diameters of silver nanoparticles with face-centered cubic crystal structures are highly dispersed on the acid-oxidized carbon blacks due to the surface reactivity resulting from the enhancement of oxygen-containing functional groups. The hybrid catalysts were examined for electro-catalytic activity towards oxidation of hydrazine. The results clearly show that the carbon black-silver hybrid catalysts are highly active for electro-catalytic oxidation of hydrazine.     

Cytotoxicity properties of functionalised carbon nanotubes on pathogenic bacteria

Nanobiotechnology is a promising field concerned with the using of engineered nanomaterials, which leads to the improvement of new human remedial against pathogenic bacteria modalities. In this work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared by an easy, cheap and low‐cost electro‐chemical method. The AgNPs were then loaded successfully on to multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using a modified chemical reaction process. The AgNPs on the MWCNTs were well spread and evenly distributed on the surfaces of the long nanotubes with well‐graphitised walls as examined by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used for sample characterisation. Good dispersion of AgNPs was obtained on the surface of MWCNTs, resulting in an efficient reactivity of the carbon nanotubes surfaces. Finally, the antibacterial activity of AgNPs/MWCNTs hybrid was evaluated against two pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus exhibited excellent activity.Inspec keywords: nanocomposites, X‐ray diffraction, nanofabrication, nanoparticles, transmission electron microscopy, toxicology, silver, antibacterial activity, microorganisms, nanomedicine, multi‐wall carbon nanotubes, electrochemistryOther keywords: engineered nanomaterials, human remedial, pathogenic bacteria modalities, silver nanoparticles, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, modified chemical reaction process, well‐graphitised walls, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, cytotoxicity properties, functionalised carbon nanotubes, carbon nanotube surfaces, nanobiotechnology, low‐cost electrochemical method, AgNP‐MWCNT hybrid, X‐ray diffraction, antibacterial activity, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Ag‐C     

Lithium insertion into the composites of acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes and tin oxide

Lithium intercalation into the composites of acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes and tin oxide was studied in an electrolyte system, 1 M solution of LiPF₆ dissolved in a 50:50 mixture by volume of ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The electrochemical method that is constant current charge–discharge test was used for electrochemical properties of the acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes and tin oxide. The nanocomposites show higher specific capacities than the acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes and better cyclability than SnO₂, and the improvement is believed to be due to the improved maintainability of high dispersion of SnO₂ in the carbon nanotubes. The second cycle de-lithiation capacity of 255 mAh/g from the nanocomposites was nevertheless reduced to 250 mAh/g after 50 deep charge and discharge cycles, and the nanocomposites of acid-oxidized carbon nanotubes and SnO₂ may be considered as a candidate anode material for Li-ion batteries.     

Photochemical synthesis and characterization of Ag/TiO2 nanotube composites

TiO₂ nanotubes were fabricated by a hydrothermal method. Silver nanoparticles with diameters around 3–5 nm were loaded onto the surface of TiO₂ nanotubes via a deposition approach followed by a photochemical reduction process under ultraviolet irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N₂ adsorption measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis), and fluorescence spectroscopy (FL) were applied to characterize the as-prepared Ag/TiO₂ nanotube composites. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared materials was investigated by photodegrading of methyl orange. The results showed that silver particles were in zero oxidation state and highly dispersed on the surface of TiO₂ nanotubes when the concentration of Ag⁺ was low. The presence of metallic silver can help the electron-hole separation by attracting photoelectrons. The Ag/TiO₂ nanotube composites with a suitable amount of silver showed a further improvement on the photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange in water.     

Deposition of metallic nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes via a fast evaporation process

A new technique was developed for the deposition of colloidal metal nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes. It involves fast evaporation of a suspension containing sonochemically functionalized carbon nanotubes and colloidal nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that metallic nanoparticles with different sizes and concentrations can be deposited on the carbon nanotubes with only a few agglomerates. The technique does not seem to be limited by what the nanoparticles are, and therefore would be applicable to the deposition of other nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes. PtPd and CoPt(3) alloy nanoparticles were used to demonstrate the deposition process. It was found that the surfactants used to disperse the nanoparticles can hinder the nanoparticle deposition. When the nanoparticles were washed with ethanol, they could be well deposited on the carbon nanotubes. The obtained carbon nanotube supported metal nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry.     

Decoration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with silver nanoparticles and investigation on its colloid stability

In this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were decorated with silver nanoparticles which have been successfully synthesized by chemical reduction of Ag cations on the acid treated MWCNTs surface by sodium hydroxide. Ag/MWCNTs were characterized by TEM and XRD. The results indicated that silver nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed on the outer surface of MWCNTs. The dispersibility of pristine, acid treated and decorated carbon nanotubes in distilled water were investigated by zeta potential and optical image. The results revealed that the dispersion of acid treated carbon nanotubes in distilled water was better than those of pristine MWCNTs and Ag/MWCNTs.     

Electrorheological analysis of colloidal dispersions of aluminum oxide and silicone oil

The electrorheological properties of colloidal dispersions of aluminum oxide nanotubes and nanoparticles in silicone oil were investigated. The shear storage modulus of colloidal dispersions containing 5 wt% of aluminum oxide nanotubes increased by four orders of magnitude upon the application of an external electric field of as low as 400 V/mm. The storage modulus of the nanotube systems increased further by increasing the concentration of nanotubes. The electrorheological response of aluminum oxide nanoparticles dispersions was significantly lower than that of the dispersions containing the same weight fraction of aluminum oxide nanotubes at the same external electric field. This result reflects the effect of shape anisotropy on the electrorheological features of colloidal dispersions.     

Effects of surface sterilisation with green synthesised silver nanoparticles on Lamiaceae seeds

Nanoparticles have been used in many areas of biotechnology. In this study, an alternative surface sterilisation method was established for plant tissue cultures. Silver nanoparticles synthesised via green synthesis were used for the surface sterilisation of Lamiaceae seeds (Salvia farinecae, Ocimum basilicum – Large Leaf Italian, Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens). Water extracts of dried Alkanna tinctorum rhizomes and Syzygium aromaticum flowers were utilised in the bioreduction of silver ions. The seeds were exposed to 0, 1, 7, 14 and 28 day‐old colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles and their effects on germination and surface sterilisation were determined. Fresh (0 and 1 day‐old) colloidal solutions of silver nanoparticles were found very effective on surface sterilisation (100%). Moreover, they showed no negative effect on both germination and morphology of plantlets. It was shown that silver nanoparticles can be used as a surface sterilisation agent and they have no adverse effects on seed germination and in vitro plantlet growth.Inspec keywords: nanoparticles, microorganisms, sterilisation (microbiological), silver, nanofabrication, antibacterial activity, colloids, nanobiotechnology, agricultureOther keywords: green synthesised silver nanoparticles, Lamiaceae seeds, silver ions, surface sterilisation agent, seed germination, colloidal solutions, surface sterilisation method, Ag     

A novel synthesis route of Ag2S nanotubes by sulfidizing silver nanowires in ambient atmosphere

In this study, a 'two-step' strategy of synthesizing nanoparticles-assembled Ag,S nanotubes with a diameter of less than 100 nm is developed. At first, the silver nanowires with uniform length and diameter were synthesized by polyol reduction method using PVP as a capping agent. Then, the resulting silver nanowires were exposed to the ambient atmosphere of laboratory, gradually sulfidized by sulfur-containing molecules in air, and eventually transformed into nanoparticles-assembled Ag2S nanotubes. The morphologic changes during the sulfidation process from Ag nanowires to Ag2S nanotubes were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is revealed that Ag2S nanoparticles are initially formed on the surface of Ag nanowire by sulfidation, and subsequently linked together into Ag,S nanotube. Quantitative analyses of energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) show that the as-synthesized products are monoclinic alpha-Ag2S nanotubes. In addition, there is strong evidence that the polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) plays an important role as a soft template in the formation of Ag2S nanotubes. A new absorption peak at 573 nm appears in the optical absorption spectra when the Ag2S nanotubes are formed.     

Dispersion and rheology of carbon nanotubes in polymers

We review two generic mechanisms of dispersion of carbon nanotubes in a low-viscosity solvent or high-viscosity polymer, focusing on the neat nanotubes not surface-functionalized in any way. We give estimates of the van der Waals energies involved in nanotube aggregates and examine two main techniques: ultrasonication and shear mixing. For ultrasonic dispersion methods, the local mechanical energy applied to individual tubes is high and bundle separation is assured in the cavitation regime. We analyze and estimate the tube scission during ultrasonic cavitation and predict the characteristic nanotube length L _lim below which scission does not occur. For shear-mixing, our analysis suggests that dispersion is possible in non-parallel bundled nanotube aggregates, in high-viscosity polymers, once a critical mixing time t* is reached. We then examine characteristic features of nanotube-polymer composite rheology and its aging/stability against re-aggregation. We show that at nanotube loading above overlap concentration the tubes form an elastic network in the matrix. Physical junctions of this network are strong and stable enough to provide a rubber-like elastic response with very slow relaxation.     

The influence of carbon nanotube functionalization route on the efficiency of dispersion in polypropylene by twin-screw extrusion

The joint effect of chemical functionalization and polymer melt blending conditions on carbon nanotube dispersion in polypropylene, as well as its influence on the electrical and mechanical properties of the resulting composites were investigated. Melt blending was performed using a prototype twin screw extruder enabling sampling along the barrel. The carbon nanotube dispersion was assessed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The functionalization reaction was tailored for compatibility with the polymer, and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In particular, nanotubes covalently bonded to polypropylene showed distinctive dispersion ability, while the carbon nanotube dispersion remained stable even after re-melting. However, the polypropylene-functionalized nanotubes produced composites with higher electrical resistivity, possibly due to the insulating effect of the polymer bonded to the nanotubes surface.     

Coating and filling of carbon nanotubes with homogeneous magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were obtained by decoration of metal oxide nanoparticles on or in carbon nanotubes. The method involved the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes in iron pentacarbonyl Fe(CO)₅ followed by vacuum thermolysis and subsequent oxidation. The magnetic iron oxide particle deposition was always homogeneous and could be controlled selectively on the outer, inner, or both surfaces of MWCNTs by using different MWCNTs. Since the hollow channels remained intact, these MWCNT based composites could find special applications in cellular delivery systems.     

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.     

Electrophoretic transport in surfactant nanotube networks wired on microfabricated substrates

Nanofluidic devices are rapidly emerging as tools uniquely suited to transport and interrogate single molecules. We present a simple method to rapidly obtain compact surfactant nanotube networks of controlled geometry and length. The nanotubes, 100-300 nm in diameter, are pulled from lipid vesicles using a micropipet technique, with multilamellar vesicles serving as reservoirs of surfactant material. In a second step, the nanotubes are wired around microfabricated SU-8 pillars. In contrast to unrestrained surfactant networks that minimize their surface free energy by minimizing nanotube path length, the technique presented here can produce nanotube networks of arbitrary geometries. For example, nanotubes can be mounted directly on support pillars, and long stretches of nanotubes can be arranged in zigzag patterns with turn angles of 180 degrees. The system is demonstrated to support electrophoretic transport of colloidal particles contained in the nanotubes down to the limit of single particles. We show that electrophoretic migration velocity is linearly dependent on the applied field strength and that a local narrowing of the nanotube diameter results from adhesion and bending around SU-8 pillars. The method presented here can aid in the fabrication of fully integrated and multiplexed nanofluidic devices that can operate with single molecules.     

用于复合材料增强体的多壁纳米碳管化学镀镍

纳米碳管由于其特有的高强度、高韧性,成为一种富有潜力的复合材料增强体。通过对纳米碳管的化学镀镍,可以得到连续、一致的镀层(20 nm~30 nm)。TEM观察表明:在化学镀镍的前期,金属镍主要以纳米颗粒的形式沉积到纳米碳管表面的催化中心;随着镀镍时间的延长,镀层逐渐加厚,并且连接在一起,成为连续的镀层。在化学镀过程中,纳米碳管曲率的影响不明显,关键在于预处理后催化中心的分布情况。     

Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide/carbon nanotube composites

A composite material of zinc oxide and carbon nanotubes were successfully synthesized via a sol process using zinc acetate dihydrate and treated multi-wall carbon nanotubes under microwave irradiation. The morphology, microstructure and chemical bonding of as-obtained composites were well characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were dispersively coated on the surface of carbon nanotube when the precursor was dried under microwave irradiation without post-annealing. X-ray diffraction results obviously showed the mixture of two phases of carbon nanotube and wurzite zinc oxide whose size is approximately 15 nm. The formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles on carbon nanotube surface in the composite prepared by microwave heating is much better than the composite heated by conventional annealing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic results suggest that carboxylic groups and uniform heating by microwave heating could play key roles on the nucleation of zinc oxide on carbon nanotube surface.     

Reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of bacteria on aggregated silver nanoparticles

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is proven to be a powerful technique for rapid identification and discrimination of microorganisms. However, due to the heterogeneous nature of the samples, the acquisition of reproducible spectra hinders the further development of the technique. In this study, we demonstrate the influence of the experimental conditions on SERS spectra. Then, we report a simple sample preparation method coupled with a light microscope attached to a Raman spectrometer to find a proper spot on the sample to acquire reproducible SERS spectra. This method utilizes the excited surface plasmons of the aggregated silver nanoparticles to visualize the spots on the sample. The samples are prepared using the concentrated silver colloidal solutions. The collection time for one spectrum is 10 s and each spectrum is a very good representative of the other spectra acquired from the same sample. The nature of the surface charge of the silver nanoparticles influences the spectral features by determining the strength of the interactions between nanoparticles and bacteria and the aggregation properties of the nanoparticles. Although increasing the colloid concentration in the sample resulted in reproducible spectra from arbitrary points on the sample, a great variation from sample to sample prepared with the different colloidal solution concentrations is observed.     

PA6／碳纳米管复合材料的复合方法的研究

ＣＶＤ法生产的碳纳米管经处理后呈纳米级分散，且表面产生大量的－ＯＨ官能团。碳纳米管与ＰＡ６（尼龙６）复合时，将通过其表面的－ＯＨ参加ＰＡ６的聚合反应，并阻碍ＰＡ６分子链的长大，削弱基体的强度。选择适当的复合方法，在尽量减少碳纳米管对ＰＡ６分子长大阻碍的基础上，改善碳纳米管在基体ＰＡ６中的分散，并进行后处理，可获得机能性能较好的ＰＡ６／碳纳米管复合材料。     

Rheological behavior of carbon nanotube and graphite nanoparticle dispersions

Dispersions containing nanoparticles (nanofluids) are mixtures with unique properties, and their transport properties depend on the three-dimensional network or microstructure of the nanoparticles, which can be affected by various factors including shear stress, particle loading, and temperature. In this research, we studied the rheological behaviors of dispersions containing two different carbon morphologies: multiwalled carbon nanotubes (rodlike nanoparticles with L/D = 30), and graphite particles (disklike nanoparticles with L/D = 0.025). All nanofluids showed shear thinning behavior in steady shear measurements and those containing nanotubes had lower power law indices than graphite dispersions. Shear stress broke down the microstructure network and oriented both rodlike and disklike nanoparticles in the dispersions. The presence of a modest amount of nanotubes in the graphite nanofluid affected the microstructure of the dispersion and caused a remarkable decrease in its power law index. Microstructures of nanofluids strongly depended on the dispersant chemistry used to stabilize the particles, and high temperature may cause dispersant failure. Mechanical methods for dispersing the particles affected the geometry of the nanoparticles and therefore the rheological properties of the nanofluids. In the creep recovery tests, the compliance of graphite nanofluids quickly returned to zero when the stress was removed, while nanotube dispersion with high nanotube loading showed an elastic response during recovery. These results suggest that the microstructure in the dispersions is affected by nanoparticle morphology, dispersant chemistry, and shear stress.     

A Superior Method for Constructing Electrical Percolation Network of Nanocomposite Fibers: In Situ Thermally Reduced Silver Nanoparticles

Nanocomposite fibers, composed of conductive nanoparticles and polymer matrix, are crucial for wearable electronics. However, the nanoparticle mixing approach results in aggregation and dispersion problems. A revolutionary synthesis method by premixing silver precursor ions (silver ammonium acetate) with polyvinyl alcohol is reported here. The solvation of ions‐prevented aggregation, and uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles (in situ AgNPs, 77 nm) are formed after thermal reduction (155 °C) without using additional reducing or dispersion agents. The conductive fiber is synthesized by the wet spinning technology. After careful optimization, flower‐shaped silver nanoparticles (AgNFs, 350–450 nm) are also employed as cofillers. The addition of in situ AgNPs (9.5 vol%) to AgNFs (30 vol%) increases electrical conductivity by 1434% (2090 to 32 064 S cm^?1) through the efficient construction of percolation networks. The in situ AgNPs provide significantly higher conductivity compared with other secondary nanoparticle fillers. The gaseous byproducts dramatically increase flexibility with a moderate compromise in tensile strength (55 MPa). The particle‐free ion‐level uniform mixing of silver precursors, followed by in situ reduction, would be a fundamental paradigm shift in nanocomposite synthesis.