Synthesis of silver/silica nanocomposites anchored by polymer via in situ reduction

Silver/silica nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ reduction of silver salt and anchorage of the formed silver nanoparticles to silica nanospheres using a polymer anchor. Synthesis conditions including reductants, anchor polymers, and surfactants were determined. The successful formation of the nanocomposites was governed by the reduction of silver nitrate in citrate aqueous solution by sodium borohydride and adsorption onto polyvinylpyrrolidone coated silica nanospheres. The size and structure of the nanocomposites were observed by light scattering measurement and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Optical properties of the nanocomposites were determined by UV-visible absorption spectra.     

Antioxidant efficacy of chitosan/graphene functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

The antioxidant potential of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan and graphene were examined in the present work. Coprecipitation technique was followed for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. Graphene-iron oxide nanocomposites were synthesized by mechanical mixing followed by the heat treatment at moderate temperature. The chitosan coated iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by dispersing nanoparticles in chitosan solution. The nanoparticles/nanocomposites were characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM and HAADF-STEM for phase structure, morphology and elemental analysis. The superparamagnetic behavior of nanoparticles/nanocomposites were confirmed by magnetic measurements using vibrating sample magnetometry. Antioxidant efficacy of these nanoparticles/nanocomposites were investigated in terms of free radical scavenging and reducing potential using an array of in vitro assay system. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were used for the antioxidant capacity. The investigation suggests that the graphene improves the antiradical response of iron oxide nanoparticles at higher concentration which is almost comparable to the ascorbic acid used as standard.     

Platinum-nanoparticle-supported core--shell polymer nanospheres with unexpected water stability and facile further modification

Core-shell nanospheres (CSNSs) with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells were fabricated via a simple mini-emulsion polymerization for the stabilization of platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs). The CSNSs showed extremely high loading capacity of Pt-NPs (the largest loading amount of the Pt-NPs was about 49.2 wt%). Importantly, the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites had unexpected stability in aqueous solution. DLS results revealed that the CSNSs loaded with Pt-NPs exhibited almost no aggregation after standing for a long time . However, the Pt-NPs immobilized on the CSNSs were not straitlaced: they could transport and redistribute between CSNSs freely when the environmental temperature was higher than the melting point of the CSNS shell. Owing to their excellent stability in aqueous solution, the surface of the Pt-NPs/CSNSs nanocomposites could be further decorated easily. For example, polyaniline (PANI)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs, nickel (Ni)-coated Pt-NPs/CSNSs and PANI/Pt-NPs dual-layer hollow nanospheres were facilely fabricated from the Pt-NPs/CSNS nanocomposites.     

Improved dispersion and mechanical properties of hybrid nanocomposites

Dispersion of nanoparticles and its effect on the mechanical properties were investigated by fabricating nanocomposites via conventional sonication, sol–gel, and a combination of sonication and sol–gel methods. Silica nanoparticles in epoxy produced via sol–gel was procured as Nanopox F 400 to produce silica/epoxy nanocomposite whereas the conventional sonication method was followed to produce alumina/epoxy and carbon nanofibers (CNF)/epoxy nanocomposites. Then, the conventional sonication method was employed in the presence of sol–gel nanoparticles to improve the dispersion quality of conventional dry nanoparticles as well as to increase the particle loading. In the current method, the epoxy with silica nanoparticles produced by the sol–gel method was used as the starting material for sonication. In the subsequent step, particles of the second type were added to the silica/epoxy precursor via sonication. Using this method, two different types of nanoparticles were added to produce hybrid nanocomposites with higher particle loading where alumina and CNF were used as hybridizing particles. TEM micrographs revealed an improved dispersion quality of alumina nanoparticles and CNFs in the presence of very well dispersed silica nanoparticles. The improvement in dispersion was reflected in much improved mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.     

甲醇介质中溶剂热合成六方CdS中空纳米球

以甲醇为溶剂, 硝酸镉和硫脲为原料, 通过溶剂热法合成了CdS中空纳米球, 采用TEM、EDS和XRD对样品形貌和结构进行了表征. TEM与EDS分析显示产物主要为洋葱状CdS中空纳米球, 外径为5～17nm, 空腔直径为3～14nm. XRD分析结果表明,CdS中空纳米球为六方纤锌矿结构. 并初步考察了醇类溶剂对形成CdS纳米结构的影响. 结果表明,当以无水乙醇或正戊醇为溶剂时,产物分别为CdS颗粒团簇或CdS纳米颗粒组装的微球,说明甲醇对中空结构的形成起了重要作用. 以甲醇作溶剂时, 中空纳米球的形成可能是CdS纳米片层高压下卷曲形成的.      

Synthesis of core-shell Au@polypyrrole nanocomposite using a dendrimer-template approach

Conducting polymeric nanostructures have been reported recently, which were produced from polypyrrole (PPy), including hollow nanocapsules, nanofibers, nanoporous membranes, nanowires, and nanofilms. In most cases, new synthetic routes were used aimed at controlling specific properties of these conducting nanostructures at the molecular level. In this communication we present a new chemical route to synthesize polypyrrole-based nanocomposites, in which polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers encapsulating Au nanoparticles are used as template. The two-step synthesis comprises the reduction of Au nanoparticles inside PAMAM molecules followed by PPy polymerization around the PAMAM-Au nanoparticles. The structure of the core-shell PAMAM-gold@polypyrrole nanospheres comprises a 40 nm PPy shell enclosing a core of 3 nm gold nanoparticles, as revealed by Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM). This new, environmentally-friendly approach may be suitable to produce hybrid nanomaterials for applications in catalysis, batteries, sensors, and micro/nanoelectronic devices.     

A versatile approach for the fabrication of Au hollow nanoparticles based on poly(styrene-co-2-aminoethyl methacrylate) template

The hollow Au nanospheres were successfully prepared by the template method. The poly(styrene-co-2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride) (P(St-co-AEMH)) nanoparticles synthesized by the emulsion polymerization were used as the templates. After coating by Au colloidal nanoparticles and the formation of Au shells, the interior templates were etched out by sulfuric acid, leading to the formation of Au hollow nanospheres. The structure and morphology of the nanoparticles and hollow nanospheres were carefully investigated by the fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), wide-angle X-ray diffractometer (WAXD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques.     

Structural analysis of graphene oxide/silver nanocomposites: optical properties,electrochemical sensing and photocatalytic activity

In the present study, graphene oxide/silver (GO/Ag) nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile simple one pot chemical reduction method using ethylene glycol/sodium borohydrate (EG/NaBH₄) as solvent and reducing agent. GO was selected as a substrate and stabilizer to prepare GO/Ag nanocomposites. The synthesized GO/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by a series of techniques. Highly monodispersed stable crystalline silver nanoparticles having a face-centered cubic (fcc) phase were confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) on GO signature. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that Ag nanoparticles are deposited on the GO sheet with a narrow size distribution. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that large numbers of Ag nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on GO sheet and well separated with an average size of 18 nm. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopic results showed the peak of GO and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag nanoparticles. The SPR property of GO/Ag nanocomposites showed that there was an interaction between Ag nanoparticles and GO sheet. The intensities of the Raman signal of GO/Ag nanocomposites are gradually increased with attachment of Ag nanoparticles i.e. there is surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity. Electrochemical investigations indicated that the nanocomposites possessed an excellent performance for detecting towards 4-nitrophenol. An application of the obtained GO/Ag nanocomposites as a catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by NaBH₄ was demonstrated. The GO/Ag nanocomposites exhibited high activity and stability for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The prepared GO/Ag nanocomposites act as photo-catalysts.     

Preparation and characterization of acrylated-SiO2@TiO2 hollow hybrid nanospheres

Novel inorganic-organic hybrid hollow nanospheres, acrylated SiO2 and SiO2@TiO2, were synthesized via a sol-gel polymerization, using crown-appended sugar gelator 1 as an organic template for the unique nanospherical structures in demand for a fast expanding area in nanomaterial research. In this work, hollow SiO2 nanospheres were obtained by a simple sol-gel method followed by calcination and rather rough TiO2 nanolayers were coated onto the highly dispersed surface of SiO2 nanospheres and further copolymerization of MPA on the surface of SiO2 and SiO2@TiO2 nanosphseres was successfully conducted. The morphological properties of those hollow nanospheres were characterized by TEM, SEM and powder-XRD. Furthermore, the physical and chemical properties of the synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by the analysis of EDX, FT-IR, TGA and ESCA.     

Preparation and application of magnetic cobalt/SiO2 core/shell nanospheres

Homogeneous SiO₂-coated cobalt nanospheres with tunable silica shell thickness from 21.7 nm to 4.5 nm were synthesized by using modified Stöber method. These nanocomposites were used as source materials to prepare SiO₂ semi-hollow and hollow nanospheres by partially and completely etching cobalt cores, respectively. A proposed formation mechanism of these Co/SiO₂ nanospheres with a core/shell structure was presented in this paper, which is also important for the rational design and synthesis of other monodisperse core/shell nanoarchitectures with uniform size and shape. Furthermore, these Co/SiO₂ nanospheres were also used as a substrate for the deposition of CdS nanocrystals to prepare magnetic luminescent Co/SiO₂/CdS nanocomposites.     

Improvement of epoxy resin properties by incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles surface modified with gallic acid esters

Epoxy resin/titanium dioxide (epoxy/TiO₂) nanocomposites were obtained by incorporation of TiO₂ nanoparticles surface modified with gallic acid esters in epoxy resin. TiO₂ nanoparticles were obtained by acid catalyzed hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide and their structural characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Three gallic acid esters, having different hydrophobic part, were used for surface modification of the synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles: propyl, hexyl and lauryl gallate. The gallate chemisorption onto surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, while the amount of surface-bonded gallates was determined using thermogravimetric analysis. The influence of the surface modified TiO₂ nanoparticles, as well as the length of hydrophobic part of the gallate used for surface modification of TiO₂ nanoparticles, on glass transition temperature, barrier, dielectric and anticorrosive properties of epoxy resin was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, water vapor transmission test, dielectric spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization measurements. Incorporation of surface modified TiO₂ nanoparticles in epoxy resin caused increase of glass transition temperature and decrease of the water vapor permeability of epoxy resin. The water vapor transmission rate of epoxy/TiO₂ nanocomposites was reduced with increasing hydrophobic part chain length of gallate ligand. Dielectric constant of examined nanocomposites was influenced by gallate used for the modification of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The nanocomposites have better anticorrosive properties than pure epoxy resin, because the surface modified TiO₂ nanoparticles react as oxygen scavengers, which inhibit steel corrosion by cathodic mechanism.     

Fabrication of hollow polyelectrolyte nanospheres via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

Novel polyelectrolyte-grafted core-shell organic/inorganic hybrid nanospheres which possess hard backbone of silica nanoparticles and soft shell of cross-linked poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) have been synthesized via a surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). After removal of the core templates of the core-shell nanospheres, nearly monodispersed hollow polyelectrolyte nanospheres were obtained. Various characterization techniques including FT-IR, XPS, and TEM were used to characterize the resulting core-shell and hollow polyelectrolyte nanospheres. The results showed that the hollow nanosphere has a hollow core of an average diameter of ca. 200 nm with a shell thickness of ca. 25 nm. The obtained hollow polyelectrolyte nanospheres could be applied in release-control systems.     

Synthesis and characterization of CoPt nanoparticles prepared by room temperature chemical reduction with PAMAM dendrimer as template

We describe an approach to synthesize monodisperse CoPt nanoparticles with dendrimer as template by a simple chemical reduction method in aqueous solution using NaBH4 as reducing agent at room temperature. The as-made CoPt nanoparticles buried in the dendrimer matrix have the chemically disordered fcc structure and can be transformed to the fct phase after annealing at 700 degrees C. This is the first report of dendrimer-mediated room temperature synthesis of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles in aqueous solution.     

FePt and CoPt nanoparticles co-deposited on silicon dioxide-a comparative study

We compare CoPt and FePt nanoparticles grown under identical conditions on oxidized Si?substrates by electron beam co-evaporation. Growth was performed under high vacuum conditions at substrate temperatures of 1023?K and was immediately followed by an annealing step. This process forms CoPt and FePt nanoparticles with mean diameters between ～17 and ～22?nm. In particular, the annealing step results in grain size enlargement for all samples and in a progressive magnetic hardening of the nanoparticles which reach maximum perpendicular coercivities of ～6.6?kOe (for the CoPt) and ～10.2?kOe (for the FePt nanoparticles). We show that, during this annealing step, a progressive transition towards the hard magnetic L1(0) ordered phase takes place in both materials. In contrast to FePt, CoPt nanoparticles must be annealed in order to crystallize in this phase.     

Effect of metal coating of reinforcements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Al2O3 nanocomposites

The effects of various methods of reinforcement modification on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were investigated. Alumina nanoparticles were modified by electroless deposition of Cu, Ni and Co. Subsequently, aluminium matrix nanocomposites reinforced with uncoated and coated nanoparticles were produced by the stir casting method. The results of microstructural analysis showed improved wettability of coated nanoparticles in the molten aluminium alloy. Furthermore, coated nanoparticles exhibited a more desirable interface with the matrix and were homogenously distributed within it. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were improving significantly when coated nanoparticles were used as reinforcements. Among the reinforcement modification methods, Ni-coating was recognised as being more effective for improving the mechanical properties of Al–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites.     

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy studies of orderly arranged silica nanospheres-synthesis,characterization and dye detection

Silica nanospheres have been explored much for drug delivery, photocatalysis, sensors and energy storage applications. It also acts as a template for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. Uniform nanostructures at low cost with high reproducibility are the major challenges in SERS substrate fabrication. In the present work, silica nanospheres were synthesized using stober method and deposited on to glass slides using Vertical deposition techniques. Different size/thickness of Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were deposited onto silica thin films using sputter deposition technique. The monodispersity of silica nanospheres and size of silver nanoparticles (10 nm, 20 nm and 30 nm) were confirmed by FESEM analysis. The structural properties were confirmed through XRD. UV–Vis analysis revealed that the plasmonic properties of Ag@SiO₂ give high surface plasmons for 30 nm thickness of silver. The binding energy of Ag@SiO₂ confirmed through XPS spectrum. The fabricated SERS substrates were used to detect Rhodamine 6G (R6G), Methylene blue (MB), Methylene violet (MV) and Methyl orange dyes as an analyte molecule with a limit of detection at about 10^?11 mol/L. The addition of SiO₂ nanospheres decreases the Ag oxidation rate and increases their stability. The maximum enhancement factor (1.5?×?10⁷) achieved for 30nm thickness of Ag@SiO₂. The results and technique establish the potential applications and reproducible SERS substrate.

     

Self-assembled copt nanoparticles monolayer film and its IR optical properties

CoPt nanoparticles were prepared by galvanic displacement reaction, followed by a chemical reduction. The CoPt nanoparticles were spherical and the average diameter was about 33 nm obtained from the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution TEM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of powder X-ray diffration (XRD), energy dispersed X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the surface of the product was mostly consist of Pt nanoparticles. An ordered monolayer film of CoPt nanoparticles on Si wafer was obtained by a Liquid/Liquid interface technique. In situ FTIR transmission spectral study indicates that the ordered self-assembled monolayer film of the CoPt nanoparticles shows Fano-like infrared effects, while the deposited CoPt nanoparticles exhibit normal enhanced IR adsorption. The results of the present paper demonstrated that the IR optical properties are closely related to the interactions and thickness of the nanomaterials and significant to understand the anomalous IR properties of nanometer materials.     

一步水热模板法制备Cu-TiO2异质结构纳米粒子（英文）

以聚乙二醇(PEG)为软模板剂,采用一步水热法合成了具有异质结构的铜–二氧化钛复合纳米粒子.利用X射线衍射谱(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等分别对制备材料的相组成、微观结构进行了研究.结果表明,一步水热法制备的异质纳米粒子由单一立方相铜和锐钛矿相二氧化钛组成.高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)在单一粒子中观测到清晰的铜(101)和二氧化钛(111)晶面构成的界面.该界面有助于二氧化钛光生电子–空穴对的分离.同时,所制备纳米粒子的颗粒尺寸和光吸收特性可以通过改变PEG分子链长进行微调.本研究还对水热过程的反应机理进行了讨论,结果表明:PEG与铜氨络合物通过氢键连接,其链长对于粒子尺寸的影响在于PEG对Cu颗粒的尺寸进行的调节,而此过程中二氧化钛的晶粒尺寸并无明显变化.紫外–可见吸收光谱表明该异质纳米粒子与普通二氧化钛纳米粉体相比,对可见光区光谱有较为强烈的吸收.该界面纳米材料是一种有潜在应用价值的光催化材料和太阳能电池材料.     

Preparation and characterizations of polyaniline (PANI)/ZnO nanocomposites film using solution casting method

Polyaniline (PANI)-ZnO nanoparticles composites film has been successfully fabricated by solution casting technique on glass substrate in which ZnO nanopowder was prepared via auto combustion method and used as inorganic materials. The as-grown nanocomposites film has been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for their structural and morphological characterizations. X-ray diffraction studies of as-grown film showed the reflection of ZnO nanoparticles along with a broad peak of PANI. The AFM study of the film shows the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles into the polymer matrix which was further supported by roughness measurement. TEM images showed that the size of ZnO nanoparticles in the nanocomposites increase from ~ 35 nm to ~ 45 nm, indicating the interaction of nanoparticles with PANI molecular chains. FTIR spectra showed a band at 501 cm⁻¹ due to ZnO nanoparticles while the hydrogen bonding between the amine group of PANI and ZnO nanoparticles had been confirmed from the presence of the absorption band at 1148 cm⁻¹.     

Facile synthesis and application of Ag-chemically converted graphene nanocomposite

An in situ chemical synthesis approach has been employed to prepare an Ag-chemically converted graphene (CCG) nanocomposite. The reduction of graphene oxide sheets was accompanied by generation of Ag nanoparticles. The structure and composition of the nanocomposites were confirmed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction. TEM and AFM results suggest a homogeneous distribution of Ag nanoparticles (5–10 nm in size) on CCG sheets. The intensities of the Raman signals of CCG in such nanocomposites are greatly increased by the attached silver nanoparticles, i.e., there is surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity. In addition, it was found that the antibacterial activity of free Ag nanoparticles is retained in the nanocomposites, which suggests they can be used as graphene-based biomaterials.