Photocatalytic performance of Cu2O and Ag/Cu2O composite octahedra prepared by a propanetriol-reduced process

Cu₂O and Ag/Cu₂O composite octahedra were synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction of CuAc₂ with urea in H₂O–propanetriol binary solution by adjusting the quantity of AgNO₃ at 180 °C for 10 h. The influence of reaction temperature and time on the morphology and phase of the products was investigated, and a possible growth mechanism of Cu₂O octahedron was also proposed. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared Cu₂O and Ag/Cu₂O octahedra for the degradation of methyl orange aqueous solution were studied. The results show that they are effective photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange, and the photocatalytic ability of Ag/Cu₂O composite is stronger than that of Cu₂O octahedra, which are expected to be useful in the treatment of wastewaters.     

Highly Luminescent Material Based on Alq3:Ag Nanoparticles

Tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃) is an organic semiconductor molecule, widely used as an electron transport layer, light emitting layer in organic light-emitting diodes and a host for fluorescent and phosphorescent dyes. In this work thin films of pure and silver (Ag), cupper (Cu), terbium (Tb) doped Alq₃ nanoparticles were synthesized using the physical vapor condensation method. They were fabricated on glass substrates and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscope (AFM), UV-visible absorption spectra and studied for their photoluminescence (PL) properties. SEM and AFM results show spherical nanoparticles with size around 70–80 nm. These nanoparticles have almost equal sizes and a homogeneous size distribution. The maximum absorption of Alq₃ nanoparticles is observed at 300 nm, while the surface plasmon resonant band of Ag doped sample appears at 450 nm. The PL emission spectra of Tb, Cu and Ag doped Alq₃ nanoparticles show a single broad band at around 515 nm, which is similar to that of the pure one, but with enhanced PL intensity. The sample doped with Ag at a concentration ratio of Alq₃:Ag?=?1:0.8 is found to have the highest PL intensity, which is around 2 times stronger than that of the pure one. This enhancement could be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag ions that might have increased the absorption and then the quantum yield. These remarkable result suggest that Alq₃ nanoparticles incorporated with Ag ions might be quite useful for future nano-optoelectronic devices.     

Plasmon enhanced light absorption in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

Silver nanospheres (Ag NSs) buffer layers were introduced via a solution casting process to enhance the light absorption in poly (3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. These Ag NSs, as surface plasmons, could increase the optical electric field in the photoactive layer whilst simultaneously improving the light scattering. As a result, this buffer layer improves the light absorption of P3HT:PCBM blend and consequently improves the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of organic solar cells. In this work, different sizes of Ag NSs plasmon‐enhanced layer were investigated, with the aim of optimizing the performance of devices. UV‐vis spectrometer measurement demonstrates that the total optical absorption of P3HT:PCBM blend films in the spectral range of 350–650 nm is increased by ～4 and 6% with incorporation of the 20 and 40 nm Ag NSs, respectively. The J_sc was shown to increase by ～21 and 24% for 20 and 40 nm Ag NSs, respectively. This is due to the extra photogenerated excitons by the plasmonic resonance of Ag NSs. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Immobilization of silver nanoparticles on silica microspheres

The silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been immobilized onto silica microspheres through the adsorption and subsequent reduction of Ag⁺ ions on the surfaces of the silica microspheres. The neat silica microspheres that acted as the core materials were prepared through sol–gel processing; their surfaces were then functionalized using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The major aims of this study were to immobilize differently sized Ag particles onto the silica microspheres and to understand the mechanism of formation of the Ag nano-coatings through the self-assembly/adsorption behavior of Ag NPs/Ag⁺ ions on the silica spheres. The obtained Ag NP/silica microsphere conglomerates were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Their electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness were also tested and studied. The average particle size of the obtained Ag NPs on the silica microsphere was found that could be controllable (from 2.9 to 51.5 nm) by adjusting the ratio of MPTMS/TEOS and the amount of AgNO₃.     

Biosynthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles by natural precursor clove and their functionalization with amine group

We report a simple and cost effective way for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (Au and Ag) using natural precursor clove. Au and Ag nanoparticles have been synthesized by reducing the aqueous solution of AuCl₄ and AgNO₃ with clove extract. One interesting aspect here is that reduction time is quite small (few minutes instead of hours as compared to other natural precursors). We synthesized gold and silver nanoparticles of different shape and size by varying the ratio of AuCl₄ and AgNO₃ with respect to clove extract, where the dominant component is eugenol. The evolution of Au and Ag nanoparticles from the reduction of different ratios of AuCl₄ and AgNO₃ with optimised concentration of the clove extract has been evaluated through monitoring of surface plasmon behaviour as a function of time. The reduction of AuCl₄ and AgNO₃ by eugenol is because of the inductive effect of methoxy and allyl groups which are present at ortho and para positions of proton releasing –OH group as two electrons are released from one molecule of eugenol. This is followed by the formation of resonating structure of the anionic form of eugenol. The presence of methoxy and allyl groups has been confirmed by FTIR. To the best of our knowledge, use of clove as reducing agent, the consequent very short time (minutes instead of hours and without any scavenger) and the elucidation of mechanism of reduction based on FTIR analysis has not been attempted earlier.     

Structure and optical properties of Ag/CeO2 nanocomposites

Silver/ceria (Ag/CeO₂) nanocomposites were prepared from Ce(NO₃)₃?6H₂O, AgNO₃, and NH₄OH with different molar ratios through a hydrothermal process, and then were completed by carrying out the precursors calcining at 750 °C for 2 h under air atmosphere. Below 1 % of Ag concentration in Ag/CeO₂ nanocomposites, the Ag crystalline structure does not appear. XRD and TEM results show evidence of two different effects (the agglomeration and the barrier effects) governing the process of crystal growth. HR-TEM image and EDX elemental analysis of the Ag/CeO₂ nanocomposite confirmed that isolated Ag nanocrystals are dispersed in the CeO₂ matrix. The red shifts are attributed to the quantum confinement effect and the valence change of the Ce⁺ ions. Ag nanoparticles can help to improve the absorption of visible light, enhancing the absorption intensity of Ag/CeO₂ nanocomposite. These results are of great significance for the control of microstructure, crystallinity, and applications for the development of nanocomposite materials.     

Efficient one-pot synthesis of Ag nanoparticles loaded on N-doped multiphase TiO2 hollow nanorod arrays with enhanced photocatalytic activity

The simultaneous Ag loaded and N-doped TiO₂ hollow nanorod arrays with various contents of silver (Ag/N-THNAs) were successfully synthesized on glass substrates by one-pot liquid phase deposition (LPD) method using ZnO nanorod arrays as template. The catalysts were characterized by Raman spectrum, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), ultraviolet-vis (UV-vis) absorption spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results suggest that AgNO₃ additive in the precursor solutions not only can promote the anatase-to-rutile phase transition, but also influence the amount of N doping in the samples. The photocatalytic activity of all the samples was evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under UV light illumination when the AgNO₃ concentration in the precursor solution was 0.03 M, due to Ag nanoparticles acting as electron sinks; When the AgNO₃ concentration was 0.07 M, the sample performed best under visible light illumination, attributed to the synergetic effects of Ag loading, N doping, and the multiphase structure (anatase/rutile).     

Tailoring of electrochemical properties of V2O5 thin films grown on flexible substrates using plasma-assisted activated reactive evaporation

The vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) thin films have been deposited using home built activated reactive evaporation technique on indium tin oxide-coated flexible Kapton substrates and investigated their microstructural and electrochemical properties. X-ray diffraction pattern displayed predominant (001) orientation designating the orthorhombic structure of the films deposited at optimised growth conditions. The surface of the films is observed to be composed of vertical elliptical-shaped grains of size 98 nm distributed uniformly over the surface of the films provided with root mean square surface roughness of 9 nm as evidenced from atomic force microscopy studies. As-deposited V₂O₅ thin films demonstrated constant discharge capacity of about 60 μAh/(cm² _?μm) for 10 cycles at room temperature in the potential window of 4.0–2.5 V. The influence of silver (Ag) interlayer on electrochemical properties of V₂O₅ films was investigated and observed appreciable improvement in electrochemical performance of ‘V₂O₅/Ag/V₂O₅’ films. The multilayered V₂O₅/Ag/V₂O₅ films exhibited a discharge capacity of about 75 μAh/(cm² _?μm) provided with enhanced cycliability.     

Synthesis and structural investigation of Pd/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles prepared by the solvothermal method

Pd/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles have been synthesized successfully by reducing PdCl₂ and AgNO₃ mixture in ethylene glycol solution using the solvothermal method. The prepared samples have been characterized by UV–vis, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, EDS, and XPS, respectively. Moreover, the bimetallic particles possess alloy and core-shell structure from the HRTEM images. Here, the lattice fringe spacing of Pd/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles corresponds to its (111) plane, which is between that of the Pd and Ag nanoparticles prepared under the same conditions. Furthermore, the possible formation mechanism and factors influencing the formation of Pd/Ag bimetallic nanoparticles, such as reaction temperature and time, have also been investigated.     

In situ reduction of graphene oxide dispersed in a polymer matrix

Silicon wafers coated with a film of Ag pattern are used for investigating roles of Ag in the fabrication of silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) by the electroless chemical etching technique. The diameter of SiNWs grown in the mixed AgNO₃/HF solution ranges from 20 to 250?nm. A growth mechanism for such obtained SiNWs is proposed and further experimentally verified. As a comparison as well as to better understand this chemical process, another popular topic on growing SiNWs in the H₂O₂/HF solution is also studied. Originating from different chemical reaction mechanisms, Ag film could protect the underneath Si in the AgNO₃/HF solution and it could, on the contrary, accelerate etching of the underneath Si in the H₂O₂/HF solution.