CdS and CdTeS quantum dot decorated TiO2 nanowires. Synthesis and photoefficiency

An easy process was developed to synthesize TiO(2) nanowires sensitized with CdS and CdTeS quantum dots (QDs) requiring no pretreatment of the TiO(2) nanowires prior to nanoparticle generation. CdS and CdTeS nanoparticles were firstly grown by an in situ colloidal method directly onto the TiO(2) surface, hence not requiring subsequent functionalization of the QDs. The resulting nanostructure assembly and composition was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Successful decoration of the TiO(2) nanowires by the QDs was observed by TEM, while XPS spectra provided clear evidence for the coexistence of CdS and CdTeS QDs and TiO(2) nanowires. The electronic structure of the TiO(2) nanowires was preserved as indicated by Raman spectroscopy. Preliminary photocurrent measurements showed that inclusion of Te in CdS QDs improved the photocurrent efficiency. Compared to bare TiO(2) nanowires, CdS/TiO(2) nanoassemblies showed an enhancement in photocurrent efficiency of 300% while CdTeS/TiO(2) presented an improvement of 350%. This study indicates that the generation of strongly anchored CdS and CdTeS QDs on a TiO(2) nanowire surface is achievable without introduction of a linker molecule, whose presence is known to decrease the electron injection efficiency.     

In situ electrostatic assembly of CdS nanoparticles onto aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution

A simple method is described for the electrostatic assembly of CdS nanoparticles onto oxidized aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in aqueous solution. The method is convenient to control and allows the formation of a stable, water-soluble suspension of CdS/aligned-MWCNT heterostructures. The prepared CdS/aligned-MWCNT heterostructures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). The fluorescence and UV absorption spectral properties of the hybrid material demonstrate electron transfer from CdS nanoparticles to aligned-MWCNTs, which implies its potential applications in photovoltaic cells, photocatalysis, and solar energy conversion.     

水溶性Cu∶CdTe/CdS核壳量子点的合成、表征及细胞毒性检测

采用水相法合成了Cu掺杂CdTe量子点,并用CdS壳层进行包覆,得到了Cu∶CdTe/CdS核壳结构量子点。采用荧光发射光谱(FL)、紫外可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)、透射电镜(TEM)以及能谱仪(EDS)等手段对CdTe量子点和Cu∶CdTe/CdS核壳量子点进行了表征。研究了不同Cu掺杂浓度、CdS壳层生长时间以及Cd/硫脲物质的量比对Cu∶CdTe掺杂量子点光学性能的影响,并采用人成骨肉瘤细胞(MG-63细胞)对样品做了细胞毒性分析。研究结果表明:通过掺杂和包壳的步骤,合成的Cu∶CdTe/CdS核壳量子点在CdTe量子点的基础上实现了荧光发射红移,荧光强度提高,以及细胞毒性降低。     

Fluorescent magnetic hybrid nanoprobe for multimodal bioimaging

A fluorescent magnetic hybrid imaging nanoprobe (HINP) was fabricated by the conjugation of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and visible light emitting (～600 nm) fluorescent CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs). The assembly strategy used the covalent linking of the oxidized dextran shell of magnetic particles to the glutathione ligands of QDs. The synthesized HINP formed stable water-soluble colloidal dispersions. The structure and properties of the particles were characterized by transmission electron and atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, optical absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, and fluorescent imaging. The luminescence imaging region of the nanoprobe was extended to the near-infrared (NIR) (～800 nm) by conjugation of the superparamagnetic nanoparticles with synthesized CdHgTe/CdS QDs. Cadmium, mercury based QDs in HINP can be easily replaced by novel water-soluble glutathione stabilized AgInS2/ZnS QDs to present a new class of cadmium-free multimodal imaging agents. The observed NIR photoluminescence of fluorescent magnetic nanocomposites supports their use for bioimaging. The developed HINP provides dual-imaging channels for simultaneous optical and magnetic resonance imaging.     

Large-scale preparation of CdS quantum dots by direct thermolysis of a single-source precursor

CdS quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized on a large scale, based on the direct thermolysis of one single-source precursor, (Me(4)N)(4)[S(4)Cd(10)(SPh)(16)], in hexadecylamine (HDA). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations show that the CdS QDs are well-defined, nearly spherical particles. The clear lattice fringes in high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images confirm the crystalline nature of the QDs. The broad diffraction in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and diffuse diffraction rings of the selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern are typical of nanomeric-size particles and indicative of the hexagonal phase of CdS QDs. The absorption spectra confirm quantum confinement of CdS QDs. The synthesis process for CdS QDs was investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the nucleation and growth stages were separated automatically in a homogeneous system.     

Biotemplated preparation of CdS nanoparticles/bacterial cellulose hybrid nanofibers for photocatalysis application

In this work, we describe a novel facile and effective strategy to prepare micrometer-long hybrid nanofibers by deposition of CdS nanoparticles onto the substrate of hydrated bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BCF). Hexagonal phase CdS nanocrystals were achieved via a simple hydrothermal reaction between CdCl(2) and thiourea at relatively low temperature. The prepared pristine BCF and the CdS/BCF hybrid nanofibers were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results reveal that the CdS nanoparticles were homogeneously deposited on the BCF surface and stabilized via coordination effect. The CdS/BCF hybrid nanofibers demonstrated high-efficiency photocatalysis with 82% methyl orange (MO) degradation after 90 min irradiation and good recyclability. The results indicate that the CdS/BCF hybrid nanofibers are promising candidate as robust visible light responsive photocatalysts.     

Synthesis of N-acetyl-L-cysteine-capped ZnCdSe quantum dots via hydrothermal method and their characterization

Compared with the most studied green-red emitting (530–650 nm) quantum dots (QDs), the preparation of short-wavelength-emitting QDs remains difficult. Besides, one of the representative short-wavelength QDs materials, ZnCdSe, has a shortcoming of high content of toxic cadmium metal. In this paper, we report the synthesis of high-quality water-soluble ZnCdSe QDs via optimized one-step hydrothermal method with a new thiol as ligand, within a short time of 65 min. The emission wavelength of prepared QDs is tunable in the range of 425–540 nm by merely controlling the molar ratio of Cd:Zn or Se:Zn, and the quantum yield reaches 35%. More importantly, the maximum Cd:Zn molar ratio has been reduced to 0.04:1.0, much lower than that reported in the literature (0.5:1.0), resulting in excellent biological compatibility of prepared QDs and thus their promising applications in biological fields. Moreover, the transmission electron microscopy was employed to examine the effect of Cd:Zn ratio on the size of prepared ZnCdSe QDs, which were also characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron diffraction spectroscopy.     

Assembly of CdS quantum dots onto mesoscopic TiO(2) films for quantum dot-sensitized solar cell applications

Colloidal cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) were prepared and surface modified by mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) to render a surface with carboxylic acid groups (MSA-CdS). The MSA-CdS QDs were then assembled onto bare TiO(2) mesoporous films using the carboxylic groups/TiO(2) interaction. The TiO(2) film was also surface modified by 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) or 3-aminopropyl-methyl diethoxysilane (APMDS) to prepare, respectively, a thiol (-SH) or amino (-NH(2)) terminated surface for binding with the CdS QDs. The experimental results showed that the MPTMS-modified film has the highest adsorption rate and adsorption amount to the CdS QDs, attributable to the strong thiol/CdS interaction. In contrast, the adsorption rate and incorporated amount of the QDs on the bare TiO(2) film are much lower than for the silane-modified films. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) obtained for the CdS-sensitized TiO(2) electrode was about 20% (at 400?nm) for the bare TiO(2), 13% for the MPTMS-TiO(2), and 6% for APMDS-TiO(2). The current-voltage measurement under dark conditions reveals a higher dark current on the MPTMS-?and APMDS-modified electrodes, indicating a lower coverage ratio of CdS on these TiO(2) films. This result is attributed to the fast adsorption rate of CdS QDs on the bottleneck of a mesopore which inhibits the transport of the QDs deep into the inner region of a pore. For the bare TiO(2) film, the lower incorporated amount of CdS but higher energy conversion efficiency indicates the formation of a better-covered CdS QDs monolayer. The moderate adsorption rate of MSA-CdS QDs using the carboxylic acid/TiO(2) interaction is responsible for the efficient assembly of QDs onto the mesoporous TiO(2) films.     

Assembly of fullerenol particles on carbon nanotubes through poly (acryloyl chloride)

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/fullerenol composites were prepared through a facile method. Poly (acryloyl chloride) (PACl) was first grafted onto oxidized MWCNTs through the reaction between the acyl chloride groups of PACl with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of MWCNTs. The PACl with multiple acyl chloride groups provided more active points for further reactions. Subsequently, the remaining acyl chloride groups of PACl were allowed to react with the hydroxyl groups of fullerenols leading to the covalent attachment of the latter onto the grafted PACl chain. The MWCNTs/fullerenol composites thus obtained were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).     

The synthesis and fluorescence quenching properties of well soluble hybrid graphene material covalently functionalized with indolizine

Chemically functionalized graphene-indolizine functionalized graphene (IMG) sheets, which can be well dispersed in different organic solvents over four months without obvious aggregation, are obtained through a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to graphene with pyridinium ylide. The properties of IMG sheets are investigated using a thorough set of measurements including UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), and a tagging technique has exhibited the distribution of functional groups on the graphene surface. The IMG sheets show very strong quenching by a factor of ～ 93.4% to that of indolizine, which is attributed to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from indolizine molecules to few-layer graphene sheets. The CV method also proved the catalytic properties of IMG sheets in some redox systems.     

氧化石墨烯/β-环糊精超分子杂化体的制备及表征

利用有机合成技术及超分子自组装技术逐级合成了一种新颖的石墨烯基超分子杂化纳米材料,并利用红外(FT-IR)、X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)和扫描电镜(SEM)等确认了产物的结构.同时,热重(TG)研究表明:在50~400℃的测试范围内,源于界面相互作用的提高,逐级引入的有机基团显著增加氧化石墨烯衍生物的热稳定性能.该材料在开发具有新颖性能的石墨烯基有机无机杂化复合材料具有一定的实践意义及理论价值.     

One pot graphene-based nanocontainers as effective anticorrosion agents in epoxy-based coatings

A novel nanocontainer using graphene oxide nanoscrolls (GONS) as shell and benzotriazole (BTA) as core is proposed and embedded in epoxy coating for the corrosion protection of carbon steel. BTA/GONS nanocontainer is effectively fabricated by a modified shock-cooling approach. The hybrid material takes the specific shape of graphene oxide sheet spirally wrapped into scroll structure, acting as favorable physical barrier to afford encapsulation performance. A high uptake and storage of BTA in GONS is achieved, showing a loading capacity of 78.40%. The fantastically scrolled structure also provides an effective network to well control the BTA liberation during long-term immersion. The transport of BTA is diverse with pH values. The maximum release capacity of BTA occurs in neutral condition, larger than that in acid or alkaline environment. The liberation for up to 456 h exhibits the steady releasing characteristics of the containers. The corrosion inhibition performance of BTA/GNOS containers was mainly evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In comparison with, the reference epoxy coating, the one modified by BTA/GNOS nanocontainers demonstrate more excellent anticorrosion ability. The successful embedding and homogeneous distribution of BTA-loaded GNOS nanocontainers in epoxy film contributes to the improvement in the corrosion resistance of Q235 carbon steel and the self-healing performance of the coating.     

Preparation, characterization, and fluorescence properties of well-dispersed core–shell CdS/carbon nanoparticles

The core–shell CdS-carbon (CdS/C) nanoparticles were synthesized for the first time via a facile pyrolysis approach of bis(β-mercaptoethanol)-cadmium(II) as a single-source precursor. After using acid treatment method, well-dispersed and homogeneous core–shell CdS/C nanoparticles were obtained. The morphology, structure, and properties of CdS/C nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and fluorescence spectroscopy. Most of the prepared nanoparticles presented core–shell structures with core diameter of ~10 nm and shell thickness of ~4 nm. The CdS core belonged to hexagonal crystal system. The carbon shell was employed as a good dispersion medium to form well-dispersed small sized CdS particles. XRD and XPS results revealed that there is an interaction between CdS core and carbon shell. Fluorescence measurement showed that the monodispersed CdS-carbon nanoparticles exhibit remarkable fluorescence enhancement effect compared with that of the pristine CdS nanoparticles, which indicates the prepared nanoparticles are a promising photoresponsive material.     

Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic properties of CdS nanoparticles dotted on the surface of carbon nanotubes

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles dotted on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been synthesized by the polyol method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller adsorption analysis. The results indicate that CdS nanoparticles with diameter of 5-8?nm are thickly and uniformly coated on the surface of the MWCNTs. The photodegradation of azo dye using these materials was evaluated by the degradation of Brilliant Red X-3B under visible light. The coated nanotubes show higher photocatalytic activity than both CdS alone and a CdS/activated carbon sample; in addition, there is an optimum content of MWCNTs. The presence of MWCNTs can also hamper the photocorrosion of CdS. The mechanism for the enhancement of MWCNTs on the adsorption and photocatalytic property of CdS is investigated for the first time.     

石墨烯/CdS量子点复合材料的电化学性能研究

原位合成法制备石墨烯/CdS量子点复合材料, 并考察其作为锂离子电池负极材料的电化学性能. 交流阻抗揭示电解质在石墨烯/CdS量子点复合材料表面形成稳定的SEI膜, 首次放电比容量达1264.7mAh/g, 循环20次后可逆容量为888.9mAh/g. 结果显示CdS量子点提高了石墨烯结构的稳定和层间传导性, 从而导致复合材料的电化学性能明显优于单独的石墨烯材料.     

自支撑氮掺杂石墨烯纸柔性电极的制备及其储锂性能的研究

以氧化石墨烯(GO)为原料,尿素为氮掺杂剂,采用固/气界面水热反应的方式,即在反应釜内将GO抽滤得到的氧化石墨烯纸(GOP)与尿素分解产生的氨蒸气相互作用,成功制备出自支撑氮掺杂石墨烯纸(NGP)。通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、拉曼光谱(RS)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和电化学测试对样品进行形貌结构及电化学性能的表征。测试结果表明:水热条件下尿素能有效地实现氧化石墨烯纸的氮掺杂,氮掺杂量为7.89%;氮掺杂石墨烯纸在100mA/g和500mA/g的电流密度下,充放电循环100周之后,放电比容量可分别保持在288mAh/g和190mAh/g。采用改进的固/气界面水热反应法制备的氮掺杂石墨烯纸较未掺杂石墨烯纸可逆比容量提高了近2.5倍,具有良好的循环稳定性,可为制备高性能的柔性锂离子电池负极材料提供新方法。     

Immobilization of carbon nanotubes on functionalized graphene film grown by chemical vapor deposition and characterization of the hybrid material

We report the surface functionalization of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition and fabrication of a hybrid material combining multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene (CNT–G). Amine-terminated self-assembled monolayers were prepared on graphene by the UV-modification of oxidized groups introduced onto the film surface. Amine-termination led to effective interaction with functionalized CNTs to assemble a CNT–G hybrid through covalent bonding. Characterization clearly showed no defects of the graphene film after the immobilization reaction with CNT. In addition, the hybrid graphene material revealed a distinctive CNT–G structure and p–n type electrical properties. The introduction of functional groups on the graphene film surface and fabrication of CNT–G hybrids with the present technique could provide an efficient, novel route to device fabrication.     

纤维素/CdS纳米复合材料的声化学制备及其光电性能

以无水氯化镉和硫化钠为原料,微晶纤维素MCC为模板,采用声化学法成功制备MCC/CdS纳米复合材料.用原子力显微镜(AFM),X射线衍射(XRD),荧光光谱(PL)以及光电化学实验对复合材料的结构及性能进行表征.研究表明,粒径为30-70nm的CdS粒子均匀分布于微晶纤维素表面,所得CdS粒子为立方型晶体.PL光谱分析...     

Highly enhanced solar conversion efficiency of novel layer-by-layer PbS:Hg and CdS quantum dots-sensitized ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel spin coating

Owing to superior optical properties, ZnO thin films have immense potential in solar cell preparation. ZnO thin films were prepared by sol–gel technology. However, this is prolonged technique and it necessitates a complex precursor solution. In the present work, ZnO thin films are prepared by sol–gel spin coating with simple precursor, zinc acetate. A very remarkable feature of the method is that polycrystalline, non-abrasive and translucent films were obtained. Additionally, novel PbS:Hg quantum dots (QDs) and CdS QDs are successfully synthesized. Moreover, both types of QDs are deposited layer-by-layer over pure ZnO and Ag:ZnO thin films. The films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, and crystallinity continuation is observed even after the addition of QDs layer. Presence of synthesized QDs over thin films is also confirmed. The films were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Uniform, dense and porous surface morphology is clearly revealed. Sensitized thin films show a huge decline in band gap and large enhancement in efficiency. Superior current density (\(10.87~\hbox {mA}~\hbox {cm}^{-2})\) is achieved with PbS:Hg/CdS/Ag:ZnO, which leads to enhancement in overall solar conversion efficiency by 6.34 times.     

Sodium citrate: A universal reducing agent for reduction / decoration of graphene oxide with au nanoparticles

A facile method is proposed for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (RGONS) and Au nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide nanosheet (Au-RGONS) hybrid materials, using graphene oxide (GO) as precursor and sodium citrate as reductant and stabilizer. The resulting RGONS and Au-RGONS hybrid materials were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the RGONS and Au-RGONS hybrid materials formed stable colloidal dispersions through hydrogen bonds between the residual oxygen-containing functionalities on the surface of RGONS and the hydroxyl/carboxyl groups of sodium citrate. The electrochemical responses of RGONS and Au-RGONS hybrid material-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) to three kinds of biomolecules were investigated, and all of them showed a remarkable increase in electrochemical performance relative to a bare GCE.