Charge-driven flocculation of poly(L-lysine)-gold nanoparticle assemblies leading to hollow microspheres

An unusual aggregation phenomenon that involves positively charged poly(L-lysine) (PLL) and negatively charged gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) is reported. Discrete, submicrometer-sized spherical aggregates are found to form immediately upon combining a PLL solution with gold sol (diameter approximately 14 nm). These PLL-Au NP assemblies grow in size with time, according to light scattering experiments, which indicates a dynamic flocculation process. Water-filled, silica hollow microspheres (outer diameter approximately microns) are obtained upon the addition of negatively charged SiO2 NPs (diameter approximately 13 nm) to a suspension of the PLL-Au NP assemblies, around which the SiO2 NPs form a shell. Structural analysis through confocal microscopy indicates the PLL (tagged with a fluorescent dye) is located in the interior of the hollow sphere, and mostly within the silica shell wall. The hollow spheres are theorized to form through flocculation, in which the charge-driven aggregation of Au NPs by PLL provides the critical first step in the two-step synthesis process ("flocculation assembly"). The SiO2 shell can be removed and re-formed by decreasing and increasing the suspension pH about the point-of-zero charge of SiO2, respectively.     

Control of shell thickness in silica-coating of Au nanoparticles and their X-ray imaging properties

This paper describes a performance of precise control of shell thickness in silica-coating of Au nanoparticles based on a sol-gel process, and an investigation into X-ray imaging properties for the silica-coated Au (Au/SiO(2)) particles. The Au nanoparticles with a size of 16.9±1.2 nm prepared through a conventional citrate reduction method were used as core particles. The Au nanoparticles were silica-coated with a sol-gel reaction using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica source, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a catalyst, and (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APMS) as a silane coupling agent. An increase in TEOS concentration resulted in an increase in shell thickness. Under certain concentrations of Au, H(2)O, NaOH, and APMS, the Au/SiO(2) particles with silica shell thickness of 6.0-61.0 nm were produced with varying TEOS concentration. Absorption peak wavelength of surface plasmon resonance of the Au/SiO(2) colloid solution depended on silica shell thickness, which agreed approximately with the predictions by Mie theory. The as-prepared colloid solution could be concentrated up to an Au concentration of 0.19 M with salting-out and centrifugation. The concentrated colloid solution showed an X-ray image with high contrast, and a computed tomography value for the colloid solution with an Au concentration of 0.129 M was achieved 1329.7±52.7 HU.     

Selective DNA-mediated assembly of gold nanoparticles on electroded substrates

Motivated by the technological possibilities of electronics and sensors based on gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), we investigate the selective assembly of such NPs on electrodes via DNA hybridization. Protocols are demonstrated for maximizing selectivity and coverage using 15mers as the active binding agents. Detailed studies of the dependences on time, ionic strength, and temperature are used to understand the underlying mechanisms and their limits. Under optimized conditions, coverage of Au NPs on Au electrodes patterned on silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrates was found to be approximately 25-35%. In all cases, Au NPs functionalized with non-complementary DNA show no attachment and essentially no nonspecific adsorption is observed by any Au NPs on the SiO2 surfaces of the patterned substrates. DNA-guided assembly of multilayers of NPs was also demonstrated and, as expected, found to further increase the coverage, with three deposition cycles resulting in a surface coverage of approximately 60%.     

pH值和前驱体用量对核壳结构PSt/SiO2复合微球结构形态的影响

首先通过无皂乳液聚合法制得表面含羧基、粒径为360 nm的单分散聚苯乙烯(PSt)种子乳液,并在EtOH/H2O混合介质中用γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷(KH-550)对其进行改性,制得表面含有活性硅乙氧基并带有正电荷的改性PSt乳胶粒,然后再加入原硅酸乙酯(TEOS)进行共水解与共缩聚反应,制备出了核壳结构PSt/SiO2...     

纳米结构TiO2/SiO2的逐层自组装

采用逐层自组装方法在二氧化硅球表面交替组装了十二烷基硫酸钠单分子膜和二氧化钛纳米粒子膜 ,该复合多层膜经高温煅烧后得到了核壳型纳米结构二氧化钛 /二氧化硅复合颗粒 .利用XRD ,SEM ,X射线能谱等对复合颗粒进行了表征 .结果表明 :二氧化钛在复合颗粒表面排列紧密、均匀 ,粒径在 5 0nm左右 ,为锐钛矿型结构 .复合颗粒中二氧化钛的含量随组装层数的增加而均匀增加     

自下而上法制备金-介孔二氧化硅复合纳米管用作还原4-硝基苯酚的催化剂

采用自下而上方法制备了金-介孔二氧化硅复合纳米管,其中金纳米粒子作为催化剂嵌在介孔二氧化硅纳米管管壁内侧。金纳米颗粒的团聚、脱落和晶粒尺寸生长都可以被有效限制,而且催化剂负载量和尺寸大小均可实现简单控制。管壁中的介孔孔道、纳米管末端开口以及一维中空管道可以协同促进反应物扩散,从而提高4-硝基苯酚还原反应活性。循环实验证明这种复合纳米管催化剂具有良好的可重复使用性,而且在反应过程中未出现金纳米粒子脱落或团聚现象。     

疏水高分子介导可动芯SiO2杂化纳米粒子的仿生合成

在疏水高分子胶体模板——含氟丙烯酸酯(FA)共聚物乳胶粒中引入能够介导SiO2原位沉积的聚胺催化活性点-甲基丙烯酰氧乙基三甲基氯化铵(DMC),以四甲氧基硅烷(TMOS)为硅源,在环境条件下可控合成了核壳型FA共聚物/SiO2杂化纳米粒子.高温煅烧除去聚合物核质,可得到中空的SiO2纳米粒子,结合FTIR、EDX、TGA以及XPS等表征数据印证了SiO2的沉积主要发生在聚合物模板的表面.进一步考察了反应条件,如聚胺功能单体DMC的浓度、TMOS的浓度以及反应时间对SiO2杂化纳米粒子的形貌与组成的影响.实验结果表明增加DMC或者TMOS的浓度,适当延长反应时间,均可增加SiO2粒子的沉积速率,导致SiO2壳层的厚度增加,并且杂化粒子的形貌由凹陷多褶皱的核壳结构向可动芯结构转变.由于FA共聚物模板的强疏水性,增加有机核层和无机壳层间的不相容排斥,最终导致核壳层间空腔的形成,得到含可动芯的核壳型SiO2杂化粒子.     

Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous TiO2 Microspheres with Single and Double Au Nanoparticle Layers for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalysis

A facile method was used to prepare hollow mesoporous TiO₂ and Au@TiO₂ spheres using polystyrene (PS) templates. Au nanoparticles (NPs) were simultaneously synthesized and attached on the surface of PS spheres by reducing AuCl₄^? ions using sodium citrate which resulted in the uniform deposition of Au NPs. The outer coating of titania via sol‐gel produced PS@Au@TiO₂ core–shell spheres. Removing the templates from these core–shell spheres through calcination produced hollow mesoporous and crystalline Au@TiO₂ spheres with Au NPs inside the TiO₂ shell in a single step. Anatase spheres with double Au NPs layers, one inside and another outside of TiO₂ shell, were also prepared. Different characterization techniques indicated the hollow mesoporous and crystalline morphology of the prepared spheres with Au NPs. Hollow anatase spheres with Au NPs indicated enhanced harvesting of visible light and therefore demonstrated efficient catalytic activity toward the degradation of organic dyes under the irradiation of visible light as compared to bare TiO₂ spheres.     

内部具有可移动金核的中空银纳米颗粒的制备、表征及其表面增强拉曼效应

采用振荡法和种子生长技术制备出核壳结构的Au@SiO2纳米颗粒及夹层结构的Au@SiO2@Ag纳米颗粒, 用HF将Au@SiO2@Ag NPs夹层的SiO2溶解, 得到内部带有粒径为30 nm的可移动金核、壳层厚度约为30 nm的中空银纳米颗粒(Au@air@Ag NPs). 用扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜对所得到的纳米微球的形貌进行了表征, 并以罗丹明B为探针分子研究了Au@air@Ag 纳米颗粒的表面增强拉曼(SERS)效应, 发现Au@air@Ag 纳米颗粒是一种可应用于SERS的理想材料.     

CdS/SiO2纳米棒核/壳结构的制备和发光性能

利用在醇介质中氨水催化水解硅酸乙酯（TEOS）制备SiO2来包覆半导体CdS纳米棒而形成CdS/SiO2核/壳结构.通过X射线衍射（XRD）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）证实SiO2包覆壳层为非晶，且壳层厚度随TEOS浓度的增大而增加，在10～30 nm之间.并研究了其紫外 可见吸收光谱（UV Vis）和荧光发射光谱(PL)的性质.     

Preparation and characterization of composites built of poly(N-benzophenoyl methacrylamide-co-N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) cores and silica raspberry-like shells with dual orthogonal functionality

The design and fabrication of novel poly(N-benzophenoyl methacrylamide-co-N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide)@SiO(2) composites are reported herein. These core-shell composites demonstrate orthogonal functionality, composed of photoreactive cores, containing a benzophenone (BPh) moiety and silica (SiO(2)) shells, enabling the utilization of the free hydroxyl groups via silane-based chemistry. The co-polymer cores, which are 1.28μm in diameter, are first obtained by dispersion polymerization of photoreactive (N-benzophenoyl methacrylamide) (polyBPMA) and N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA). Next, silica seeds with a 42nm diameter are deposited onto the surfaces as a result of the hydrolysis and the condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a basic condition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ζ-potential measurements were used to characterize the composites. The morphology and surface smoothness of the deposited silica nanoparticles (NPs) were found to strongly depend on a number of parameters such as the pH value of the medium, TEOS concentration, and the temperature.     

Facile deposition of gold nanoparticles on core–shell Fe3O4@polydopamine as recyclable nanocatalyst

A simple and green method for the controllable synthesis of core–shell Fe₃O₄ polydopamine nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@PDA NPs) with tunable shell thickness and their application as a recyclable nanocatalyst support is presented. Magnetite Fe₃O₄ NPs formed in a one-pot process by the hydrothermal approach with a diameter of ∼240 nm were coated with a polydopamine shell layer with a tunable thickness of 15–45 nm. The facile deposition of Au NPs atop Fe₃O₄@PDA NPs was achieved by utilizing PDA as both the reducing agent and the coupling agent. The satellite nanocatalysts exhibited high catalytic performance for the reduction of p-nitrophenol. Furthermore, the recovery and reuse of the catalyst was demonstrated 8 times without detectible loss in activity. The synergistic combination of unique features of PDA and magnetic nanoparticles establishes these core–shell NPs as a versatile platform for potential applications.     

Combining optical lithography with rapid microwave heating for the selective growth of Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell structures on patterned silicon wafers

We demonstrate a novel approach for the production of patterned films of nanometer-sized Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) on silicon wafers. In this approach, we first self-assembled monodisperse Au NPs, through specific Au...NH(2) interactions, onto a silicon substrate whose surface had been modified with a pattern of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) groups to form a sandwich structure having the form Au NPs/APTMS/SiO(2). These Au NPs then served as seeds for growing the Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs: we reduced silver ions to Ag metal on the surface of Au seeds under rapid microwave heating in the presence of sodium citrate. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed that the Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs grew selectively on the regions of the surface of the silicon wafer that had been patterned with the Au seeds. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that we could synthesize well-scattered, high-density (>82%) thin films of Au/Ag bimetallic core/shell NPs through the use of this novel strategy. The patterned structures that can be formed are simple to produce, easily controllable, and highly reproducible; we believe that this approach will be useful for further studies of nanodevices and their properties.     

Manipulation of the morphology of semiconductor-based nanostructures from core-shell nanoparticles to nanocables: the case of CdSe/SiO(2)

The morphology of CdSe/SiO(2) was manipulated from core-shell-structured nanoparticles to nanocables by using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The growth of nanocables, with cores no more than 20 nm in diameter, is initiated by the formation of core-shell nanoparticles with SiO(2) as matrix and CdSe clusters dispersed inside. After the subsequent vaporization of the SiO(2) matrix, the follow-up CdSe vapor crystallizes with the remaining CdSe clusters as nuclei to form CdSe nanowires as the furnace was cooled to 1200 degrees C. During the controlled cooling of the furnace, the SiO vapor re-deposits to sheathe the nanowires. The thickness of the shell and the diameter of core were successfully controlled. The photoluminescence measurements show that the CdSe/SiO(2) nanocables have strong visible-light emission bands located at 590 and 688 nm, which are attributed to the defects induced by SiO(2) sheaths nanowires and the quantum confinement effect of the CdSe, respectively. The UV/Vis absorption spectra of the naked CdSe nanowires further validate the above-mentioned quantum confinement effect. The deterministic growth of these nanocables is very important for the design of the nanodevices based on them.     

Analytical separation of Au/Ag core/shell nanoparticles by capillary electrophoresis

This paper demonstrates that capillary electrophoresis (CE) can be employed for characterizing the sizes of a series of Au/Ag core/shell nanoparticles (NPs). We effected the CE separation of Au/Ag core/shell NPs using a mixed buffer of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) (40 mM) and 3-(cyclohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid (10 mM) at pH 9.7 and an applied voltage of 20 kV. A linear relationship (R(2)>0.99) existed between the electrophoretic mobilities and the sizes of the Au/Ag core/shell NPs within the diameter range from 25 to 90 nm; the relative standard deviations of these electrophoretic mobilities were <0.9%. From the good correlation between the results obtained by CE and those provided by scanning electron microscopy, we confirmed that this CE method is a valid one for characterizing the sizes of Au/Ag core/shell NP samples. In addition, when the Au/Ag core/shell NPs were separated through CE and detected using an on-line photodiode array detector, this approach allowed the chemical characterization of the NP species. This CE approach should allow the rapid and cost-effective characterization of a number of future nanomaterials.     

Facile preparation of Au nanoparticle-embedded polydopamine hollow microcapsule and its catalytic activity for the reduction of methylene blue

Abstract

Development of novel supported catalysts with high activity and stability is still a challenge. In this study, the Au-polydopamine (Au-PDA) hollow microcapsules with Au nanoparticles embedded into the PDA microcapsule shell have been synthesized through a simple template-induced covalent assembly method, where polystyrene (PS) nanospheres were used as templates to form core/shell structured PS/Au-PDA composites, followed by core removal through tetrahydrofuran etching. Their morphology and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), UV-Vis spectrophotometer and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Results showed that the Au-PDA microcapsules possessed well-fined hollow structure and uniform sizes with inner diameter of about 385?nm, shell thickness of about 30?nm, and Au nanoparticles with diameter of about 17?nm incorporated. The catalytic performance of Au-PDA hollow microcapsules was evaluated through the reduction of methylene blue (MB) dye with NaBH₄ as a reducing agent. Compared to PDA/Au composites with Au nanoparticles loaded on the surface of PDA microspheres, as-prepared Au-PDA hollow microcapsules show good stability and recyclability in the catalytic experiments as the Au nanoparticles were firmly wrapped in PDA matrix, which makes the Au-PDA hollow microcapsules a practicable catalyst candidate for advanced catalytic systems.     

Photocatalytically Renewable Micro‐electrochemical Sensor for Real‐Time Monitoring of Cells

Electrode fouling and passivation is a substantial and inevitable limitation in electrochemical biosensing, and it is a great challenge to efficiently remove the contaminant without changing the surface structure and electrochemical performance. Herein, we propose a versatile and efficient strategy based on photocatalytic cleaning to construct renewable electrochemical sensors for cell analysis. This kind of sensor was fabricated by controllable assembly of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and TiO₂ to form a sandwiching RGO@TiO₂ structure, followed by deposition of Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto the RGO shell. The Au NPs‐RGO composite shell provides high electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, the encapsulated TiO₂ ensures an excellent photocatalytic cleaning property. Application of this renewable microsensor for detection of nitric oxide (NO) release from cells demonstrates the great potential of this strategy in electrode regeneration and biosensing.     

Three-layer composite magnetic nanoparticle probes for DNA

A method for synthesizing composite nanoparticles with a gold shell, an Fe3O4 inner shell, and a silica core has been developed. The approach utilizes positively charged amino-modified SiO2 particles as templates for the assembly of negatively charged 15 nm superparamagnetic water-soluble Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The SiO2-Fe3O4 particles electrostatically attract 1-3 nm Au nanoparticle seeds that act in a subsequent step as nucleation sites for the formation of a continuous gold shell around the SiO2-Fe3O4 particles upon HAuCl4 reduction. The three-layer magnetic nanoparticles, when functionalized with oligonucleotides, exhibit the surface chemistry, optical properties, and cooperative DNA binding properties of gold nanoparticle probes, but the magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 inner shell.     

小尺寸金石墨纳米颗粒的合成与表征

在表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)的研究领域中,基于局域表面等离子体共振效应的等离子体SERS基底的制备成为过去几十年的研究热点。然而,通常开发的等离子体金属基底具有较差的稳定性和重现性。对于SERS而言,石墨烯类材料具有拉曼化学增强效应,除此之外,还具有分子富集、强的稳定性与荧光猝灭能力等优点,因此基于石墨金属复合纳米材料的SERS基底受到了研究人员的重视。我们利用化学气相沉积(CVD)法制备了小尺寸的金石墨核壳纳米颗粒(Au@G),其粒径约为17 nm。我们通过在Au NP上包覆介孔二氧化硅来控制Au@G的尺寸,同时还研究了包覆二氧化硅过程中,正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)的浓度对于石墨壳层形成的影响。结果表明当TEOS在一定浓度范围内,其浓度的降低有利于得到石墨化程度高的Au@G。进一步利用Au@G对结晶紫分子进行拉曼检测,也表明了Au@G具有较好的拉曼增强效果。这种小尺寸的Au@G在分子检测与细胞成像分析领域中具有广泛的应用潜力。     

Oxidation of highly unstable <4 nm diameter gold nanoparticles 850 mV negative of the bulk oxidation potential

Here we describe the oxidation of <4 nm diameter Au nanoparticles (NPs) attached to indium tin oxide-coated glass electrodes in Br(-) and Cl(-) solution. Borohydride reduction of AuCl(4)(-) in the presence of hexanethiol or trisodium citrate (15 min) led to Au NPs <4 nm in diameter. After electrochemical and ozone removal of the hexanthiolate ligands from the thiol-coated Au NPs, Au oxidation peaks appeared in the range 0-400 mV vs Ag/AgCl (1 M KCl), which is 850-450 mV negative of the bulk Au oxidation peak near 850 mV. The oxidation potential of citrate-coated Au NPs is in the 300-500 mV range and those of 4 and 12 nm diameter Au NPs in the 660-780 mV range. The large negative shift in potential agrees with theory for NPs in the 1-2 nm diameter range. The oxidation potential of Au in Cl(-) solution is positive of that in Br(-) solution, but the difference decreases dramatically as the NP size decreases, showing less dependence on the halide for smaller NPs.