Strong magnetic field effects on solid-liquid and particle-particle interactions during the processing of a conducting liquid containing non-conducting particles

The behavior of micrometer-sized weak magnetic insulating particles migrating in a conductive liquid metal is of broad interest during strong magnetic field processing of materials. In the present paper, we develop a numerical method to investigate the solid-liquid and particle-particle interactions by using a computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) modeling. By applying a strong magnetic field, for example, 10 Tesla, the drag forces of a single spherical particle can be increased up to around 15% at a creeping flow limit. However, magnetic field effects are reduced when the Reynolds number becomes higher. For two identical particles migrating along their centerline in a conductive liquid, both the drag forces and the magnetic interaction will be influenced. Factors such as interparticle distance, Reynolds number and magnetic flux density are investigated. Shielding effects are found from the leading particle, which will subsequently induce a hydrodynamic interaction between two particles. Strong magnetic fields however do not appear to have a significant influence on the shielding effects. In addition, the magnetic interaction forces of magnetic dipole-dipole interaction and induced magneto-hydrodynamic interaction are considered. It can be found that the induced magneto-hydrodynamic interaction force highly depends on the flow field and magnetic flux density. Therefore, the interaction between insulating particles can be controlled by applying a strong magnetic field and modifying the flow field. The present research provides a better understanding of the magnetic field induced interaction during liquid metal processing, and a method of non-metallic particles manipulation for metal/ceramic based materials preparation may be proposed.     

T4 virus-based toolkit for the direct synthesis and 3D organization of metal quantum particles

One of the challenges in building superstructures based on small metal particles is producing stable interparticle separation. Herein, we present a novel assembly method based on the use of the T4 bacteriophage capsid as a scaffold for the construction of 3D monodisperse metal–particle arrays. The highly regular and symmetrical protein surface of the T4 capsid allows the site‐directed adsorption and subsequent reduction of metal ions, thus permitting the growth of metal particles in situ to enable them to exist at a quantum size with a high degree of monodispersity. Both these characteristics contribute to a great improvement in the electrocatalytic activity of the patterned noble‐metal particles. Organized magnetic particles as small as 2–4 nm still maintain an observable ferromagnetic behavior, which makes them promising for a variety of possible biomedical applications.     

Synthesis of Supported Ultrafine Non‐noble Subnanometer‐Scale Metal Particles Derived from Metal–Organic Frameworks as Highly Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts

The properties of supported non‐noble metal particles with a size of less than 1 nm are unknown because their synthesis is a challenge. A strategy has now been created to immobilize ultrafine non‐noble metal particles on supports using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as metal precursors. Ni/SiO₂ and Co/SiO₂ catalysts were synthesized with an average metal particle size of 0.9 nm. The metal nanoparticles were immobilized uniformly on the support with a metal loading of about 20 wt %. Interestingly, the ultrafine non‐noble metal particles exhibited very high activity for liquid‐phase hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexane even at 80 °C, while Ni/SiO₂ with larger Ni particles fabricated by a conventional method was not active under the same conditions.     

Sol-Gel Preparation of Coating Films Containing Noble Metal Colloids

Coating films containing Au, Ag, Pt and Pd metal colloids have been prepared by sol-gel processing. It is shown that for oxide films the temperature where the metal particles are precipitated by heating in air depends on metal species: 200°C for Au, 600°C for Ag, 800°C for Pt and 1000°C for Pd. The use of reducing atmosphere lowers the temperature for formation of noble metal colloids. This procedure can be used for direct formation of metal colloids from metal ions in the film as well as reduction of oxide particles to metal particles in the film. For an organic-inorganic matrix, noble metal colloids are precipitated by thermal reduction or photo-reduction. Thermal reduction occurs as a result of reduction by decomposing organic matter. Photo-reduction occurs as a result of UV irradiation.     

贵金属助剂对费-托合成用钴基催化剂的促进作用

贵金属助剂促进的费-托合成用钴基催化剂具有高活性和长链烃(C₅⁺)选择性优越等特点,被广泛应用于由合成气制清洁燃料的合成反应中。 本文重点讨论了贵金属助剂对活性钴物种的结构（还原度、分散度、双金属颗粒或合金的构成）, 钴基催化剂稳定性以及其对费-托合成的反应速率和产物选择性的影响规律。     

Molecular reactivity of thiolate-protected noble metal nanoclusters: synthesis,self-assembly,and applications

Thiolate-protected noble metal (e.g., Au and Ag) nanoclusters (NCs) are ultra-small particles with a core size of less than 3 nm. Due to the strong quantum confinement effects and diverse atomic packing modes in this ultra-small size regime, noble metal NCs exhibit numerous molecule-like optical, magnetic, and electronic properties, making them an emerging family of “metallic molecules”. Based on such molecule-like structures and properties, an individual noble metal NC behaves as a molecular entity in many chemical reactions, and exhibits structurally sensitive molecular reactivity to various ions, molecules, and other metal NCs. Although this molecular reactivity determines the application of NCs in various fields such as sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis, there is still a lack of systematic summary of the molecular interaction/reaction fundamentals of noble metal NCs at the molecular and atomic levels in the current literature. Here, we discuss the latest progress in understanding and exploiting the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in their synthesis, self-assembly and application scenarios, based on the typical M(0)@M(i)–SR core–shell structure scheme, where M and SR are the metal atom and thiolate ligand, respectively. In particular, the continuous development of synthesis and characterization techniques has enabled noble metal NCs to be produced with molecular purity and atomically precise structural resolution. Such molecular purity and atomically precise structure, coupled with the great help of theoretical calculations, have revealed the active sites in various structural hierarchies of noble metal NCs (e.g., M(0) core, M–S interface, and SR ligand) for their molecular interactions/reactions. The anatomy of such molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in synthesis, self-assembly, and applications (e.g., sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis) constitutes another center of our discussion. The basis and practicality of the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs exemplified in this Review may increase the acceptance of metal NCs in various fields.

The interactions/reactions of thiolate-protected noble metal nanoclusters with diverse ions, molecules and other metal nanoclusters have been deciphered.     

Porous magnetic manganese oxide nanostructures: synthesis and their application in water treatment

Magnetic manganese oxide nanostructures are fabricated at room temperature by mixing a KMnO(4) solution and oleic acid capped Fe(3)O(4) particles. Oleic acid molecules capped Fe(3)O(4) particles are oxidized by potassium permanganate (KMnO(4)) in an aqueous solution to produce porous magnetic manganese oxide nanostructures. The synthesis technique can be extended to other MnO(x) structures with composition of different nanocrystals, such as quantum dots, noble metal crystals which may have important applications as catalysts, adsorbents, electrodes and advanced materials in many scientific disciplines. Transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements are employed to characterize the structures. As an adsorbent in water treatment, the nanostructures possess a large adsorption capability and high organic pollutant removal rates due to the large surface area and pore volume. The nanostructures are recyclable as their adsorption capability can be recovered by combustion. Furthermore, the strong magnetism exhibited by the structures provides an easy and efficient separation means in wastewater treatment under an external magnetic field.     

Magnetite nanoparticles with tunable gold or silver shell

Fe3O4 nanoparticles with size approximately 13 nm have been prepared successfully in aqueous micellar medium at approximately 80 degrees C. To make Fe3O4 nanoparticles resistant to surface poisoning a new route is developed for coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles with noble metals such as gold or silver as shell. The shell thickness of the core-shell particles becomes tunable through the adjustment of the ratio of the constituents. Thus, the route yields well-defined core-shell structures of size from 18 to 30 nm with varying proportion of Fe3O4 to the noble metal precursor salts. These magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman and temperature-dependent magnetic studies.     

Why gold nanoparticles are more precious than pretty gold: noble metal surface plasmon resonance and its enhancement of the radiative and nonradiative properties of nanocrystals of different shapes

This tutorial review presents an introduction to the field of noble metal nanoparticles and their current applications. The origin of the surface plasmon resonance and synthesis procedures are described. A number of applications are presented that take advantage of the electromagnetic field enhancement of the radiative properties of noble metal nanoparticles resulting from the surface plasmon oscillations.     

具特定晶面且大比表面积贵金属纳米晶催化基元的构筑

贵金属纳米晶在电催化等领域具有广泛应用. 其催化活性往往与纳米晶体的表面结构直接相关,而催化剂的贵金属原子利用率与比表面积密切相关. 因小尺寸纳米晶难以保留特定的晶面,而具有特定表面的纳米晶通常结晶成尺寸较大、比表面积比较小的晶体,调控纳米晶的尺寸和表面结构两种策略似乎相互矛盾. 如何可控合成同时具有特定表面结构和大比表面积的贵金属纳米晶具有重要的意义. 本综述从形貌调控角度详细介绍提高贵金属纳米晶原子利用率的方法策略;总结调控单贵金属及其合金同时具有特定晶面和大比表面积的研究现状;最后,对纳米晶的形貌调控领域未来的发展趋势提出展望.     

Zerovalent metal polymer composites. I. Metallized beads

Binding of a noble metal salt, e.g., PdCl to a functional ligand on a polymer surface, e.g., amine, quaternary ammonium, sulphonic acid, followed by reduction to zerovalent state and subsequent reductive deposition of transition metal ions, such as copper, nickel, and cobalt, provides a sequence of events leading to controlled zerovalent metal polymer composites. Metallization of submicron and larger beads are described. Large amounts of metal can be incorporated. The metallized beads retain the shape of the starting beads, even at high bonding of metal. They adapt the properties of the metal, e.g., magnetic properties. The submicron particles are sensitive to hydrolysis. Multicomponent systems, such as multimetallic beads, are provided by additive codeposition of metal ions, or by codeposition of metal and dye. Direct deposition of metal to preimmobilized dye ligands is also possible, leading to magenta, cyan, or yellow metallic beads, with no adverse influence on the magnetic properties. Further deposition of noble metals by subtractive deposition on active metal surfaces is also described. Submicron latices can be immobilized by coating on polyester-based films, e.g., KODAK ESTAR base, and then activated with palladium and metallized to form highly conductive film surfaces.     

Microcalorimetric studies of the structure of supported bimetallic catalyst particles

Microcalorimetric studies of oxygen and hydrogen chemisorption during the last decade improved the understanding of the structure and structural dynamics of supported bimetallic catalyst particles. For example, it was found that on graphitic supports two different reduced surface compositions/structures can be created for base metal/noble metal particles. Appropriate treatments switch the surface from almost pure reduced base metal to true alloy. Calorimetric studies also indicate support interactions play a major role in controlling bimetallic particle surface structure. In contrast to behaviour found on graphitic supports, iron/noble metal particles supported on refractory oxides apparently do not form alloy surfaces. The reduced surface is dominated by the noble metal. Several studies indicate the value of the models of surface composition/structure developed using microcalorimetry for predicting the activity/selectivity of bimetallic particles.     

Plasmonic photocatalysts: harvesting visible light with noble metal nanoparticles

The efforts to produce photocatalysts operating efficiently under visible light have led to a number of plasmonic photocatalysts, in which noble metal nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of polar semiconductor or insulator particles. In the metal-semiconductor composite photocatalysts, the noble metal nanoparticles act as a major component for harvesting visible light due to their surface plasmon resonance while the metal-semiconductor interface efficiently separates the photogenerated electrons and holes. In this article, we survey various plasmonic photocatalysts that have been prepared and characterized in recent years.     

Electrodeposited noble metal particles in polyelectrolyte multilayer matrix as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction studied using SECM

Taking the advantage of the stability and penetrability of polyelectrolyte films formed by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition, noble metal particles of Pd and Pt were fabricated in a preformed polyeletrolyte multilayer film by galvanic deposition. The metal deposition occurred as metal particles and they were tested for their properties as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the morphology of the particle films. The noble metal particles were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with respect to oxygen reduction. The results show that the electrocatalytic properties of the Pd particle film can be adjusted by the electrodeposition time. The hydrogen peroxide formed as an intermediate during electroreduction of dioxygen was conveniently measured in the SECM using the substrate-generation/tip-collection mode. The relevance of the main reduction pathways could be extracted from fitting the current transients to an analytical model.     

Precise Size-Selective Sieving of Nanoparticles Using a Highly Oriented Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Polymer

The development of size-selective membranes with well-defined nanopores towards the precise separation of nanometer-sized substances is a challenging task to achieve. Here a supramolecular membrane is presented that comprises a highly oriented, honeycomb-like, 2D supramolecular polymer on a polycarbonate filter support. It enables precise size-selective sieving of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs). Owing to the uniform parallel-aligned nanocavities within the 2D supramolecular polymers, the composite membrane shows a high size-selectivity with a sub-nanometer accuracy in the cutoff size of about 4.0 nm. In principle, the species of size-separable particles are unlimited, as demonstrated by quantum dots, noble metal, and metal oxide NPs. This supramolecular membrane combined with filtration advances the potential of NPs in terms of their monochromatic emission and size monodispersity, and also enables rapid removal of small magnetic NP adsorbents that are otherwise difficult to capture.     

低温燃料电池贵金属催化剂的老化

催化剂的老化是导致燃料电池性能衰减的重要因素之一.对于低温燃料电池,贵金属催化剂的老化主要体现在粒径的增长、金属氧化态的改变、组分的迁移和流失以及碳载体的腐蚀四个方面.本文综述了低温燃料电池贵金属催化剂老化方面的最新研究进展,探讨了导致催化剂老化的主要原因.     

形貌可控贵金属纳米颗粒的合成、光学性质及生长机制

近二十年来, 贵金属纳米颗粒由于其独特的性质, 已成为人们广泛研究的课题. 研究人员应用多种方法来合成纳米尺度的贵金属材料并且探讨了纳米材料的性质与尺寸和形状的关系. 本文简单回顾贵金属纳米颗粒的合成方法, 主要讨论纳米颗粒的形状对其光学性质的影响和颗粒的生长机制, 最后简述贵金属纳米材料的应用前景.     

The influence of Ru and Re admixtures on the size of Co particles in Co/SiO2 catalysts of the fischer-tropsch synthesis

The promotion of Co/SiO₂ catalysts with noble metals such as Ru and Re substantially decreased the mean size of Co particles and increased the fraction of superparamagnetic particles. The Langevin function was used to approximate the magnetic field dependence of magnetization. This allowed the size of Co nanoparticles to be estimated. A decrease in the temperature of the reduction of Co/SiO₂ in the presence of Ru and Re decreased the probability of the encapsulation of Co particles in carrier pores.     

Nanoparticle-based immunosensors and immunoassays for aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are naturally existing mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, present in a wide range of food and feed products. Because of their extremely high toxicity and carcinogenicity, strict control of maximum residue levels of aflatoxins in foodstuff is set by many countries. In daily routine, different chromatographic methods are used almost exclusively. As supplement, in several companies enzyme immunoassay-based sample testing as primary screening is performed. Recently, nanomaterials such as noble metal nanoparticles, magnetic particles, carbon nanomaterials, quantum dots, and silica nanomaterials are increasingly utilized for aflatoxin determination to improve the sensitivity and simplify the detection. They are employed either as supports for the immobilization of biomolecules or as electroactive or optical labels for signal transduction and amplification. Several nanoparticle-based electrochemical, piezoelectric, optical, and immunodipstick assays for aflatoxins have been developed. In this review, we summarize these recent advances and illustrate novel concepts and promising applications in the field of food safety.     

Two‐Dimensional Noble‐Metal Chalcogenides and Phosphochalcogenides

Noble‐metal chalcogenides, dichalcogenides, and phosphochalcogenides are an emerging class of two‐dimensional materials. Quantum confinement (number of layers) and defect engineering enables their properties to be tuned over a broad range, including metal‐to‐semiconductor transitions, magnetic ordering, and topological surface states. They possess various polytypes, often of similar formation energy, which can be accessed by selective synthesis approaches. They excel in mechanical, optical, and chemical sensing applications, and feature long‐term air and moisture stability. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent progress in the field of noble‐metal chalcogenides and phosphochalcogenides and highlight the structural complexity and its impact on applications.