Rapid synthesis of Ag@Ni core-shell nanoparticles using a microwave-polyol method

Mixtures of AgNO₃ and NiSO₄·6H₂O, NiCl₂·6H₂O, or Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O were reduced in ethylene glycol (EG) in the presence of NaOH and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) under microwave (MW) heating for 10 min. Then, we succeeded in the synthesis of Ag core-Ni shell nanoparticles, denoted as Ag@Ni, in high yield. The formation of Ag@Ni particles was confirmed using energy dispersed X-ray spectroscopic (EDS) measurements and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns. The growth mechanism of Ag@Ni is discussed. The UV-Vis spectra of Ag@Ni were similar to those of Ni particles.     

Facile synthesis and biosensing application of hybrid zinc nanoparticles

Hybrid zinc nanoparticles were synthesized by adding thioglycolic acid (TGA) into a ZnO-particle synthesis procedure. Compared to the ZnO particles prepared without TGA, the hybrid nanoparticles are markedly different in their morphology, chemical composition, and growth kinetics. Moreover, they display colloidal stability and appropriate surface properties for bioconjugation. To demonstrate their biosensing application, the hybrid nanoparticles were conjugated and applied as biolabels or signal transducers in a sandwich immunoassay for mouse IgG. The immunoassay fluorescence signal was obtained by releasing zinc ions from these nanoparticle labels and further incubating the released zinc ions with zinc-sensitive fluorescence indicator Fluozin-3. The immunoassay presents a dynamic detection range from 10 pM to 1 nM.     

Facile synthesis and catalytic properties of silver colloidal nanoparticles stabilized by SDBS

A facile method was explored to prepare stable silver colloidal nanoparticles (AgCNPs) in water. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the stabilizing agent, without addition of any co-surfactant. The reaction was rapid and the product prepared at different conditions was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results showed that AgCNPs stabilized by SDBS was stable in water with narrow size distribution (1–5 nm). The amount of surfactant has great influence on the products. When the molar ratio of Ag⁺ to SDBS increased to 1: 4, AgCNPs can be obtained with high dispersion (2–3 nm), which has high catalytic activity on reduction of 4-nitrobenzoic acid to 4-aminobenzoic acid.     

Facile synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and their characterization

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized by suitable modification of the standard synthetic procedure without use of inert atmosphere and at room temperature. The facile synthesis procedure can be easily scaled up and is of important from industrial point of view for the commercial large scale production of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by thermal, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses.     

Facile synthesis of bismuth nanoparticles for efficient self-powered broadband photodetector application

Bismuth, an emerging topological insulator, has attracted great interest due to its fascinating properties. Herein, a facile, environmentally friendly, and low-cost solvothermal route was proposed to synthesize high-quality single-crystal bismuth nanoparticles. The performance of bismuth nanoparticles photoelectrochemical-type photodetector has been systematically evaluated. The responsivity spectrum shows that the bismuth nanoparticles photodetector has a broad response range from ultraviolet(U...     

Gram-scale synthesis of soluble, near-monodisperse gold nanorods and other anisotropic nanoparticles

An aqueous surfactant-based colloidal chemical method is reported for the synthesis of anisotropic noble-metal nanoparticles on the milligram to multigram scale. Fine control of the nucleation-growth kinetics and rodlike micelle-induced breaking of symmetry at the early stage of particle growth are responsible for high-quality anisotropic nanoparticles. Near-monodisperse gold and silver nanorods, spheroids, nanowires, platelets, or cubes of 4-50 nm dimension and controllable aspect ratio can be prepared. The method may also be extended to semiconductor systems.     

Facile hydrothermally synthesis of hexagon tin disulfide nanosheets for high-performance photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Tin disulfide (SnS₂) has been attracted intensive attention in the field of photoelectric conversion due to its appropriate band gap and glorious electronic mobility. The hexagon SnS₂ nanosheets has been successfully integrated through a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. SEM images, Raman spectra, atomic force microscope and X-ray diffraction patterns are measured to carry out to investigate the morphologies and microstructures of SnS₂ nanosheetsm, confirming a good crystallized SnS₂. Then, the photochemical activity of as-prepared SnS₂ nanosheets were tested in the electrolyte of Na₂SO₄. Photoelectrochemical tests demonstrate that the photocurrent density of as-prepared hexagon SnS₂ nanosheets (1.66 µA/cm² at a light intensity of 140 mW/cm²) is hugely increased with increasing light intensity. Furthermore, after 50 cycles, the photocurrent density does not change significantly, indicating that the as-prepared SnS₂ nanosheets possesses superior stabilities. The outstanding photocatalytic performances of SnS₂ nanosheets are not only resulted from its huge specific surface area, which can harvest more light and provide more active sites, but also attributed to its superior charge mobility, which can facilitate the separation photogenerated electron–hole pairs and the charge transfer between SnS₂ nanosheets and the electrode. The most important is that our work reveals the hexagonal SnS₂ nanosheets not only possess superior photoelectrochemical properties, but also have great potential applications in energy conversion and photodetector fields.     

Design and synthesis of polymetallic nanoparticles and their catalytic applications

High-temperature hydrogen reduction reactions enable the synthesis and processing of binary metal oxide composite nanoparticles starting from titanium, ruthenium, and silicon, while the use of a surface modifier and an organic surfactant enables the synthesis of catalytic thin films from binary semiconductor oxides. Surface characterization by XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and BET measurements indicate that the incorporation of binary oxide particles into the semiconductor materials altered the surface properties and morphology of the nanoparticles while the surface modifier and organic surfactant loading can be experimentally adjusted to obtain thin films of varying morphological characteristics.     

Controlled synthesis of core-shell iron-silica nanoparticles and their magneto-dielectric properties in polymer composites

Low loss core-shell iron-silica nanocomposites with improved magneto-dielectric properties at radio frequencies (1 MHz-1 GHz) were successfully fabricated. A new simple method was developed to synthesize metallic iron (Fe) nanoparticles with uniform size distribution in an aqueous environment at room temperature. Citric acid and oleic acid served as surface-capping agents to control the particle size of the synthesized Fe nanoparticles. Smaller Fe nanoparticles with narrower particle size distribution were obtained as the concentration ratio of iron ions to carboxylic acid groups decreased. The Fe nanoparticles were subsequently coated with silica (SiO(2)) layers to prevent the iron cores oxidizing. Polymer composites were prepared by incorporating Fe@SiO(2) nanoparticles with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers. Experimental results showed that the dielectric permittivity (ε) and magnetic permeability (μ) of the polymer composite increased with increasing amount of Fe@SiO(2) nanoparticle doping. The dielectric loss (tanδ) was near 0.020 at a frequency of 1 GHz.     

Facile synthesis of wormlike quantum dots-encapsulated nanoparticles and their controlled surface functionalization for effective bioapplications

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are considered as ideal fluorescent probes owing to their intrinsic optical properties. It has been demonstrated that the size and shape of nanoparticles significantly influence their behaviors in biological systems. In particular, one-dimensional (1D) nanoparticles with larger aspect ratios are desirable for cellular uptake. Here, we explore a facile and green method to prepare novel 1D wormlike QDs@SiO₂ nanoparticles with controlled aspect ratios, wherein multiple QDs are arranged in the centerline of the nanoparticles. Then, an excellent cationic gene carrier, ethanolamine-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (denoted by BUCT-PGEA), was in-situ produced via atom transfer radical polymerization on the surface of the QDs@SiO₂ nanoparticles to achieve stable surfaces (QDs@SiO₂-PGEA) for effective bioapplications. We found that the wormlike QDs@SiO₂-PGEA nanoparticles demonstrated much higher gene transfection performance than ordinary spherical counterparts. In addition, the wormlike nanoparticles with larger aspect ratio performed better than those with smaller ratio. Furthermore, the gene delivery processes including cell entry and plasmid DNA (pDNA) escape and transport were also tracked in real time by the QDs@SiO₂-PGEA/pDNA complexes. This work realized the integration of efficient gene delivery and real-time imaging within one controlled 1D nanostructure. These constructs will likely provide useful information regarding the interaction of nanoparticles with biological systems.

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Ru-Pt core-shell nanoparticles for preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide in hydrogen

Most of the world's hydrogen supply is currently obtained by reforming hydrocarbons. 'Reformate' hydrogen contains significant quantities of CO that poison current hydrogen fuel-cell devices. Catalysts are needed to remove CO from hydrogen through selective oxidation. Here, we report first-principles-guided synthesis of a nanoparticle catalyst comprising a Ru core covered with an approximately 1-2-monolayer-thick shell of Pt atoms. The distinct catalytic properties of these well-characterized core-shell nanoparticles were demonstrated for preferential CO oxidation in hydrogen feeds and subsequent hydrogen light-off. For H2 streams containing 1,000 p.p.m. CO, H2 light-off is complete by 30 (composite function)C, which is significantly better than for traditional PtRu nano-alloys (85 (composite function)C), monometallic mixtures of nanoparticles (93 (composite function)C) and pure Pt particles (170 ( composite function)C). Density functional theory studies suggest that the enhanced catalytic activity for the core-shell nanoparticle originates from a combination of an increased availability of CO-free Pt surface sites on the Ru@Pt nanoparticles and a hydrogen-mediated low-temperature CO oxidation process that is clearly distinct from the traditional bifunctional CO oxidation mechanism.     

Facile synthesis of self-stabilized polyphenol nanoparticles

We describe here the facile synthesis (in two-steps) of green light emitting phenol polymer with an azomethine side group. For this purpose, hydroxy functionalized-Schiff base monomer, HPMBT, was obtained by condensation of 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde with 2-aminophenol. Subsequent oxidation of the monomer in alkaline medium by NaOCl yielded to corresponding phenol polymer (PHPMBT) with molecular weight ca. 34,500 Da. The characterizations were performed by NMR, FT-IR, UV–vis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), cyclic voltammetry (CV), photoluminescence (PL), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. PL analysis indicated that HPMBT was non-fluorescent whereas PHPMBT was a green light emitter. In addition, the redox behaviors of the polymer were explored by cyclic voltammetry (CV), assigned it's electroactive nature. The formation of nano-sized polyphenol particles was revealed by the SEM and DLS analyses. A possible mechanism for the formation and self-stabilization of the polyphenol nanoparticles was also suggested.     

Facile synthesis of Au nanoparticles supported on polyphosphazene functionalized carbon nanotubes for catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) functionalized with cyclotriphosphazene-containing polyphosphazenes (PZS) were found to cause the facile immobilization of Au nanoparticles on the surface. The PZS functional layers not only improved the dispersion of CNTs in aqueous solution but also used as a platform for subsequent immobilization of Au nanoparticles. The functionalized CNTs and the Au@PZS@CNTs nanohybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Atomic absorption spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the PZS layers with thickness of about 25 nm were formed uniformly on CNT surfaces by polycondensation between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and 4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol, and that high density of homogeneously dispersed spherical Au nanoparticles with average size of 6 nm was immobilized on their outer surface. Meanwhile, the catalytic activity and reusability of the Au@PZS@CNTs nanohybrids were investigated by employing the reduction of 4-nitrophenol into 4-aminophenol by NaBH₄ as a model reaction.     

Facile synthesis of Au/ZnO nanoparticles and their enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydroxylation of benzene

Au/ZnO nanocomposites have been prepared by a simple chemical method. For the first time, the nanocomposites were directly used as photocatalysts for hydroxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons under UV and visible light irradiation. The results show that the as-prepared photocatalysts display high photocatalytic activity for UV and visible catalytic hydroxylation of benzene. Without the assistance of any solvent or additive, high selectivity and high conversion efficiency were still obtained. Different photocatalytic mechanisms were proposed depending on whether excitation happens on ZnO semiconductor or on the surface plasmon band of Au. The former is Au nanoparticles act as electron buffer due to irradiation by UV light and ZnO nanoparticles as reactive sites for hydroxylation of benzene, the latter is that Au nanoparticles act as light harvesters and inject electrons into ZnO conduction band and as photocatalytic sites under visible light irradiation.     

Facile photoreductive synthesis of silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial studies

In the present work, silver nanoparticles stabilized with L-Cysteine (L-Cys) were synthesized based on the one-pot green process by UV irradiation, in which L-Cysteine acts as biological capping agent. The composition and morphological characteristics of the L-Cys capped AgNPs has been ascertained by different techniques such as UV–vis, FL, XRD, TEM, EDX, FTIR and CD analysis. The results demonstrated the formation of spherical nanoparticles of pure Ag° coated with L-Cys. The antibacterial tests on L-Cys capped AgNPs were performed, exerting effective antimicrobial activity both against E. coli and S. aureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 21.9 μg/mL and 175 μg/mL, respectively. Considering this simple and green process, the approach may facilitate new approaches to the manufacture of AgNPs-based antibacterial agent.     

Synthesis of magnesium and Mg@Ni core-shell nanoparticles by microemulsion for hydrogen storage applications

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In the present work magnesium nanoparticles (MgNPs) and Mg@Ni core-shell nanoparticles has been synthesized first time by microemulsion...     

Facile synthesis of organically capped CdTe nanoparticles

A simple method for the preparation of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and hexadecylamine (HDA) capped CdTe particles have been employed in this study. The method involves the reduction of tellurium in water followed by the addition of the cadmium salt and thermolysis in TOPO and HDA. The influence of the reduction time (2, 4 and 6 h) of tellurium on the optical properties was investigated. The particles were characterised by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques.     

Facile microwave-combustion synthesis of wurtzite CdS nanoparticles

In this study we first report microwave-combustion synthesis of faceted CdS nanoparticles by using cadmium thiocyanate complex as a single source precursor. This is the first example of a metal-thiocyanate (M-SCN) complex being used as a source for metal sulfides (M-S) preparation in a microwave-combustion process. The synthesized CdS was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field mission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The by-product assisted combustion synthesis yields CdS nanoparticles with the mixtures of octahedral geometries, hexagonal, and triangle plate morphologies and the sizes were found to be 100 nm to 5 microm. The XRD patterns imply the formation of well crystallized wurtzite CdS. The influence of cadmium and sulfur precursors and microwave irradiation time on the morphology of CdS nanoparticle was also investigated. The cadmium and sulfur precursors strongly influenced the CdS morphology and increasing the microwave irradiation time and intensity has no effect on the CdS morphology. In addition, a plausible mechanism of CdS nanoparticle formation has been proposed in this research.     

Facile synthesis of chondroitin sulfate-stabilized gold nanoparticles

A facile and simple method for the synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at room temperature has been developed by using sodium borohydride as the reducing agent and employing an inexpensive water-soluble chondroitin sulfate (CS) biopolymer as the stabilizing agent. The as-prepared AuNPs were characterized with ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, the stability of AuNPs in aqueous solution was investigated as a function of the electrolyte sodium chloride concentration. The experimental results showed that even high sodium chloride concentration (1 M) also did not destabilize the colloidal gold solution. So it could be speculated that the high stability of AuNPs should be attributed to the electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance between the AuNPs stabilized by CS molecules, which wrapped around the surface of as-prepared AuNPs and prevented their agglomeration, and simultaneously improve biocompatibility of AuNPs as well.     

Controllable synthesis and characterization of novel copper-carbon core-shell structured nanoparticles

A facile hydrothermal method was developed for preparing copper-carbon core-shell structured particles through a reaction at 160 °C in which glucose, copper sulfate pentahydrate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as starting materials. The original copper-carbon core-shell structured particles obtained were sized of 100-250 nm. The thickness of carbonaceous shells was controlled ranging from 25 to 100 nm by adjusting the hydrothermal duration time and the concentrations of glucose in the process. Products were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Since no toxic materials were involved in the preparation, particles with stable carbonaceous framework and reactive surface also showed promising applications in medicine, electronics, sensors, lubricant, etc.