High-yield preparation of uniform cobalt hydroxide and oxide nanoplatelets and their characterization

Cobalt hydroxide nanoplatelets with a uniform hexagonal shape were prepared in high yield ( approximately 95%) by a facile hydrothermal route in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone). This method provides a simple, low-cost, and large-scale route to produce beta-cobalt hydroxide nanoplatelets with an average diameter of 280 nm and a thickness of ca. 26 nm which show a predominant well-crystalline hexagonal brucite-like phase. Their thermal decomposition produced anisotropic nanoplatelets of cobalt oxides (CoO and Co3O4) under designed temperatures. The products were characterized by transmission electronic microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetric, and thermogravimetric analysis. The magnetic properties of the products were investigated by a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Co3O4 nanoplatelets exhibit a superparamagnetic behavior, and they might be a promising material to study the magnetic tunneling effect as anisotropic nanostructures.     

Shape-controlled synthesis and self-assembly of hexagonal covellite (CuS) nanoplatelets

Single-crystalline, hexagonal covellite (CuS) nanoplatelets were successfully synthesized through a facile, inexpensive, reproducible, and improved solvothermal process in toluene at 120 degrees C for 24 h with hexadecylamine as a capping agent and copper acetate and carbon disulfide as precursors. These nanoplatelets are about 26+/-1.5 nm in diameter and 8+/-1.2 nm thick, and have a tendency to self-assemble into pillarlike nanostructures with face-to-face stacks, raftlike nanostructures with side-by-side arrays, and stratiform nanostructures with layer-by-layer self-assembly. The crystal shape, morphology, and crystallographic orientation of the covellite obtained were investigated by means of XRD, TEM, and high-resolution TEM, and a potential self-assembly mechanism was proposed.     

From layered double hydroxide to spinel nanostructures: facile synthesis and characterization of nanoplatelets and nanorods

Mg-Al spinel (MgAl2O4) nanorods and nanoplatelets transformed from Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (Mg-Al-LDHs) were synthesized via a combined hydrothermal method and calcination route using Al(NO3).9H2O and Mg(NO3)2.6H2O as raw materials. The nanorods and nanoplatelets were characterized by means of physical techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microcopy (HRTEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), thermogravimetric (TG), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. XRD patterns reveal that the Mg-Al-LDHs nanostructures were obtained under a hydrothermal reaction temperature of 200 degrees C and Mg-Al spinel nanostructures were fabricated via calcination of the Mg-Al-LDHs nanostructures at 750 degrees C. It can be seen from TEM that the sizes of the Mg-Al-LDHs nanoplatelets were about 20-40 nm and the diameters of the MgAl2O4 nanorods were ca. 6 nm. The HRTEM images indicate that the crystal lattice spaces of the MgAl2O4 nanorods and nanoplatelets are 0.282 and 0.287 nm, respectively.     

Effect of pullulan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend system on the montmorillonite structure with property characterization of electrospun pullulan/poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite nanofibers

Nanofibers of the composite of pullulan (PULL), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and montmorillonite clay (MMT) were prepared using electrospinning method in aqueous solutions. Pullulan is an interesting natural polymer for many of its merits and good properties. Because of biocompatibility and non-toxicity of PVA, it could be used in numerous fields. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were done to characterize the PULL/PVA/MMT nanofibers morphology and properties. XRD patterns and FTIR data demonstrated that there were good interactions between PULL and PVA caused by possibly hydrogen bonds. Moreover, XRD data and TEM images indicated that intercalated and exfoliated MMT nanoplatelets can be obtained within the PULL/PVA/MMT nanofibers depending on the PULL/PVA blend ratios. Furthermore, the thermal stability and mechanical property (tensile strength) of PULL/PVA/MMT nanofibers could be enhanced more by exfoliated MMT nanoplatelets than intercalated structures of that nanoplatelets.     

Large-scale synthesis of mesoporous CoO-doped NiO hexagonal nanoplatelets with improved electrochemical performance

CoO-doped NiO hexagonal nanoplatelets with mesoporous structure were prepared in large scale through a simple solution method followed by calcination process. A series of characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) revealed that incorporation of 1.0 at.% cobalt did not destroy the crystal lattice of NiO, which still kept the single crystalline nature with the top/bottom surfaces oriented along (111) crystal planes. Galvanostatic electrochemical results showed that the CoO-doped mesoporous NiO nanoplatelets exhibited much-improved specific capacity and better reversible stability than that of the pure NiO porous nanoplatelets and CoO-doped NiO microparticles, which could be ascribed to the co-effect of cobalt doping and porous nanostructure.     

六边形非化学计量比CuxS纳米片：合成、表征及电化学性质

分别采用乙二醇(EG)和聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)为溶剂和模板剂,用简单的回流方法合成六角型非化学计量比CuxS纳米片.并用X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见近红外光谱仪(UV-Vis)、循环伏安法(CV)对产物进行表征.TEM研究表明样品形貌为纳米六角片.XRD结果表明,随着Cu/S物质的量比的逐渐增加,样品物相从靛铜矿(covellite)CuS逐渐转变为蓝辉铜矿(digenite)Cu1.8S.此外,随着样品组分的变化,其光学和电化学性质均发生显著变化.     

Structural and morphological transformations of mesostructured titanium phosphate through hydrothermal treatment

The phase transformation of mesostructured titanium phosphate (TiPO) from hexagonal to lamellar structure was observed in a simply hydrothermal treatment, accompanied by drastically morphological changes in the micrometer-sized particles. XRD pattern revealed that different mesostructures were obtained by simply varying hydrothermal temperature or treatment duration. SEM and TEM observations showed the morphological evolution from individual particles to interconnected nanoplatelets. A significant blue shift in UV-vis spectra was observed for lamellar mesostructured material, which may be associated with the different coordinated Ti-sites in the hexagonal and lamellar mesostructures. FT-IR spectra and detailed (31)P MAS NMR studies indicated that additional POH groups were presented in the lamellar structure, which might play a key role in the structural and morphological transformations of mesostructures.     

Kinetically controlled growth of gold nanotriangles in a vesicular template phase by adding a strongly alternating polyampholyte

This paper is focused on the temperature-dependent synthesis of gold nanotriangles in a vesicular template phase, containing phosphatidylcholine and AOT, by adding the strongly alternating polyampholyte PalPhBisCarb.

UV-vis absorption spectra in combination with TEM micrographs show that flat gold nanoplatelets are formed predominantly in the presence of the polyampholyte at 45°C. The formation of triangular and hexagonal nanoplatelets can be directly influenced by the kinetic approach, i.e., by varying the polyampholyte dosage rate at 45°C. Corresponding zeta potential measurements indicate that a temperature-dependent adsorption of the polyampholyte on the {111} faces will induce the symmetry breaking effect, which is responsible for the kinetically controlled hindered vertical and preferred lateral growth of the nanoplatelets.     

Solvothermal Synthesis and Characterization of HgTe Nanoplatelets Using Mercury(Ⅰ) Source

Mercury telluride (HgTe) nanoplatelets were obtained via a facile solvothermal reaction of mercury(Ⅰ) chloride and tellurium powder in ethylenediamine (en). Mercury(Ⅰ) was first applied as the mercury sources to prepare nanocrystal HgTe; moreover, the proposed mechanism for the fabrication of the sample was discussed in detail. The HgTe nanoplatelets were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The absence of IR absorption may render the title nanocrystal useful as an IR transparent material in the region.     

Solvothermal Synthesis and Characterization of HgTe Nanoplatelets Using Mercury（I） Source

Mercury telluride （HgTe） nanoplatelets were obtained via a facile solvothermal reaction of mercury（I） chloride and tellurium powder in ethylenediamine （en）. Mercury（I） was first applied as the mercury sources to prepare nanocrystal HgTe; moreover, the proposed mechanism for the fabrication of the sample was discussed in detail. The HgTe nanoplatelets were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction （PXRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）. The absence of IR absorption may render the title nanocrystal useful as an IR transparent material in the region.     

Structure-directing coordination template effect of ethylenediamine in formations of ZnS and ZnSe nanocrystallites via solvothermal route

ZnS and ZnSe precursors (ZnS x 0.5en and ZnSe x 0.5en, en = ethylenediamine) were prepared via a solvothermal process using ethylenediamine as solvent. Phase-pure hexagonal wurtzite ZnS and ZnSe products were obtained by annealing the precursors in argon stream at temperatures above 350 degrees C. The role of ethylenediamine as a structure-directing coordination molecular template responsible for the morphologies of the annealed products was discussed. This work provided further insights into the solvent coordination molecular template (SCMT) mechanism previously proposed to explain the growth mechanism of CdE (E = S, Se, Te) nanorods in ethylenediamine (Inorg. Chem. 1999, 38, 1382). The as-prepared precursors as well as the annealed products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared absorbance spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, and combustion analysis for C, N, H contents.     

Solvothermal Route to Prepare the Metastable Phase 3c-Fe7S8 with Hexagonal Platelet Morphology

The metastable phase 3c-Fe7S8 with the hexagonal platelct morphology has been prepared by using solvothermal route.The product was characterized by mcans of X-ray powder diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron speetra (XPS).The experiment results show that the as-prepared Fe7S8 is a metastable phase with the hexagonal platelet morphology.     

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of uniform CdS nanowires in high yield

Large-scale CdS nanowires with uniform diameter and high aspect ratios were synthesized using a simple solvothermal route that employed CdCl₂ and S powder as starting materials, ethylenediamine (en) as the solvent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the products are hexagonal structure CdS nanowires with diameter of 40 nm and length up to 10 μm. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) studies indicate the single-crystalline nature of CdS nanowires with an oriented growth along the c-axis direction. The optical properties of the products were characterized by optical absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra. Based on the results of contrastive experiments, it is found that the sulfur source and the solvent play significant roles in the formation of uniform nanowires. A possible formation mechanism of nanowires is discussed.     

Characterization of V-MCM-41 Mesoporous Materials

A series of vanadosilicate V-MCM-41 mesoporous materials with various compositions have been synthesized using vanadium sulfate as the source of vanadium. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide was used as a surfactant in the synthesis. The samples were characterized with nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction, framework FTIR, diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the solid products had the MCM-41 structure and contained only atomically dispersed vanadium consistent with framework vanadium in V-MCM-41. N₂ sorption measurements and TEM demonstrated the high mesoporosity of V-MCM-41. The incorporation of vanadium into MCM-41 decreased the surface area to some extent. The morphology of V-MCM-41 was plate with stepped and smooth surfaces. TEM reveals a regular hexagonal array of uniform channels with curved and rectilinear morphologies. The hexagonal array structure of uniform pore size was observed by TEM. It is proved that the pores were highly aligned.     

两相热法处理Cyanex 301-Ag+/Cu2+萃取体系制备Ag2S纳米和CuS微米材料

以Cyanex 301萃取剂为硫源,分别萃取Ag+和Cu2+,两相热法制备了Ag2S纳米颗粒和CuS微结构,采用X射线粉末衍射、紫外可见光谱、红外光谱以及电子显微镜对产物进行了表征。 表明制得的Ag2S和CuS分别为单斜相和六方相。 产物粒径随着反应温度的升高而增大,因而可通过加热温度调控产物尺寸,另外还考虑了其它反应条件对产物的影响。     

Formation and Structure Characterization of Flower-like ZnS Microspheres

ZnS nanophases were synthesized through a low-temperature route using a mixed solvent, diethylenetriamine （DETA） and deionized water （DIW）, as the reaction medium. The assynthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The experimental results indicate that ZnS nanophase is formed through a phase evolution of ZnS·（DETA）1/2→ ZnS.DETA→ZnS. The ZnS flower-like microspheres sized around 2μm consist of many nanobelts whose structure could be regarded as an alternative admixture of hexagonal wurtzite （WZ） and cubic zinc blende （ZB）. The optical absorption measurements demonstrate that the spectral feature of the sample changes with the evolution of the phase structure.     

密堆积六方结构Ni纳米颗粒的制备与表征

采用溶胶-凝胶方法制备前驱体, 将前驱体进行热处理制得密堆积六方结构(hcp)的Ni纳米粉末. 利用TG-DTA, XRD和TEM等测试手段对材料的合成条件、结构、形貌以及结构演变过程进行了分析. 结果表明, 于300 ℃进行热处理所合成的样品为球形的具有密堆六方结构的Ni纳米颗粒, 晶胞参数a=0.2652 nm, c=0.4334 nm, 平均晶粒尺寸约为12 nm. 随着热处理温度的升高, 样品结构发生由密堆六方结构向面心立方结构的转变.     

Colloidal crystal layers of hexagonal nanoplates by convective assembly

Particles of the zeolite ZSM-2 prepared as nearly hexagonal nanoplatelets were coated onto flat substrates by a convective assembly technique. On the submillimeter scale, coatings ranged in patterns from striped to continuous. Particles were preferentially oriented out-of-plane, as supported by X-ray diffractometry. The novel observation is that where the particle coating was only a monolayer thick, particles were locally close-packed and uniformly oriented both in and out of plane in a hexagonal colloidal crystalline arrangement that may be described as being tiled (observations by scanning electron microscopy). This is the first documented demonstration of convective assembly applied to anisometric nanoparticles that resulted in particulate coatings with locally ordered microstructure, i.e., colloidal crystallinity.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of high aspect ratio ruthenium nanorods

<正>Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)(PVP)-stabilized ruthenium nanorods with high aspect ratio by refluxing ruthenium(Ⅲ) chloride in n-propanol have been successfully prepared by means of a facile and rapid microwave heating for the first time.The structure and morphology of the obtained products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),select area electron diffraction(SAED),ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry(UV-vis),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and Fourier transform spectroscopy(FT-IR).XPS analysis reveals that the nanorods were in the metallic state.TEM images showed that ruthenium nanorods had an obvious one-dimensional structure with the aspect ratio ranged from 5 to 40 nm and length up to 600 nm.SAED patterns indicated that the nanorods were single-crystalline with a hexagonal structure.     

Quantitative TEM analysis of a hexagonal mesoporous silicate structure

TEM analysis of mesoporous materials is generally undertaken to give qualitative results. Accurate quantitative analysis is demonstrated in this study. A systematic image analysis of a powder form of a hexagonal mesoporous material known as KIT-6 is conducted using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Three types of image contrast typically appear in this material (a hexagonal honeycomb structure, wide and narrow parallel lines). The honeycomb face is used to characterise this material in terms of a conventional 2-D hexagonal structure and the d-spacings for the (100) and (110) planes are experimentally measured in varying focus conditions. A tilting experiment is conducted to determine how the angle of tilt affects the line spacing and their visibility. Tilting has very little effect on the line spacing, whereas it affects the visibility of both the wide and narrow lines by limiting an angle range of visibility. The hexagonal lattice structure parameter determined by TEM method is found to be approximately 7% lower than that calculated by low-angle X-ray diffraction. Thus we conclude that TEM data can be used to determine the geometry and dimensions of hexagonal mesoporous silica materials, with a small error in the hexagonal lattice parameter.