Size-controlled synthesis and growth mechanism of monodisperse tellurium nanorods by a surfactant-assisted method

This article describes a surfactant-assisted approach to the size-controlled synthesis of uniform nanorods of trigonal tellurium (t-Te). These nanorods were grown from a colloidal dispersion of amorphous Te (a-Te) and t-Te nanoparticles at room temperature, which was first formed through the reduction of (NH4)2TeS4 by Na2SO3 in aqueous solution at 80 degrees C. Nuclei formed in the reduction process had a strong tendency to grow along the [001] direction due to the inherently anisotropic structure of t-Te. The formation of Te nanorods could be ascribed to the confined growth through the surfactant adsorbing on the surfaces of the growing Te particles. By employing various surfactants in the synthesis system, Te nanorods with well-controlled diameters and lengths could be reproducibly produced by this method. Both the diameters and lengths of nanorods decreased with the increase of the alkyl length and the polarity of the surfactants. Te nanorods could also be obtained in mixed surfactants, where the different surfactants were used to selectively control the growth rates of different crystal planes. We also observed that the as-synthesized nanorods with uniform size could be self-assembled into large-area smecticlike arrays.     

Synthesis of single crystalline tellurium nanotubes with triangular and hexagonal cross sections

Single crystalline tellurium (Te) nanotubes with triangular cross sections were successfully synthesized for the first time by a simple approach of vaporizing tellurium metal and condensing the vapor in an inert atmosphere onto a suitable substrate. Tellurium gas was evaporated by heating at 350 degrees C and was condensed on the Si (100) substrate at 150-200 degrees C, in the downstream of argon (Ar) gas at a flow rate of 25 sccm for 10 min. This led to the production of nanotubes of triangular cross section along with some hexagonal ones. The formation of the nanotubes was highly dependent upon the structure of the substrate surface, Ar gas flow rate, and the deposition temperature. When the substrate is Si (111) or sapphire (0001) or when the argon flow rate is increased to 500 sccm, nanowires and nanorods were exclusively formed. Irrespective of the morphologies, all the observed Te nanostructures grew in a regular [0001] direction. The facile approach to nanotubes with a triangular cross section may facilitate some new applications as well as stimulate theoretical studies pertaining to the stability of this high-energy configuration.     

Large scale synthesis of tellurium nanoribbons in tetraethylene pentamine aqueous solution and the stability of tellurium nanoribbons in ethanol and water

Superlong single crystal tellurium nanoribbons with a width of 200-300 nm and length up to several hundred micrometers have been synthesized in tetraethylene pentamine aqueous solution at 80 degrees C. The stability of as prepared tellurium nanoribbons in solvents such as pure ethanol and deionized water has been studied. The poor crystallinity of the initial single crystalline Te nanoribbons with prolonged storing time demonstrated that the initial single crystalline nanobelts tend to be destroyed and to dissolve in the solvent. In meantime, the supersaturation of the solvable Te species in such solvents will result in the formation of amorphous Te, and the formation of amorphous TeO2 due to partial oxidation of the Te nanostructures and the newly formed amorphous Te. The detailed corrosion process, crystallinity, and shape evolution process have been carefully examined by the XRD, TEM, HRTEM, and XPS techniques. This erosion phenomenon attacked by solvents has been not identified previously, suggesting that tellurium nanoribbons synthesized by other chemical methods could be also not stable in solution system and their storage after laboratory synthesis requires special attention.     

Expanding the Applications of the Ilmenite Mineral to the Preparation of Nanostructures: TiO2 Nanorods and their Photocatalytic Properties in the Degradation of Oxalic Acid

The mineral ilmenite is one of the most abundant ores in the Earth′s crust and it is the main source for the industrial production of bulk titanium oxide. At the same time, methods to convert ilmenite into nanostructures of TiO₂ (which are required for new advanced applications, such as solar cells, batteries, and photocatalysts) have not been explored to any significant extent. Herein, we describe a simple and effective method for the preparation of rutile TiO₂ nanorods from ball‐milled ilmenite. These nanorods have small dimensions (width: 5–20 nm, length: 50–100 nm, thickness: 2–5 nm) and possess large specific surface areas (up to 97 m² g^?1). Dissolution/hydrolysis/precipitation is proposed as a growth mechanism. The nanorods were found to have attractive photocatalytic properties in the degradation of oxalic acid. Their photocatalytic activity is close to that of the benchmark Degussa P25 material and better than that of a commercial high‐surface‐area rutile powder.     

Size controlled growth of germanium nanorods and nanowires by solution pyrolysis directly on a substrate

Herein, we describe the controlled growth of 1 dimensional germanium nanostructures from high aspect ratio nanowires (>10 microns in length) to shorter aspect nanorods (100 nm in length) via a simple pyrolysis method. The synthetic route involves the thermal decomposition of selected germanium precursors by dropping a solution in a high boiling point solvent directly onto a pre-heated Si wafer in the presence of a copper source under inert conditions.     

[Te8]2[Ta4O4Cl16]: A Two‐dimensional Tellurium Polycation obtained via Ionic Liquid‐Based Synthesis

By reaction of elemental tellurium, tellurium(IV) chloride, tantalum(V) chloride and tantalum(V) oxychloride in the ionic liquid [BMIM]Cl ([BMIM]Cl:1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride),[Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] is obtained in the form of lucent black crystals. The title compound consists of infinite [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains (Te–Te: 264.9(1)–284.3(1) pm) and isolated [Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆]^4– anions. The [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains are interconnected to form a two‐dimensional tellurium network (Te–Te: 335.9 pm). Due to this interaction the [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains in [Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] show an arrangement that differs significantly from known polycationic [Te₈]_n²⁺ chains. The two‐dimensional tellurium network is finally separated by tetrameric, corner‐sharing oxidochloridotantalate anions [(TaO_2/2Cl_4/1)₄]^4– that are firstly observed. The composition of [Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] is confirmed by EDX analysis; its optical band gap is estimated to 1.1–1.2 eV via UV/Vis spectroscopy.     

Theoretical study of selenium and tellurium impurities in (ZnO)6 clusters using DFT and TDDFT

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have attracted much interest due to their potential applications in various fields including optoelectronics, glass industries, and solar cells. These compounds hold the promise of creating new materials that can advance energy technologies. In this work, a series of (ZnO)₆ clusters with selenium and tellurium applied as substitutional impurities has been studied. The investigated structures have been produced through the doping of (ZnO)₆ clusters by replacing an oxygen atom with a selenium or a tellurium atom at each time. The ground state geometric parameters of (ZnO)₆ structures, containing selenium or tellurium atoms as substitutional impurities, were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) with B3LYP and LanL2DZ basis set. Excited state energies and absorption wavelengths were computed using time‐dependent‐DFT (TDDFT). For the calculation of emission wavelengths, Hartree–Fock configuration interaction singles (HF/CIS) has been used in order to perform the excited state geometry optimization. This work led to some important results that can be helpful for developing novel THz sensitive materials and imaging detectors that may be an alternative to x‐rays detectors for radiology as well as for the development of solar cells and electroluminescent diodes. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have attracted growing interest due to their potential applications in many technological fields, including optoelectronics, the glass industry, and energy. The presence of impurities, in particular selenium and tellurium, in ZnO‐based clusters can affect their structural and spectroscopic properties. Some of these doped nanostructures have favorable Terahertz emission characteristics that make them good candidates for applications in biology and medicine.     

Intestinal absorption of tellurium studied with stable tracers

An investigation on tellurium metabolism by administration of stable tellurium isotopes¹²⁴Te and¹²⁶Te has been performed. Fractional intestinal absorption was determined in rabbits by the double tracer technique. The investigated subjects were given an enriched solution of one tellurium isotope orally and a few minutes later an enriched solution of the other isotope intravenously. The¹²⁴Te and¹²⁶Te contents in plasma samples were determined by proton nuclear activation. The methodology described offers a means to study tellurium metabolism in humans without radiation risk.     

Two‐Dimensional Tellurium Nanosheets Exhibiting an Anomalous Switchable Photoresponse with Thickness Dependence

Two‐dimensional (2D) tellurium (Te) was recently predicted to be promising for diverse electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, the synthesis of high‐quality 2D Te structures remains challenging, which greatly hinders the exploration of its full properties. Herein, an anomalous photoresponse from negative to positive as a function of thickness in Te nanosheets is reported. Ultrathin Te layers with large size and clean interface were obtained through a topotactic transformation, in which the 2D Te structure was derived from a layered MTe₂ (M=Ti, Mo, W) matrix by excessive lithiation. Prominently, the photoresponse in Te nanosheets exhibits negative behavior when the thickness is less than 5 nm, which turns positive as the thickness increases. This unusual photoresponse will shed light on the full exploration of 2D non‐layered materials with exotic properties.     

Facile One‐Pot Synthesis of Tellurium Nanorods as Antioxidant and Anticancer Agents

Nanorods have been utilized in targeted therapy, controlled release, molecular diagnosis, and molecule imaging owing to their large surface area and optical, magnetic, electronic, and structural properties. However, low stability and complex synthetic methods have substantially limited the application of tellurium nanorods for use as antioxidant and anticancer agents. Herein, a facile one‐pot synthesis of functionalized tellurium nanorods (PTNRs) by using a hydrothermal synthetic system with a polysaccharide–protein complex (PTR), which was extracted from Pleurotus tuber‐regium, as a capping agent is described. PTNRs remained stable in water and in phosphate‐buffered saline and exhibited high hemocompatibility. Interestingly, these nanorods possessed strong antioxidant activity for scavenging 2,2′‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid radical cation (ABTS^.+) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazylhydrate (DPPH) free radicals and demonstrated novel anticancer activities. However, these nanorods exhibited low cytotoxicity toward normal human cells. In addition, the PTNRs effectively induced a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose‐dependent manner, which indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction might play an important role in PTNR‐induced apoptosis. Therefore, this study provides a one‐pot strategy for the facile synthesis of tellurium nanorods with novel antioxidant and anticancer application potentials.     

Quasirelativistic study of 125Te nuclear magnetic shielding constants and chemical shifts

Calculations for ¹²⁵Te magnetic shielding constants and chemical shifts were carried out using a quasirelativistic Hamiltonian including the spin‐free relativistic, one‐ and two‐electron spin–orbit, and relativistic magnetic interaction terms. For the tellurium‐containing series Te(CH₃)₂, TeH₂, TeF₆, Te(CH₃)₄, and Te(CH₃)₂Cl₂, the relativistic effects amounted to as much as 1300 ppm and were very important for qualitatively reproducing the absolute value of the ¹²⁵Te shielding constants obtained experimentally. On the other hand, for the ¹²⁵Te chemical shifts the relativistic effects were less important, because they cancelled each other between the sample and reference compounds. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 1502–1508, 2001     

Converting Ag2SCdS and Ag2SZnS into AgCdS and AgZnS Nanoheterostructures by Selective Extraction of Sulfur

A mild three‐step solution strategy is developed to prepare Ag? MS (M=Zn, Cd) nanoheterostructures composed of MS nanorods with silver tips. First, Ag₂S? MS heterostructures are synthesized by following a solution–liquid–solid mechanism with Ag₂S nanoparticles as catalysts, then the Ag₂S sections of the heterostructures are converted into silver nanoparticles by selective extraction of sulfur. Notably, for the prepared Ag? CdS heterostructures, the localized surface plasmon resonance of silver remarkably intensifies the photoluminescence of CdS by enhancing the excitation light absorption, which is beneficial for potential applications of CdS nanoparticles in the fields of biolabeling, light‐emitting diodes, and so forth. The strategy reported herein would be useful for designing and fabricating other metal–semiconductor hybrid nanostructures with desirable performances.     

Facile Synthesis of Quasi‐One‐Dimensional Au/PtAu Heterojunction Nanotubes and Their Application as Catalysts in an Oxygen‐Reduction Reaction

An intermediate‐template‐directed method has been developed for the synthesis of quasi‐one‐dimensional Au/PtAu heterojunction nanotubes by the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of Au on Te/Pt core–shell nanostructures in aqueous solution. The synthesized porous Au/PtAu bimetallic nanotubes (PABNTs) consist of porous tubular framework and attached Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). The reaction intermediates played an important role in the preparation, which fabricated the framework and provided a localized reducing agent for the reduction of the Au and Pt precursors. The Pt₇Au PABNTs showed higher electrocatalytic activity and durability in the oxygen‐reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.1 M HClO₄ than porous Pt nanotubes (PtNTs) and commercially available Pt/C. The mass activity of PABNTs was 218 % that of commercial Pt/C after an accelerated durability test. This study demonstrates the potential of PABNTs as highly efficient electrocatalysts. In addition, this method provides a facile strategy for the synthesis of desirable hetero‐nanostructures with controlled size and shape by utilizing an intermediate template.     

Structures of Iodophenyltellurium(II) and Diiododi-(β-naphtyl)tellurium(IV)

The reactions between diphenyl ditelluride, (PhTe)₂, or di(β-naphtyl)ditelluride, (β-naphtylTe)₂, with equivalent amounts of iodine have been reinvestigated and the crystal and molecular structures of iodophenyltellurium(II), (PhTeI)₄, and diiododi-(β-naphtyl)tellurium(IV), (β-naphtyl)₂TeI₂, have been determined. The structure of iodophenyltellurium(II) (space group Cc, a = 13.850(5) Å, b = 13.852(3) Å, c = 16.494(6) Å and β = 101.69(2)°, Z = 4) is built up by four PhTeI units which are linked by weak Te–Te interactions with Te–Te distances between 3.152(5) Å and 3.182(4) Å. The angles between the tellurium atoms are approximately 90° giving an almost perfect square. Long range secondary bonds (Te–I: about 4.2 Å) link the tetrameric units to give an infinite two-dimensional network. Iodo(β-naphtyl)tellurium(II) is less stable than the phenyl derivative. Solutions of this compound decompose under formation of elemental tellurium and (β-naphtyl)₂TeI₂. (β-Naphtyl)₂TeI₂ crystallises in the monoclinic space group C 2/c (a = 21.198(6) Å, b = 5.8921(8) Å, c = 16.651(5) Å, β = 114.77(2)°). The tellurium atom is situated on a two-fold crystallographic axis and Te–I and Te–C bond lengths of 2.899(1) and 2.108(7) Å have been determined.     

Oligothiophene Self‐Assembly on the Surface of ZnO Nanorods: Toward Coaxial p–n Hybrid Heterojunctions

We describe herein the design, synthesis and detailed structural characterization of hybrid 1D nanostructures. They are prepared by supramolecular self‐assembly of oligothiophene molecules on the surface of zinc oxide nanorods in solution at room temperature. Electronic absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction show that both organic and inorganic components in the coaxial p–n heterojunctions are crystalline. Especially, it is demonstrated that the organic compounds form a self‐assembled monolayer at the surface of the nanorods, which is not the case when zinc oxide quantum dots are instead used. As a result of their hybrid nature, the 1D nanostructures lead to ambipolar semiconducting nanostructured materials as active layers in field‐effect transistors.     

First example of the correlated calculation of the one‐bond tellurium–carbon spin–spin coupling constants: Relativistic effects,vibrational corrections,and solvent effects

This work reports on the comprehensive calculation of the NMR one‐bond spin–spin coupling constants (SSCCs) involving carbon and tellurium, ¹J(¹²⁵Te,¹³C), in four representative compounds: Te(CH₃)₂, Te(CF₃)₂, Te(C?CH)₂, and tellurophene. A high‐level computational treatment of ¹J(¹²⁵Te,¹³C) included calculations at the SOPPA level taking into account relativistic effects evaluated at the 4‐component RPA and DFT levels of theory, vibrational corrections, and solvent effects. The consistency of different computational approaches including the level of theory of the geometry optimization of tellurium‐containing compounds, basis sets, and methods used for obtainig spin–spin coupling values have also been discussed in view of reproducing the experimental values of the tellurium–carbon SSCCs. Relativistic corrections were found to play a major role in the calculation of ¹J(¹²⁵Te,¹³C) reaching as much as almost 50% of the total value of ¹J(¹²⁵Te,¹³C) while relativistic geometrical effects are of minor importance. The vibrational and solvent corrections account for accordingly about 3–6% and 0–4% of the total value. It is shown that taking into account relativistic corrections, vibrational corrections and solvent effects at the DFT level essentially improves the agreement of the non‐relativistic theoretical SOPPA results with experiment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Conversion of CuO Nanoplates into Porous Hybrid Cu2O/Polypyrrole Nanoflakes through a Pyrrole‐Induced Reductive Transformation Reaction

Porous hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanoflakes have been synthesized from solid CuO nanoplate templates through the pyrrole‐induced reductive transformation reaction at elevated temperature. The conversion mechanism involves the reductive transformation of CuO to Cu₂O and the in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole to polypyrrole. In addition, the morphology of the as‐converted nanohybrids depends on the shape of the CuO precursors. The strategy enables us to transform single‐crystalline CuO nanosheets into hollow hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanoframes. The ability to transform CuO and an organic monomer into porous hybrid materials of conducting polymer and Cu₂O with macrosized morphological retention opens up interesting possibilities to create novel nanostructures. Electrochemical examinations show that these porous hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanostructures exhibit efficient catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), excellent methanol tolerance ability, and catalytic stability in alkaline solution, thus making them promising nonprecious‐metal‐based catalysts for ORR in alkaline fuel cells and metal–air batteries.     

Cadmium atomic layers on tellurium electrodes

The process of electrodeposition of atomic layers of cadmium Cd_ad at order of magnitude polycrystalline tellurium electrodes at potentials in excess of equilibrium potential E _Cd ²⁺/_Cd (underpotential deposition, UPD) is studied. In acid sulfate solutions (0.1 M H₂SO₄ + 0.05 M CdSO₄), the magnitude of underpotential (underpotential shift) ΔE ^UPD = 0.41 V. In cyclic voltammograms, the anodic oxidation of Cd_ad is recorded in the form of two peaks of anodic current that are displaced relative to one another in the potential scale (weakly and strongly bound adatoms). The cadmium UPD process on tellurium is accompanied by the diffusion of cadmium into the bulk of tellurium and a transition from a 2D structure Cd_ad/Te to 3D CdTe nanostructures, which are distributed in the tellurium matrix. In contrast with tellurium, the Te/CdTe_nano heterostructure exhibits photoelectrochemical activity, i.e. it generates a cathodic photocurrent.     

Local‐Curvature‐Controlled Non‐Epitaxial Growth of Hierarchical Nanostructures

Site‐selective growth on non‐spherical seeds provides an indispensable route to hierarchical complex nanostructures that are interesting for diverse applications. However, this has only been achieved through epitaxial growth, which is restricted to crystalline materials with similar crystal structures and physicochemical properties. A non‐epitaxial growth strategy is reported for hierarchical nanostructures, where site‐selective growth is controlled by the curvature of non‐spherical seeds. This strategy is effective for site‐selective growth of silica nanorods from non‐spherical seeds of different shapes and materials, such as α‐Fe₂O₃, NaYF₄, and ZnO. This growth strategy is not limited by the stringent requirements of epitaxy and is thus a versatile general method suitable for the preparation of hierarchical nanostructures with controlled morphologies and compositions to open up a verity of applications in self‐assembly, nanorobotics, catalysis, electronics, and biotechnology.     

Preparation and Characterization of Composites that Contain Small Carbon Nano‐Onions and Conducting Polyaniline

Small multilayer fullerenes, also known as carbon nano‐onions (CNOs; 5–6 nm in diameter, 6–8 shells), show higher reactivity than other larger carbon nanostructures. Here we report the first example of an in situ polymerization of aniline on phenyleneamine‐terminated CNO surfaces. The green, protonated, conducting emeraldine polyaniline (PANI) was directly synthesized on the surface of the CNO. The functionalized and soluble CNO/PANI composites were characterized by TEM, SEM, DSC, Raman, and infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of the conducting CNO/PANI films were also investigated. In comparison with pristine CNOs, functionalized carbon nanostructures show dramatically improved solubility in protic solvents, thus enabling their easy processing for coatings, nanocomposites, and biomedical applications.