Facile combustion synthesis of Ag2O nanoparticles using cantaloupe seeds and their multidisciplinary applications

Silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag₂O NPs) were prepared using cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) seeds as a fuel by employing a green synthesis method. The prepared Ag₂O NPs were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), UV–visible spectrum, Fourier transform infrared analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and photoluminescence studies. PXRD data reveal the establishment of cubic crystal structure of Ag₂O NPs. According to SEM and TEM results, the morphology of the prepared NPs was agglomerated and spherical. The photodegradation activity of the prepared Ag₂O NPs over methylene blue dye was promising under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, the antimicrobial assay of the synthesized Ag₂O NPs was carried out by the disc diffusion method against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbial strains.     

分等级结构对锡氧化物负载Pt室温催化甲醛氧化性能的影响

甲醛是主要的室内空气污染物,气相中甲醛去除技术具有重要意义.常用的甲醛去除技术主要包括物理和化学吸附、光催化分解和热催化氧化,其中能在常温下进行的催化氧化最具发展和实用前景.能在室温下高效催化甲醛完全氧化的催化剂一般为负载型贵金属,如铂(Pt)、钯、金、银等.除了选择具有内在高活性的组分,通过提高贵金属分散度,增强贵金属-载体相互作用,增加载体的甲醛亲和性等方法也可提高甲醛催化分解活性.以上方法主要关注催化剂化学性质的改良;另一方面,催化剂的微观几何结构以及传质快慢对表观催化反应速率也有重要影响.近年来研究表明,分等级结构利于反应物在材料孔隙中的扩散输移,可大幅提高催化活性.因此,我们制备了具有分等级结构的花状锡氧化物(SnOx)负载的Pt纳米颗粒,并研究其室温下催化分解甲醛的性能.花状SnOx以氟化亚锡和尿素为原料,通过水热法制备;Pt通过浸渍、硼氢化钠还原法负载,制备Pt/SnOx催化剂.另外,对SnOx进行球磨处理破坏其分等级结构,制备g-SnOx及Pt/g-SnOx作为对照.通过场发射扫描电镜观察,制备的锡氧化物为具有分等级结构的花状微球,直径约1?m,由厚度约20 nm的花瓣状纳米片交错连接而成.X射线衍射(XRD)谱图对应四方相氧化亚锡(SnO,JCPDS 06-0395),但也观察到四方金红石相氧化锡(SnO2,JCPDS 41-1445)的微弱特征峰.高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)仅观察到四方相SnO的晶格条纹.根据X射线光电子能谱(XPS)结果,在花状锡氧化物的表面,锡元素的氧化态为正四价.综合以上表征结果表明:制备的锡氧化物主体为SnO,由于表面被空气氧化,含有少量SnO2.通过透射电镜观察Pt/SnOx催化剂发现,直径2–3 nm的Pt纳米颗粒高度分散负载于SnOx纳米片表面;XPS结果表明,纳米颗粒中Pt的价态为0价,与HRTEM观测结果一致.甲醛分解测试采用静态测试系统,在体积为6 L的测试箱中加入一定浓度甲醛后开始反应,监测甲醛、二氧化碳(CO2)和一氧化碳(CO)浓度随时间的变化.结果表明,花状SnOx在室温下不具有催化甲醛氧化活性,仅能通过吸附作用去除少量甲醛;而负载0价金属态Pt纳米颗粒后,甲醛快速分解为CO2和水,且无CO生成.在初始浓度170 ppm条件下,反应1 h后,甲醛去除率达到87%.Pt/SnOx催化剂的高活性表明,金属态Pt是催化甲醛氧化的活性组分.经球磨处理后制备的Pt/g-SnOx,其催化活性远低于具有分等级结构的Pt/SnOx;后者的二级反应速率常数为前者的5.6倍,证明分等级结构能有效加速甲醛催化氧化分解.本研究结果对于高效分解室内甲醛材料的设计、制备提供了一种指导性的新思路.     

Direct deposition of gold nanoparticles onto polymer beads and glucose oxidation with H2O2

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were deposited directly from aqueous solution of diethylenediaminegold(III) complex onto polymer beads commercially available, such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), and polyaniline (PANI) without surface modification. The dropwise addition of NaBH4 to reduce Au(III) was found to be very effective to obtain small Au0 NPs with a narrow size distribution except for PANI. The catalytic performance of Au NPs deposited on polymer beads for H2O2 decomposition and glucose oxidation with H2O2 were more significantly affected by the kinds of polymer supports than by the size of Au NPs. The equimolar oxidation of glucose with H2O2 could be operated by controlling the decomposition rate of H2O2 over Au/PMMA.     

In situ coarsening study of inverse micelle-prepared Pt nanoparticles supported on γ-Al2O3: pretreatment and environmental effects

The thermal stability of inverse micelle prepared Pt nanoparticles (NPs) supported on nanocrystalline γ-Al(2)O(3) was monitored in situ under different chemical environments (H(2), O(2), H(2)O) via extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and ex situ via scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Drastic differences in the stability of identically synthesized NP samples were observed upon exposure to two different pre-treatments. In particular, exposure to O(2) at 400 °C before high temperature annealing in H(2) (800 °C) was found to result in the stabilization of the inverse micelle prepared Pt NPs, reaching a maximum overall size after moderate coarsening of ～1 nm. Interestingly, when an analogous sample was pre-treated in H(2) at ～400 °C, a final size of ～5 nm was reached at 800 °C. The beneficial role of oxygen in the stabilization of small Pt NPs was also observed in situ during annealing treatments in O(2) at 450 °C for several hours. In particular, while NPs of 0.5 ± 0.1 nm initial average size did not display any significant sintering (0.6 ± 0.2 nm final size), an analogous thermal treatment in hydrogen leads to NP coarsening (1.2 ± 0.3 nm). The same sample pre-dosed and annealed in an atmosphere containing water only displayed moderate sintering (0.8 ± 0.3 nm). Our data suggest that PtO(x) species, possibly modifying the NP/support interface, play a role in the stabilization of small Pt NPs. Our study reveals the enhanced thermal stability of inverse micelle prepared Pt NPs and the importance of the sample pre-treatment and annealing environment in the minimization of undesired sintering processes affecting the catalytic performance of nanosized particles.     

Polyoxometalate-stabilized Pt nanoparticles and their electrocatalytic activities

The synthesis of long-term stable polyoxometalate (POM)-stabilized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) is described here. By means of controlled bulk electrolysis, the reduced POM anions, SiW(12)O(40)(4-) (or SiW(12)) and H(2)W(12)O(40)(6-) (or H(2)W(12)), respectively, served the dual role of reductant and protecting/stabilizing ligand for the Pt NPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of 3 to 4 nm sized Pt NPs, which coincidently was in the same size range of the commercial Pt black that was used as a reference. Elemental XPS analyses showed W/Pt ratios of 0.12 for the SiW(12)- and 0.18 for the H(2)W(12)-stabilized Pt NPs, but found no evidence of the presence of Cl(-) anion in the samples. Controlled electrochemical (EC), UV-Vis, and IR data provided unambiguous evidence for the structural integrity of the POM anions on the Pt NP surface. CO stripping, methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were used to assess their electrocatalytic activities. It was found that both SiW(12)- and H(2)W(12)-stabilized Pt NPs showed enhanced activities in MOR and ORR as compared to that of Pt black, with the latter having higher enhancement. These observations clearly demonstrated that the stabilizing POM anions have a profound influence on the electrocatalytic activity of the underlying Pt NPs.     

Nickel oxide Nanoparticles/Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite for Non-enzymatic Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide

In this work, nickel oxide nanoparticles-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared and used for H2O2 sensing application. Firstly, ex situ NiO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared and further used to decorate polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified carboxylated CNTs. The obtained nanocomposite and its precursors were identified by using X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and SEM and TEM images, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and electrochemical techniques. The sensing properties of the NiO-modified nanocomposite toward H2O2 were studied by electrochemical techniques using glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) as support material. After optimizing the sensor construction, the sensor sensitivity was about of 0.83±0.01 A M⁻¹ cm⁻² with a LOD of about 1.0 μM. In addition, it showed excellent anti-interference properties, reproducibility, and stability (over 4 months). Finally, such sensors were coupled to a flow injection device and the H2O2 concentration of some commercial antiseptic solutions were successfully obtained (with recovery ratios between 96.3–102.4 %).     

CO oxidation on inverse CeO(x)/Cu(111) catalysts: high catalytic activity and ceria-promoted dissociation of O2

A Cu(111) surface displays a low activity for the oxidation of carbon monoxide (2CO + O(2) → 2CO(2)). Depending on the temperature, background pressure of O(2), and the exposure time, one can get chemisorbed O on Cu(111) or a layer of Cu(2)O that may be deficient in oxygen. The addition of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) to Cu(111) substantially enhances interactions with the O(2) molecule and facilitates the oxidation of the copper substrate. In images of scanning tunneling microscopy, ceria NPs exhibit two overlapping honeycomb-type moire? structures, with the larger ones (H(1)) having a periodicity of 4.2 nm and the smaller ones (H(2)) having a periodicity of 1.20 nm. After annealing CeO(2)/Cu(111) in O(2) at elevated temperatures (600-700 K), a new phase of a Cu(2)O(1+x) surface oxide appears and propagates from the ceria NPs. The ceria is not only active for O(2) dissociation, but provides a much faster channel for oxidation than the step edges of Cu(111). Exposure to CO at 550-750 K led to a partial reduction of the ceria NPs and the removal of the copper oxide layer. The CeO(x)/Cu(111) systems have activities for the 2CO + O(2) → 2CO(2) reaction that are comparable or larger than those reported for surfaces of expensive noble metals such as Rh(111), Pd(110), and Pt(100). Density-functional calculations show that the supported ceria NPs are able to catalyze the oxidation of CO due to their special electronic and chemical properties. The configuration of the inverse oxide/metal catalyst opens new interesting routes for applications in catalysis.     

The effective peroxidase-like activity of chitosan-functionalized CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for chemiluminescence sensing of hydrogen peroxide and glucose

Here, we report a highly simple and general protocol for functionalization of the CoFe(2)O(4) NPs with chitosan polymers in order to make CoFe(2)O(4) NPs disperse and stable in solution. The functionalized CoFe(2)O(4) NPs (denoted as CF-CoFe(2)O(4) NPs) were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR spectra. It was found that the CoFe(2)O(4) NPs were successfully decorated and uniformly dispersed on the surface of chitosan without agglomeration. The CF-CoFe(2)O(4) NPs were found to increase greatly the radiation emitted during the CL oxidation of luminol by hydrogen peroxide. Results of ESR spin-trapping experiments demonstrated that the CF-CoFe(2)O(4) NPs showed catalytic ability to H(2)O(2) decomposition into ˙OH radicals. On this basis, a highly sensitive and rapid chemiluminescent method was developed for hydrogen peroxide in water samples and glucose in blood samples. Under optimum conditions, the proposed method allowed the detection of H(2)O(2) in the range of 1.0 × 10(-9) to 4.0 × 10(-6) M and glucose in the range of 5.0 × 10(-8) to 1.0 × 10(-5) M with detectable H(2)O(2) as low as 500 pM and glucose as low as 10 nM, respectively. This proposed method has been successfully applied to detect H(2)O(2) in environmental water samples and glucose in serum samples with good accuracy and precision.     

Electrochemical solid-state phase transformations of silver nanoparticles

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-capped silver nanoparticles (ATP-Ag NPs) were synthesized by reduction of AgNO(3) with borohydride in water with ATP as a capping ligand. The NPs obtained were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. A typical preparation produced ATP-Ag NPs with diameters of 4.5 ± 1.1 nm containing ~2800 Ag atoms and capped with 250 ATP capping ligands. The negatively charged ATP caps allow NP incorporation into layer-by-layer (LbL) films with poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride at thiol-modified Au electrode surfaces. Cyclic voltammetry in a single-layer LbL film of NPs showed a chemically reversible oxidation of Ag NPs to silver halide NPs in aqueous halide solutions and to Ag(2)O NPs in aqueous hydroxide solutions. TEM confirmed that this takes place via a redox-driven solid-state phase transformation. The charge for these nontopotactic phase transformations corresponded to a one-electron redox process per Ag atom in the NP, indicating complete oxidation and reduction of all Ag atoms in each NP during the electrochemical phase transformation.     

Oak gum mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles under ultrasonic conditions: Characterization and evaluation of its antioxidant and anti-lung cancer effects

Herein, we represent the bio-synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) employing Oak gum as the green template, an efficient natural and non-toxic reductant and stabilizer based on its phytochemicals by using ultrasonic irradiation. The characterization of as-synthesized Ag NPs was performed through Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, UV–Vis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). After the characterization, the synthesized Ag NPs/O. Gum was engaged in biological assays like study of anti-oxidant properties by DPPH mediated free radical scavenging test using MeOH and BHT as reference molecules. Thereafter, on having a significant IC₅₀ value in radical scavenging assay, we extended the bio-application of the desired nanocomposite in anticancer study of A549, Calu6 and H358 human lung cell lines in-vitro through MTT assay. They had very low cell viability and high anti-human lung cancer activities dose-dependently against the cell lines without any cytotoxicity on the normal cell line (MRC-5). The IC₅₀ of Ag NPs/O. Gum was found 161.25, 289.26 and 235.29 µg/mL against A549, Calu6 and H358 cell lines, respectively. Maybe significant anti-human lung cancer potentials of Ag NPs/O. Gum against common lung cancer cell lines are related to their antioxidant activities. So, these results suggest that synthesized Ag NPs/O. Gum as a chemotherapeutic nanomaterial have a suitable anticancer activity against lung cell lines.     

Alkanetelluroxide-protected gold nanoparticles

The synthesis and characterization of the first air-stable tellurium-containing ligand-protected gold nanoparticles (NPs) are reported. Although the synthesis largely followed the well-known Brust two-phase approach, the starting ligand was dioctyl ditelluride rather than alkanetellurol, which is an analogue of the widely used alkanethiol. Dioctyl ditelluride was used because alkanetellurol is unstable. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra, as well as infrared spectra (IR) of the formed Au NPs, indicated that the Te-Te bond in the starting ligand was broken but the octyl group was intact. This was further corroborated by the solid-state 125Te NMR spectrum that displayed a very broad and significantly downfield-shifted peak, indicating that tellurium was directly bound to the Au core. Furthermore, the O 1s and Te 3d XPS spectra of the Au NPs indicated that the capping ligands were octanetelluroxide. An average particle size of 2.7 nm diameter as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) corresponded to an Au607 core. A two-step weight loss of approximately 22.2% in total was observed in the thermogravimetric analysis, which indicated about 53% ligand monolayer coverage (i.e., Au607(Te(=O)C8H17)133). Additionally, dioctyl ditelluride demonstrated an intriguing reductive power that led to a more sophisticated chemistry of forming the air-stable octanetelluroxide-protected gold NPs. It has been found that (1) when the ratio of Au to Te was about 1.5 a colorless intermediate state similar to Au(I)-SR (the intermediate state widely accepted in the synthesis of thiolate-protected Au NPs) could be obtained and (2) this kind of intermediate state played a key role in the formation of stable Au NPs.     

Intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and catalase-like activity of Co3O4 nanoparticles

We demonstrate that Co(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and catalase-like activity. The peroxidase-like activity of the Co(3)O(4) NPs originates from their ability of electron transfer between reducing substrates and H(2)O(2), not from ˙OH radical generated. As peroxidase mimetics, Co(3)O(4) NPs were used for colorimetric determination of H(2)O(2) and glucose.     

羧甲基壳聚糖磁性纳米粒子的合成及应用

通过合成油酸修饰的Fe3O4纳米粒子和羧甲基壳聚糖直接包埋油酸修饰的Fe3O4纳米粒子的两步合成法制备了羧甲基壳聚糖磁性纳米粒子。采用透射电子显微镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱、振动样品磁强计和同步热分析测试技术对制备的羧甲基壳聚糖磁性纳米粒子进行了表征。所得磁性纳米粒子呈规则球形,粒径约为10 nm;表面含羧基,且具有很好的顺磁性和稳定性。考察了羧甲基壳聚糖磁性纳米粒子对阿霉素的载药量和对阿霉素在磷酸盐缓冲溶液中的缓释性能。结果表明,磁性纳米粒子对阿霉素展示了较高的载药量(91.8 mg/g),结合了阿霉素的磁性复合物对阿霉素的缓释作用明显,说明制备的羧甲基壳聚糖磁性纳米粒子有望作为治疗肿瘤的纳米磁靶向药物输送载体。     

Langmuir and Gibbs magnetite NP layers at the air/water interface

The interfacial properties of Fe(3)O(4)@MEO(2)MA(90)-co-OEGMA(10) NPs, recently developed and described as promising nanotools for biomedical applications, have been investigated at the air/water interface. These Fe(3)O(4) NPs, capped with catechol-terminated random copolymer brushes of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate (MEO(2)MA) and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA), with molar fractions of 90% and 10%, respectively, proved to be surface active. Surface tension measurements of aqueous dispersions of the NPs showed that the adsorption of the NPs at the air/water interface is time- and concentration-dependent. These NPs do not behave as classical amphiphiles. Once adsorbed at the air/water interface, they do not exchange with NPs in bulk, but they are trapped at the interface. This means that all NPs from the bulk adsorb to the interface until reaching maximum coverage of the interface, which corresponds to values between 6 × 10(-4) and 8 × 10(-4) mg/cm(2) and a critical equilibrium surface tension of ～47 mN/m. Moreover, Langmuir layers of Fe(3)O(4)@MEO(2)MA(90)-co-OEGMA(10) NPs have been investigated by measuring surface pressure-area compression-expansion isotherms and in situ X-ray fluorescence spectra. The compression-expansion isotherms showed a plateau region above a critical surface pressure of ～25 mN/m and a pronounced hysteresis. By using a special one-barrier Langmuir trough equipped with two surface pressure microbalances, we have shown that the NPs are squeezed out from the interface into the aqueous subphase, and they readsorb on the other side of the barrier. The results have been supported by TEM as well as AFM experiments of transferred Langmuir-Schaefer films on solid supports. This study shows the ability of Fe(3)O(4)@MEO(2)MA(90)-co-OEGMA(10) NPs to transfer from hydrophilic media (an aqueous solution) to the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface (air/water interface) and back to the hydrophilic media. This behavior is very promising, opening studies of their ability to cross biological membranes.     

银掺杂介孔氧化铝抗菌剂的一步合成与表征

以Al(NO_3)_3·9H_2O和AgNO_3为原料,采用水热法制备了介孔氧化铝纳米粒子(Mesoporous Al_2O_3NPs)和银掺杂介孔氧化铝纳米粒子(Mesoporous Ag/Al_2O_3NPs),通过X射线衍射(XRD)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)、X射线荧光光谱(XRF)、能量分散X射线衍射(EDX)和低温N2吸附-脱附等手段对产物进行了表征,通过最低抑菌浓度和抑菌圈实验研究了材料的抗菌性能.XRD分析表明在介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs中Al_2O_3是唯一结晶相,Ag掺杂后,介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs晶格常数和半高峰宽增大,晶面间距[(111),(400)和(440)面]减小.FE-SEM形貌分析表明掺杂后的介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs颗粒直径减小而孔径增大.EDX和XRF分析表明介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs中O/Al摩尔比为1.5,与Al_2O_3NPs中O/Al摩尔比相同.综合XRD和XRF分析结果认为,Ag进入介孔Al_2O_3晶格间隙形成间隙固溶体.低温N2吸附-脱附分析表明掺杂后的介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs比表面积、孔体积和孔径增大.曝气抗菌实验结果表明介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs的抗菌机理是活性氧和金属银的协同作用.介孔Ag/Al_2O_3NPs对革兰氏阴性菌(大肠杆菌)和革兰氏阳性菌(金黄色葡萄球菌)具有明显的抗菌效果,对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的最低抑菌浓度(MIC)均为80μg/m L,抑菌圈直径分别为26 mm和24 mm.     

Photocatalytic Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Preyssler Acid and Their Photocatalytic Activity

Preyssler acid H14[NaP5W30O110] was used as reducing agent and stabilizer for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles by photolysis of Au(III)/Preyssler acid/propan-2-ol solution.Preyssler acid plays both the role of transferring electrons from propan-2-ol to Au(III) and stabilizing the nanoparticles.Propan-2-ol was used as sacrificial reagent for the photoformation of reduced Preyssler acid.Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy (TEM),and particle size distribution (PSD) measurements.The synthesized Au NPs had a uniform hexagonal morphology and their size was about 17 nm.The catalytic performance of these NPs for photodegradation of methyl orange (MeO) was investigated in aqueous solution.UV-Vis studies showed that Au NPs can catalyze photodegradation of this azo dye.The pseudo-first-order rate constants were also calculated for this reaction.     

Pd促进ZnO/Al2O3催化乙醇水蒸气重整制氢

采用浸渍法制备了Pd促进ZnO/Al2O3催化剂, 考察了该催化剂作用时, 在水醇摩尔比为3, 常压和450 °C工作条件下乙醇水蒸气重整(SRE)制氢反应性能. 研究结果表明, 在该催化剂体系作用下的SRE反应过程中, H2、CH3CHO为主要产物, 与ZnO/Al2O3催化剂不同, Pd能促使CH3CHO发生C-C键断裂反应, 显著提高C2H5OH转化率及H2选择性, 分别达65%、55%. 还利用BET比表面积、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、热重-差示扫描量热-质谱(TG-DSC-MS)等表征手段考察了催化剂失活以及表面积炭情况, 发现Pd的加入对催化剂总积炭量并无明显影响.     

Synthesis, characterization, and intracellular uptake of carboxyl-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles

We report the synthesis and characterization of a group of carboxyl-functionalized poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers of generation 3 (G3) that were used for the stabilization of superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles (NPs). Folic acid (FA) molecules were conjugated onto the dendrimer surfaces in an attempt to achieve specific targeted imaging of tumor cells that overexpress FA receptors using dendrimer-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) NPs. Fe(3)O(4) NPs were synthesized using controlled co-precipitation of Fe(ii) and Fe(iii) ions and the formed dendrimer-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) NPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The intracellular uptake of dendrimer-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) NPs was tested in vitro using KB cells (a human epithelial carcinoma cell line) that overexpress FA receptors. It appears that carboxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimer-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) NPs can be uptaken by KB cells regardless of the repelling force between the negatively charged cells and the negatively charged particles. In the presence of a large amount of carboxyl terminal groups on the dendrimer surface, the receptor-mediated endocytosis of Fe(3)O(4) NPs stabilized by FA-modified dendrimers was not facilitated. It implies that the surface charge of dendrimer-stabilized magnetic iron oxide NPs in biological medium is an important factor influencing their biological performance.     

In situ time-resolved DXAFS study of Rh nanoparticle formation mechanism in ethylene glycol at elevated temperature

A combination of in situ time-resolved DXAFS and ICP-MS techniques reveals that the formation process of Rh nanoparticles (NPs) from rhodium trichloride trihydrate (RhCl(3)·3H(2)O) in ethylene glycol with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at elevated temperature is a first-order reaction, which indicates that uniform size Rh NPs appear consecutively and these Rh NPs do not aggregate with each other.     

Stabilisation of water-soluble platinum nanoparticles by phosphonic acid derivatives

Sodium 2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl phosphonate (1) was investigated as a stabilising agent for platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) in aqueous solution. This phosphino phosphonate is known to stabilise rhodium nanoparticles (NPs) in water. Here we report that in the case of Pt-NPs this ligand is indirectly involved in the stabilisation mechanism and the actual stabilisation agent is the platinum complex Na(2)[Pt(1)(2)] (2). The reduction of platinum(II) salts in the presence of the phosphonates 1, 2, sodium 2-(diphenylphosphoryl)ethyl phosphonate (3) and 3,3,3-triphenylpropyl phosphonate (4) leads to stable platinum NPs with a remarkably narrow particle size distribution. These platinum NPs show high catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of 1-hexene and 1-chloro-3-nitrobenzene under biphasic as well as heterogeneous (supported on charcoal) conditions. The activity of the supported NPs was 30 times higher than the commercially available catalyst Pt(0) EnCat?. Furthermore, the single-crystal X-ray structures of (1)(MeOH)(2)(H(2)O)(2), (3)(H(2)O)(4), and (4)(2)(H(2)O)(17) have been determined.