Development and characterization of bionanocomposites based on poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and cellulose nanocrystals for packaging applications

Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)‐based bionanocomposites were prepared using various percentages of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by a solution casting method. CNCs were prepared from microcrystalline cellulose using sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The influence of CNCs on PHB properties was evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and tensile testing. Vapor permeation and light transmission of the materials were also measured. Differential scanning calorimetric tests demonstrated that CNCs were effective PHB nucleation agents. Tensile strength and Young's modulus of PHB increased with increasing CNC concentration. Moreover, the PHB/CNC bionanocomposites exhibited reduced water vapor permeation compared to neat PHB and had better UV barrier properties than commodity polymers such as polypropylene. It was found that nanocomposites with 6 wt% of CNCs had the optimum balance among thermal, mechanical and barrier properties. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Facile Fabrication of PbS Nanocrystal:C60 Fullerite Broadband Photodetectors with High Detectivity

Hybrid PbS nanocrystal/C₆₀ fullerite photodetectors are fabricated using a simple one‐step drop casting procedure onto pre‐patterned interdigitated electrodes. The devices exhibit a broad spectral response from the near UV through to the near infrared yielding a detectivity, D*, of above 10¹⁰ Jones from 400 nm to ≈1050 nm. The ability to further extend the spectral response to wavelengths ≈1350 nm in the near infrared via tuning of the PbS nanocrystal diameter is also demonstrated. The dynamic responses of the devices are presented, exhibiting a fast photocurrent rise time (<40 ns) followed by a long bi‐exponential decay with characteristic lifetimes of τ₁ = 5.3 μs ± 0.1 μs and τ₂ = 37.8 μs ± 0.7 μs. These devices, which have a detectivity approaching that of commercial detectors, a broader spectral response, and a fast rise time, offer an attractive low‐cost solution for large‐area broadband photodetectors.     

The excitation power density effect on the Si nanocrystals photoluminescence

In the present work we have studied the photoluminescence (PL) behavior from Si nanocrystals (NCs) as a function of the excitation power density and annealing time. The NCs were produced in a SiO₂ matrix by Si implantations from room temperature (RT) up to 700 °C, followed by post-annealing in N₂ atmosphere at high temperature. With this aim we have changed the excitation power density (from 2 × 10⁻³ W/cm² up to 15 W/cm²) and the annealing time (from 10 min up to 15 h). The strong PL signal, which at 15 W/cm² is composed by a single-peak structure (650–1000 nm) centered at around 780 nm, expands up to 1200 nm showing a two-peak structure when measured at 20 × 10⁻³ W/cm². The peak structure located at the short wavelength side is kept at 780 nm, while the second peak, starting at around 900 nm, redshifts and increases its intensity with the implantation temperature and annealing time. The effect of the annealing time on the PL spectra behavior measured at low excitation power agrees by the first time with the Si NC growth according to quantum confinement effects.     

功能氧化物纳米晶的液相法制备

对适用于制备有序结构纳米功能材料或器件的功能性氧化物纳米晶的液相法制备技术的最新研究进展进行了综述,从晶粒成核生长的物理化学原理出发,分析了各种制备方法的特点,并在此基础上指出了高分散、单一尺寸和形状可控的功能性氧化物纳米晶制备研究中仍需解决的问题和发展的方向.     

360-nm Photoluminescence from Silicon Oxide Films Embedded with Silicon Nanocrystals

Si-rich silicon oxide films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering onto composite Si/SiO2 targets. After annealed at different temperature, the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals were obtained. The photoluminescenee（PL） from the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanocrystals was observed at room temperature. The strong peak is at 360 nm, its position is independent of the annealing temperature. The origin of the 360-nm PL in the silicon oxide films embedded with silicon nanoerystals was discussed.     

Redistribution of indium implanted in silicon due to thermal treatment and swift heavy ion irradiation

Silicon layers of 150 nm thickness supersaturated with indium up to ≈5 at% were prepared by multiple energy ion implantation. A redistribution of the implanted impurities caused by post-implantation annealing and following irradiation with swift Bi ions has been observed by means of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channelling configuration (RBS/C). It is demonstrated by TEM that the thermal decomposition of the supersaturated Si〈In〉 solution is accompanied by polycrystalline recrystallisation of amorphous silicon, precipitation of the second phase (In) both within the implanted layer and on the surface, as well as by impurity redistribution. The main features of the structure transformation under the influence of the Bi ion irradiation are discussed.     

Recent Progress on Spectroscopy of Lanthanide Ions Incorporated in Semiconductor Nanocry stals

Doping luminescent lanthanide ions into semiconductor nanocrystals is an ideal approach for developing nanodevices for various applications. Quantum confinement effects are expected for lanthanide ions doped in small semiconductor nanocrystals. The most recent progress on the synthesis and spectroscopy of lanthanide ions in various semiconductor nanocrystals such as Ⅱ -Ⅵ, Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅳ-Ⅵ families were systematically reviewed, focusing on our recent findings on the optical spectroscopy of Eu^3 ＋ doped in ZnO and TiO2 nanocrystals by wet chemical synthesis. The energy transfer from the band-gap excitation to lanthanides further confirmed that lanthanide ions could be successfully incorporated into the lattice sites in spite of the mismatch in ionic radii.     

Formulation and characterisation of nanosuspensions of BCS class II and IV drugs by combinative method

Drug nanocrystals are known to increase the solubility of Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class II and IV drugs. SmartCrystals are the second generation nanocrystals with particle size of less than 100 nm and increased the stability and solubility of drug and drug product. The combinative methods adopted for the preparation of SmartCrystals are reported to shorten the processing time to reduce the particle size of the drug. This study was carried out with the aim to prepare nanosuspensions of aprepitant and ibuprofen using two pretreatment methods, precipitation and ball milling in a combination of high-pressure homogenisation (HPH). Ball milling and precipitation resulted in nanosuspensions having a particle size less than 1 µ, which were subjected to high HPH. HPH further led to a reduction in the particle size. However, the precipitation method failed to reduce the size of ibuprofen particles to 1 µ.     

Facet-dependent Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O nanocrystals in manipulating alignment of liquid crystals and photomechanical behaviors

Manipulating the alignment of liquid crystals (LCs) is a hot and fundamental issue for their applications in block copolymers, photonics, actuators, biosensors, and liquid-crystal displays. Here, the surface characteristic of Cu₂O nanocrystals was well controlled to manipulate the orientation of the LCs. The mechanism of the orientation of the LCs induced by Cu₂O nanocrystals was elucidated based on the interaction between the LCs and Cu₂O nanocrystals. To comprehensively prove our assumption, different types of LCs (nematic, cholesteric, and smectic) as well as the same type of LCs with different polarities were selected in our system. Moreover, the photomechanical behaviors of the LC polymer composites demonstrated that the alignment of LCs can be effectively manipulated using Cu₂O nanocrystals.

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