Synthesis of copper telluride nanowires using template-based electrodeposition method as chemical sensor

Copper telluride (CuTe) nanowires were synthesized electrochemically from aqueous acidic solution of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) and tellurium oxide (TeO₂) on a copper substrate by template-assisted electrodeposition method. The electrodeposition was conducted at 30 °C and the length of nanowires was controlled by adjusting deposition time. Structural characteristics were examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope which confirm the formation of CuTe nanowires. Investigation for chemical sensing was carried out using air and chloroform, acetone, ethanol, glycerol, distilled water as liquids having dielectric constants 1, 4·81, 8·93, 21, 24· 55, 42·5 and 80·1, respectively. The results unequivocally prove that copper telluride nanowires can be fabricated as chemical sensors with enhanced sensitivity and reliability.     

Synthesis of platinum dendrites and nanowires via directed electrochemical nanowire assembly

Directed electrochemical nanowire assembly is a promising high growth rate technique for synthesizing electrically connected nanowires and dendrites at desired locations. Here we demonstrate the directed growth and morphological control of edge-supported platinum nanostructures by applying an alternating electric field across a chloroplatinic acid solution. The dendrite structure is characterized with respect to the driving frequency, amplitude, offset, and salt concentration and is well-explained by classical models. Control over the tip diameter, side branch spacing, and amplitude is demonstrated, opening the door to novel device architectures for sensing and catalytic applications.     

Synthesis of aluminum borate nanowires via a novel flux method

Nanowires made of aluminum borate formed of Al₁₈B₄O₃₃ have been synthesized in high yield by improving the traditional chemical flux method for the growth of aluminum borate with the fibrous structure. In this study, aluminum powder was added into the aluminum oxide and boron oxide reactants as an additive in order to control the morphology of the final products. The chemical method reported here is utilized to decrease the diameters of traditional aluminum borate fiber into nanoscale and to increase their lengths. The optimum experimental parameters and possible growth mechanism for the compound nanowires have been presented.     

Synthesis,structural and electrical properties of SiC nanowires via a simple CVD method

The β-SiC nanowires (NWs) prepared by a simple carbon template method exhibit two kinds of electrical transport properties, depending on their crystalline structures. A part of the NWs exhibit the resistivities as low as 1.5 × 10⁻⁵ to 3 × 0⁻⁴ Ω cm due to n-type doping from the intrinsic planar defects and stacking faults, forming Ohmic contact with Au electrodes; the other ones show a typical characteristic of the semiconductor with a remarkable increase in resistivity by 5–7 magnitude orders, owing to a nearly perfect single-crystalline structure with few intrinsic defects. Additionally, the electrical breakdown behavior is observed in the metallic NWs.     

电化学还原法制备石墨烯:制备与表征

目前,关于石墨烯的基础和应用研究已成为研究的热点。高品质石墨烯的规模化制备是其广泛应用的前提。而电化学还原法提供了一种简单、快速、经济和环保的生产高质量石墨烯的途径。首先综述了两种不同的电化学还原方法。阐述了电化学还原法的机理。并且从形貌、还原程度、晶体结构3个方面对电化学还原产物的表征方法进行了分类介绍。最后对其今后的研究和发展进行了展望。     

DNA sensor with a dipyridophenazine complex of osmium(lI) as an electrochemical probe

Application of a dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (DPPZ)-type metal complex as an DNA electrochemical probe was studied. The introduction of electron-donating groups (NH2) was effective for controlling the redox potential and binding affinities of the DPPZ-type osmium complex. The [Os(DA-bpy)2DPPZ]2+ complex (DA-bpy; 4,4'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine) had a lower half-wave potential (E 1/2) of 147 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) and higher binding affinity with DNA (binding constant, K = 3.1 x 10(7) M(-1)) than those of other complexes. With a single-stranded DNA immobilized gold electrode, the hybridization signal (deltaI) of the [Os(DA-bpy)2DPPZ]2+ complex was linear in the concentration range of 1.0 pg mL(-1) - 0.12 microg mL(-1) for the targeted DNA with a regression coefficient of 0.999. The detection limit was 0. 1 pg mL(-1). The 400-bp yAL3 gene was also detected with good sensitivity and selectivity using the [Os(DA-bpy)2DPPZ]2+ complex.     

Large-scale synthesis of silver nanowires via a solvothermal method

Silver nanostructures have been synthesized through a simple solvothermal method by reducing silver nitrate (AgNO₃) with ethylene glycol (EG) and using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as an adsorption agent. Different concentrations of ferric chloride (FeCl₃) are added into the solution. It is found that AgCl colloids formed in the initial stage greatly influence the final morphologies of the products. When a low-concentration FeCl₃ solution is used, there is a mixture of silver nanoparticles and nanowires. However, when a high-concentration FeCl₃ solution (100 μM) is used, large amounts of AgCl colloids appear, resulting in decreasing free Ag⁺ during initial formation of silver seeds and slowly releasing of Ag⁺ to the solution in the subsequent reaction. This leads to the formation of silver nanowires. Furthermore, an increase in the concentration of FeCl₃ from 100 to 300 μM results in the synthesis of silver nanowires with larger sizes. In addition, Fe(III) is reduced to Fe(II) form which in turn reacts with and removes adsorbed atomic oxygen from the surface of silver seeds. In this case, uniform silver nanowires can be obtained.     

Synthesis of mesoporous tin oxide and its application as a LNG sensor

The nanostructured SnO2 gas sensor with Au electrodes and Pt heater has been fabricated as one unit via screen printing process. The gas sensor was tested for CH4 sensing behavior at 350 degrees C in the concentration range of 500-10,000 ppm. Those mesoporous SnO2 sensors exhibited the similar sensoring properties in CH4 and CO detection. The fast speed of response and high sensitivity were obtained for mesoporous tin oxide sensor as compared to non-porous one.     

Inexpensive synthesis of anatase TiO2 nanowires by a novel method and its electrochemical characterization

We demonstrate a simple, rapid, inexpensive and novel approach for the synthesis of a kind of anatase TiO₂ nanowires. The method is based on a hydrothermal method under normal atmosphere without using the complex Teflon-lined autoclave, high concentrations NaOH solution and long reaction time. The as-prepared materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical measurements. The obtained anatase TiO₂ nanowires show excellent performance. The initial Li insertion/extraction capacity is 260 and 224 mA h g^− 1 at 20 mA g^− 1, respectively. In the 20th cycle, the reversible capacity still remains about 216 mA h g^− 1, exhibiting excellent cycling stability. The discharging capacity is about 159 mA h g^− 1 in the 20th cycle at 200 mA g^− 1, demonstrating a good high-rate performance. Anatase TiO₂ nanowires might be a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries.     

Synthesis of Ba-doped CeO(2) nanowires and their application as humidity sensors

Ba-doped CeO(2) nanowires were obtained from CeO(2) particles through a facile composite-hydroxide-mediated (CHM) route. The products were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The formation process of the product was discussed. Humidity sensors based on the source material CeO(2) particles, Ba-doped CeO(2) nanowires grown for 12 and 72?h, were fabricated. The responses to humidity for static and dynamic testing proved that both doping Ba into CeO(2) and converting morphology into a nanowire can improve the humidity sensitivity. The resistance changes from 465 to 3.9?MΩ as the relative humidity (RH) increases from 25% to 88%, indicating promising applications of Ba-doped CeO(2) nanowires in environmental monitoring.     

Fluorescent Ag clusters via a protein-directed approach as a Hg(II) ion sensor

Proteins have proven to be particularly attractive as effective ligands in the synthesis of nano- and subnanoscaled materials because of their multiple chelating and functional groups imparting unique functionalities. However, protein-directed fluorescent metal cluster synthesis is still a challenge but a promising area of research. Here, we report on the synthesis of new water-soluble, stable, fluorescent Ag clusters via a facile, green method using denatured bovine serum albumin (dBSA) as a stabilizing agent. The dBSA with its 35 free cysteine residues could contribute to polyvalent interactions with the Ag clusters and serve as effective stabilizing agents for these clusters. The as-prepared Ag clusters showed high fluorescence emission at ～637 nm and were stable even in 1 M NaCl. The fluorescent Ag clusters were then used in the detection of Hg(2+) with high sensitivity and selectivity. The detection limit was 10 nM in the linear range from 10 nM to 5 μM.     

Synthesis of FePt nanorods and nanowires by a facile method

FePt nanorods and nanowires have been synthesized by the reduction of Pt(acac)(2) and the thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)(5) in the presence of solvents/surfactants by simply controlling the sequence of addition of surfactants. The as-synthesized FePt nanorods and nanowires have a face centered cubic structure with average diameter of 3?nm. Length of nanorods and nanowires can be adjusted in the range of 15-150?nm by varying reaction parameters. Nanocrystalline L1(0) FePt phase with coercivity up to 24?kOe was obtained after heat treatments.     

中空ZnCo2O4纳米线的合成及其电化学性能分析

运用微乳液法,以醋酸盐为原料,草酸为沉淀剂,CTAB为表面活性剂,乙二醇为单一溶剂首先合成前驱体ZnCo2(C2O4)3纳米线,然后用ZnCo2(C2O4)3纳米线作为牺牲模板经过煅烧合成多孔的ZnCo2O4纳米线。用FT-IR、XRD、SEM、TEM和电化学性能测试,研究得到的产物的形貌结构和电化学性能。结果表明:合成了具有一维结构的尖晶石结构的ZnCo2O4纳米线,由于具有较大的比表面积和多孔性,更有利于锂离子的嵌入与脱出,其初始放电比容量达1841mAh.g-1,25次循环后容量还能达到765mAh.g-1,整体的库伦效率维持在100%左右,循环性能良好。     

Theoretical investigations on low energy surfaces and nanowires of MgH(2)

The phase stability, chemical bonding, and electronic structure of MgH(2) nanowires and possible low energy surfaces of α-MgH(2) thin films have been investigated using the ab initio projected augmented plane-wave method. Structural optimizations based on total energy calculations predicted that, for the α-MgH(2) phase, the (101) surface is more stable among the possible low energy surfaces. The electronic structure study reveals that the nanowires also have nonmetallic character similar to that of the bulk and thin film phases. Bonding analysis shows that the character of chemical bonding in nanowires has been considerably changed compared with that in bulk phases. Similarly, the bond distances in the surfaces of nanowires are found to be higher than in the bulk material, suggesting that it is possible to remove hydrogen from the nanowires considerably more easily than from bulk crystals.     

Equipment and method for autoclave corrosion-mechanical and electrochemical investigations

Structural features of a set of equipment for corrosion-mechanical and electrochemical studies of materials in a high-temperature aqueous medium are described. The autoclave equipment, in contrast to the known one, allows one to clear the working electrode in the medium at high temperature under pressure and to investigate the electrochemical processes on the freshened surface. Special attention is paid to the features of the methodical approach to the choice of the type of a design and to the implementation of electrochemical experiments. Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 67–73, May-June, 2000.     

Selenium nanowires and nanotubes synthesized via a facile template-free solution method

Trigonal selenium (t-Se) nanowires and nanotubes were successfully prepared on a large scale via an environment-friendly synthetic process, in which no templates or surfactants were employed. These t-Se nanowires having a width of 70-100 nm and length up to tens of micrometers were synthesized in absolute ethanol at room temperature, while t-Se nanotubes with outer diameter ranging from 180 to 350 nm were obtained at 85 °C in water system. SEM and TEM analyses of the samples obtained at different stages indicated that the formation of these t-Se 1D nanostructures was governed by a “solid-solution-solid” growth process. The amorphous Se (a-Se) nanoparticles were initially generated and then would transform into crystal seeds for the subsequent growth of nanowires or nanotubes. Detailed experiments found that temperature and solvents as well as concentrations of starting materials were crucial to the formation of final morphology.     

Synthesis and characterization of indium monoselenide (InSe) nanowires

Indium monoselenide (InSe) nanowires were grown by the thermal evaporation method in argon atmosphere without the presence of any catalysts using InSe polycrystalline powder as the source material. No nanostructure growth was observed at deposition temperatures below 580 °C. The nanostructures were discernable at temperatures above 620 °C. Pure InSe nanowires were obtained at the deposition temperature of 660 °C for 50 min. The diameters of the nanowires were from 50 to 240 nm and their lengths were up to several micrometers. X-ray diffraction spectrum reveals that the synthesized products were single-crystalline of the β-phase hexagonal structure of InSe with lattice constants a = 4.006 Å and c = 16.642 Å. The strong peak due to the reflection from the (004) crystal plane reveals that most nanowires grow with a strong preferred orientation.     

Controllable synthesis of pentagonal silver nanowires via a simple alcohol-thermal method

Pentagonal silver nanowires with diameters in range of 20-40 nm, and lengths up to ~ 10 µm were successfully synthesized via a simple and effective alcohol-thermal route. These nanowires were prepared by reducing silver nitrate in ethanol solution with dodecylamine which acted as complexing, reducing and capping agent. The molar ratio of dodecylamine to AgNO₃ played an important role in controlling aspect ratio of the products. Samples were characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) technologies. UV-vis absorption spectrum of the nanowires in solution has been taken to study their optical properties. Based on the analysis of the experimental results, the possible formation mechanism of nanowires was proposed as well.     

Synthesis of barium titanate nanoparticles via a novel electrochemical route

An electrochemical route from Ti metal plate in KOH and Ba(OH)₂ electrolyte at room temperature is first established for the synthesis of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. Anodic sparks play a key role, and KOH concentration is one of the most significant factors which affect the appearance of anodic sparks in this method. XRD patterns show that the powder obtained in our study is a pure perovskite phase BaTiO₃ with a cubic structure, whose size and morphology are subsequently studied by TEM. The mean diameter of the particles is 13.8 nm and the standard deviation (S.D.) fitted is 6.26 nm. It is also found that the mean size of the obtained nanoparticles increase from 13.8 nm to 168.0 nm, when 60 vol.% absolute ethanol is replaced by distilled water as the solvent of the electrolyte.