Size-dependent optical properties of VO2 nanoparticle arrays

The size effects on the optical properties of vanadium dioxide nanoparticles in ordered arrays have been studied. Contrary to previous VO2 studies, we observe that the optical contrast between the semiconducting and metallic phases is dramatically enhanced in the visible region, presenting size-dependent optical resonances and size-dependent transition temperatures. The collective optical response as a function of temperature presents an enhanced scattering state during the evolving phase transition. The effects appear to arise because of the underlying VO2 mesoscale optical properties, the heterogeneous nucleation behind the phase transition, and the incoherent coupling between the nanoparticles undergoing an order-disorder-order transition. Calculations that support these interpretations are presented.     

Effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on polymer network formation

This work presents a study of the effect of nanoparticles on polymer composites to develop a powerful polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials. Tri propylene glycol diarcrylate/titanium dioxide nanocomposites were produced at various titanium dioxide fractions ranging between 0 and 1?wt%, through ultraviolet curing technique during 30?min. Different technics such as polarized optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to characterize the samples. A dynamic swelling of polymer network was also investigated. The evolution of the acrylic double-bond conversion shows a decrease in the absorption intensity at 1637?cm^?1. It is noted that the conversion rate decreases from 0.1 to 1?wt% of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. An increase in glass transition temperature is observed by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermogravimetric analysis results reveal a highly improved thermal stability upon the addition of the reinforcing phase. The follow of kinetics swelling of polymer network shows a decrease of the swell ratio with the inclusion of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.     

Continuous optical coherence tomography monitoring of nanoparticles accumulation in biological tissues

In this study, dynamics of nanoparticles penetrating and accumulating in biotissue (healthy skin) was investigated in vivo by the noninvasive method of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Gold nanoshells and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were studied. The processes of the nanoparticles penetration and accumulation in biotissue are accompanied by the changes in optical properties of skin which affect the OCT images. The continuous OCT monitoring of the process of the nanoparticles penetration into skin showed that these changes appeared in 30 min after application of nanoparticles on the surface; the time of accumulation of maximal nanoparticles concentration in skin was observed in period of 1.5–3 h after application. Numerical processing of the OCT signal exhibited the increase in contrast between upper and lower parts of dermis and contrast decay of the hair follicle border during 60–150 min. The transmission electron microscopy technique confirmed accumulation of the both types of nanoparticles in biotissue. The novelty of this study is presentation of OCT ability to in vivo monitor dynamics of nanoparticles penetration and their re-distribution within living tissues.     

Self-Organization Phenomena in a Cryogenic Gas Discharge Plasma: Formation of a Nanoparticle Cloud and Dust–Acoustic Waves

The dusty plasma structures in a glow discharge of helium in a tube cooled by superfluid helium at a temperature of 1.6 K and higher have been studied experimentally. The bimodal dust plasma formed by clouds of polydisperse cerium dioxide particles and polymer nanoparticles has been analyzed. We have observed wave oscillations in the cloud of polymer nanoparticles (with a size up to 100 nm), which existed in a narrow temperature range from 1.6 to 2.17 K. Vortices have been observed in the dusty plasma structures at helium temperatures.     

纳米二氧化钒薄膜的电学与光学相变特性

采用双离子束溅射氧化钒薄膜附加热处理的方式制备了纳米二氧化钒薄膜。在热驱动方式下,分别利用四探针测试技术和傅里叶变换红外光谱技术对纳米二氧化钒薄膜的电学与光学半导体-金属相变特性进行了测试与分析。实验结果表明,电学相变特性与光学相变特性之间存在明显的偏差,电学相变温度为63 ℃,高于光学相变温度,60 ℃;电学相变持续的温度宽度较光学相变持续温度宽度宽;在红外光波段,随着波长的增加,纳米二氧化钒薄膜的光学相变温度逐渐增大,由半导体相向金属相转变的初始温度逐渐升高,相变持续的温度宽度变窄。在红外光波段,纳米二氧化钒薄膜的光学相变特性可以通过光波波长进行调控,电学相变特性更适合表征纳米VO₂薄膜的半导体-金属相变特性。     

Magnetic birefringence of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles stabilised by sucrose

Magnetically induced optical birefringence is used to investigate pharmaceutically important iron-sucrose aqueous suspensions. XRD and TEM measurements of the system of oxyhydroxide particles stabilised by sucrose have shown that this system contains iron oxyhydroxide in the form of 2-5 nm particles. The mineral form of the iron-core is suggested to be akaganeite. Anisotropy of the optical polarizability and magnetic susceptibility of akaganeite nanoparticles are calculated. The permanent dipole moment obtained for the nanoparticles studied was found to be negligible, in agreement with the characteristic superparamagnetic behaviour of the magnetic nanoparticles observed at room temperature. The Neel temperature of these nanoparticles is estimated as below 276 K. The results obtained are discussed against a background of the earlier studies of similar nanoscale systems.     

Effects of thermal oxidation temperature on vacuum evaporated tin dioxide film

In order to investigate the effect of thermal oxidation temperature on tin dioxide (SnO₂), tin dioxide films were obtained on quartz substrates by vacuum evaporation of tin metal. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement and optical absorption spectroscopy. The SEM images showed that the films are dense, continuous and are composed of nanoparticles and particle sizes are increased after thermal oxidation. From the X-ray measurement results, the films indicated two strong reflection peaks of tetragonal structure in the orientations of (1 0 1) and (2 0 0) at 2θ = 33.89° and 37.95°, respectively. Intensity of the peaks increased with increasing thermal oxidation temperature. We found resistivity values of about 10⁻⁴ Ω-cm. Optical absorption spectra of the films in the UV–Vis spectral range revealed that optical band gap (E_g) value of the films increases with increasing thermal oxidation temperature.     

Steady state and time resolved laser-induced fluorescence of garlic plants treated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The study involves investigation of the effect of the interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with garlic plant by spectroscopy techniques. For this, garlic plants have been grown in the laboratory under controlled conditions of light flux, temperature, humidity, and nutrient media. The growth and biomass parameters in terms of shoot length, fresh, and dry mass are found to increase upon the treatment of titanium dioxide nanoparticles while a reduction is observed in the root length of the garlic plants. The steady state laser-induced fluorescence, time resolved laser-induced fluorescence, and ultraviolet visible spectra of the control and titanium dioxide nanoparticles-treated plants have been acquired. The curve fitting data reveal that titanium dioxide nanoparticles decrease the intensity and fluorescence intensity ratio of red and far red chlorophyll fluorescence bands indicating increase in the photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll content. The evaluation of life time of the excited chlorophyll molecule shows that life time is effected by the treatment of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The results pertaining to ultraviolet visible measurement indicate increase in the concentration of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and quercetin in the leaves of garlic plants treated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles.     

The effect of complexing agent on the crystallization of ZnO nanoparticles

In this work, some structural and optical properties of the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were studied. The highly crystalline ZnO nanoparticles were produced by the hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. The analyses of the XRD patterns, STEM images and UV spectroscopy showed that the size of the nanoparticles prepared by oxalic acid was smaller than the ones by urea. The properties of oxalic acid and urea were also investigated to determine the most effective crystallization process of ZnO nanoparticles. It has been shown that pH, decomposition temperature and activity coefficient of the complexing agent have certain effects on crystallization process.     

The influence of temperature on the optical properties of gold nanoparticles

The optical properties of gold nanoparticles in a transparent matrix are studied at temperatures from 300 to 1000 K within the spectral range from 450 nm to 1.5 μm. It is shown that, in the case of small nanoparticles and short wavelengths in the plasmon resonance band, an increase in temperature leads to a decrease in the absorption efficiency factor. The light absorption efficiency factor of gold nanoparticles with a radius exceeding 40 nm increases with increasing temperature in the entire spectral range studied. The single scattering efficiency factor always decreases with increasing temperature. The effects observed are related to a change in the refractive indices of gold and the matrix with comparable contributions. It is shown that results of calculations agree qualitatively with available experimental data. The results are necessary to optimize the composition of the actuators, including gold nanoparticles, in the transparent matrices.     

Growth of CdS nanoparticles by chemical method and its characterization

In the present work a simple chemical reduction method is followed to grow CdS nanoparticles at room temperature. The grown sample is ultrasonicated in acetone. The dispersed sample is characterized using electron diffraction technique. Simultaneously optical absorption of this sample is studied in the range of 400–700 nm. The photoluminescence spectrum of the sample is also studied. Results show the formation of nanoparticles. Hence an increase in band gap compared to bulk CdS and the as-prepared CdS nanoparticles have surface sulphur vacancies.      

Formation of sub-surface silver nanoparticles in silver-doped sodium–lead–germanate glass

The formation of silver nanoparticles in 60GeO₂–20PbO–20Na₂O bulk glass doped with 0.15 wt% of Ag has been studied by optical methods in the near ultraviolet-to-near infrared and mid-infrared ranges. A clear optical absorption band, which grows when increasing the annealing temperature, is observed around 460 nm, as a consequence of the surface plasmon resonance in the Ag nanoparticles. From the simultaneous analysis of optical transmittance and spectroscopic ellipsometry spectra in the near ultraviolet-to-near infrared range, it is demonstrated that the nanoparticles are surprisingly formed only in a thin layer (some tens of nm thick) underneath the sample surfaces. The potential of such a simultaneous optical analysis for determining the localization of the nanoparticles in glasses of any nature is underlined. Based on the results of a complementary mid-infrared spectroscopy characterization, the processes involved in silver migration to the surfaces and further aggregation to form nanoparticles are discussed.     

The characteristics of Au:VO2 nanocomposite thin film for photo-electricity applications

Au nanoparticles have been fabricated on normal glass substrates using nanosphere lithography (NSL) method. Vanadium dioxide has been deposited on Au/glass by reactive radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. The structure and composition were determined by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. Electrical and optical properties of bare VO₂ and Au:VO₂ nanocomposite thin films were measured. Typical hysteresis behavior and sharp phase transition were observed. Nanopartical Au could effectively reduce the transition temperature to 40 °C. The transmittance spectrum for both Au:VO₂ nanocomposite thin film shows high transmittance under transition temperature and low transmittance above transition temperature. The characteristics present the Au:VO₂ nanocomposite thin film can be used for applications, such as “smart window” or “laser protector”.     

金-二氧化钛（Au-TiO_2）复合薄膜的制备及局域表面等离子体共振（LSPR）效应

利用溶胶凝胶法在玻璃衬底上制备了金-二氧化钛（Au-TiO2）复合纳米薄膜,研究了热处理温度对复合薄膜表面纳米颗粒沉积的影响。利用原子力显微镜对样品进行了形貌表征,结果显示：复合薄膜是由纳米微晶组成的致密膜,温度越高越有利于Au粒子的形成。在550℃的热处理温度下,薄膜表面沉积的纳米微晶的粒径约为100nm。利用紫外-可见分光光度计测量了反射谱线,结果表明：由于局域表面等离子体共振（LSPR）的产生,在不同的热处理温度下,第一个反射峰（短波长处）不发生变化,第二个反射峰（长波长处）发生漂移（红移）。     

Triangular pattern formation on silicon through self-organization of GaN nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of gallium nitride, synthesized by a low-temperature reaction between triethyl gallium and ammonia, were introduced onto silicon wafers containing a thin layer of chemically prepared silicon dioxide. At room temperature, the nanoparticles form unstructured agglomerates on the surface. However, upon annealing the samples beyond the decomposition temperature of the silicon dioxide layer, the gallium nitride particles self-organize to form triangular structures. The pattern formation is attributed to the domain separation associated with the (1 × 1)-(7 × 7) surface phase transformation followed by selective incorporation of the nanoparticles.     

Laser-induced modification of composite Cu-C nanosized particles synthesized using a pulsed electrical discharge in a liquid

Composite copper-containing carbon nanosized structures were synthesized in the plasma of a pulsed electrical discharge, initiated between two graphite electrodes in an aqueous copper chloride solution. We studied the effect of laser radiation on the morphology of the nanoparticles formed, whose properties we studied by optical absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We discuss the mechanisms for nanoparticle formation in a discharge submerged in a liquid, and the possibilities for laser-induced modification of the nanoparticles. We estimated the temperature of the nanoparticles when exposed to laser radiation pulses. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 3, pp. 372–378, May–June, 2008.     

Effect of ambient pressure on the crystalline phase of nano TiO2 particles synthesized by a dc thermal plasma reactor

The synthesis of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with varying percentages of anatase and rutile phases is reported. This was achieved by controlling the operating pressure in a transferred-arc, direct current thermal plasma reactor in which titanium vapors are evaporated, and then exposed to ambient oxygen. The average particle size remained around 15 nm in each case. The crystalline structure of the as-synthesized nanoparticles of TiO₂ was studied with X-ray diffraction analysis; whereas the particle morphology was investigated with the help of transmission electron microscopy. The precursor species responsible for the growth of these nanoparticles was studied with the help of optical emission spectroscopy. As inferred from the X-ray diffraction analysis, the relative abundance of anatase TiO₂ was found to be dominant when synthesized at 760 Torr, and the same showed a decreasing trend with decreasing chamber pressure. The study also reveals that anatase TiO₂ is a more effective photocatalytic agent in degrading methylene blue by comparison to its rutile phase.     

Electrical properties, structure, and surface morphology of poly(p-xylylene)–silver nanocomposites synthesized by low-temperature vapor deposition polymerization

The crystalline structure, surface morphology, electrical, and optical properties of thin films of nanocomposites consisting of silver nanoparticles embedded in poly(p-xylylene) matrix prepared by low-temperature vapor deposition polymerization were studied. Depending on the filler content, the average size of silver nanoparticles varied from 2 to 5 nm for nanocomposites with 2 and 12 vol.% of silver, correspondingly. The optical adsorption in the visible region due to surface plasmon resonance also exhibited a clear correlation from silver content, revealing a red shift of the adsorption peak with the increase of the metal concentration. The temperature dependences of the dc resistance of pure p-xylylene condensate and p-xylylene–silver cocondensates during polymerization as well as temperature dependences of the formed poly(p-xylylene)–silver nanocomposites were examined. The observed variation of the temperature dependences of electrical resistance as a function of silver concentration are attributed to different conduction mechanisms and correlated with the structure of the composites. The wide-angle X-ray scattering and AFM measurements consistently show a strong effect of silver content on the nanocomposite structure. The evolution of the size of silver nanoparticles by thermal annealing was demonstrated.     

Characterization and applications of Ag nanoparticles in waveguides

This work reports the preparation, characterization and applications of silver nanoparticles synthesized through the chemical reduction of AgNO₃ and protected by surface modifier. In order to characterize the formation of nanoparticles and the role of synthesis parameters (time, temperature) several studies were made, such as UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM and AFM. We present the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles in sol-gel obtained matrix, because this technique allows the incorporation of larger concentrations of active optical agents and the obtainment of full-dense films at lower temperature than those possible by other methods. The final goal of this work is the preparation of 80SiO₂·20B₂O₃ films for active optical waveguides doped with Ag nanoparticles and Erbium. We are looking for the reinforcement of the fluorescence intensity due to the effect of the resonant coupling of both optical agents (Er and nanoparticles) to produce optical amplifiers.     

二氧化钒纳米点阵红外光学特性研究

针对二氧化钒纳米点阵从半导体到金属的可逆相变,考虑到点阵中各个点之间散射光的交互作用,基于VO2在不同温度和波长下的折射率和消光系数,以及小颗粒的吸收和散射特性,建立了VO2纳米颗粒的数学模型,研究了VO2纳米颗粒的相变光学特性.结果表明,随着波长变化,吸收截面相对散射截面占主导,金属相在980 nm附近出现吸收峰值|随着温度变化,可见光区域的消光系数变化较小,而红外区域较大,其中在近红外区域的消光系数变化最大.在纳米点阵中,消光截面随着颗粒间距变化,当颗粒间距增大时,消光峰值出现红移,且峰值大小也会随之增大|当间距超过一定数值后,峰值反而会逐渐减小.采用多孔氧化铝掩模的方法,通过磁控反应溅射制备VO2纳米点阵,测试结果表明其透过率比薄膜的透过率高.