H_2O_2-Promoted Size Growth of Sulfated TiO_2 Nanocrystals

Anatase nanoparticles modified by sulfate groups were synthesized using hydrothermal method. The particles were controlled to large sizes by simply adjusting the amount of H2O2, in which HOO^- ions replaced the surface sulfate groups and reduced the steric effect to promote the grain growth. The size-induced microstructural changes of the as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized using powder XRD, FT-IR, TG. and UV-vis analyses. The sulfate groups existed on anatase surface in unidentate and bidentate coordination forms. With the particle size reduction, bandgap energies of the as-prepared anatase nanoparticles decreased, and the desorption temperature of sulfate groups shifted towards lower temperatures.     

Controlled synthesis of highly dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles using SBA-15 as hard template

Highly dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a wet impregnation method using SBA-15 as hard template for confining the growth of TiO2 nanocrystals, and then calcined at 550 degrees C in muffle furnace for 2 h. The as-synthesized samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD), nitrogen adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence spectra (PL). It was found that SBA-15 contained abundant silanol groups after removal of triblock copolymers by ethanol extraction and could easily adsorb a great number of titanium alkoxide via chemisorption. After subsequent hydrolysis of the anchored Ti complexes and calcination of the amorphous TiO2, anatase TiO2 nanocrystals with spherical shape and uniform particle diameter of about 6 nm were formed. A blue shift was observed in UV-vis absorption spectra due to the quantum size effect of TiO2 nanoparticles. Moreover, the as-prepared TiO2 nanoparticles showed a high PL intensity due to an increase in the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes under UV light irradiation.     

Synthesis, characterization, and self-assembly of protein lysozyme monolayer-stabilized gold nanoparticles

Lysozyme monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) which are hydrophilic and biocompatible and show excellent colloidal stability (at low temperature, ca. 4 degrees C), were synthesized in aqueous medium by chemical reduction of HAuCl4 with NaBH4 in the presence of a familiar small enzyme, lysozyme. UV-vis spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of the as-prepared nanoparticles revealed the formation of well-dispersed Au NPs of ca. 2 nm diameter. Moreover, the color change of the Au NP solution as well as UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM measurements have also demonstrated the occurrence of Ostwald ripening of the nanoparticles at low temperature. Further characterization with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and dynamic light scattering indicated the formation of a monolayer of lysozyme molecules on the particle surface. FTIR data also indicated the intactness of the protein molecules coated on Au NPs. All the characterization results showed that the monodisperse Au NPs are well-coated directly with lysozyme. Driven by the dipole-dipole attraction, the protein-stabilized Au NPs self-assembled into network structures and nanowires upon aging under ambient temperature. On the basis of their excellent colloidal stability, controlled self-assembly ability, and biocompatible surface, the lysozyme monolayer-stabilized Au NPs hold great promise for being used in nanoscience and biomedical applications.     

TiO2-yNx纳米光催化剂的制备及其可见光响应机理

利用溶胶-凝胶技术,以尿素为氮源,采用原位掺杂方式制备了TiO2-yNx纳米粉体;以亚甲基蓝(MB)溶液在可见光下的光催化降解评价其可见光催化活性;考察了体系初始pH值、N的掺杂量和焙烧温度对样品可见光催化活性的影响。 结合XRD、XPS、ESR和DRS测试技术,研究了N掺杂纳米TiO2的可见光响应机理。 研究结果表明,TiO2-yNx纳米粉体的优化制备工艺条件为：体系初始pH=0.52,掺杂比n(N)∶n(Ti)=1∶6,焙烧温度为440 ℃。 此条件下制备的样品N含量为0.77%,为单一的锐钛矿相,平均粒径为19.0 nm,具有良好的可见光催化活性。 N掺杂导致TiO2纳米粉体的表面羟基含量增加,形成了大量束缚单电子的氧空位;N取代晶格O形成了N-Ti-O和O-N-Ti键合结构。 N掺杂导致TiO2纳米粒子的吸收带边红移,对可见光的吸收能力明显增强,这表明N掺杂改变TiO2电子结构,使带隙窄化,降低光响应阈值。 N掺杂TiO2纳米粒子的可见光响应归因于N取代掺杂形成的掺杂能级与氧空位形成的缺陷能级共同作用所致。     

Synthesis of Core-Shell (Pd-Au) Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Microemulsions

Palladium-gold core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized in the aqueous domains of water in oil microemulsions by the sequential reduction of H₂PdCl₄ and HAuCl₄. The nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The UV-vis spectra confirm the presence of palladium nanoparticles after reducing H₂PdCl₄. These particles have been used as seeds for the core-shell particles. UV-vis spectra show that, after reducing HAuCl₄, the surface plasmon absorption of the nanoparticles is dominated by gold, revealing the encapsulation of the palladium seeds. These results agree with crystallographic analysis performed with high-resolution TEM pictures, as well as with selected area electron diffraction. The TEM pictures show the core-shell nanoparticles with an average diameter of 9.1 nm, as compared with 5 nm for the palladium seeds, in good agreement with the used Pd:Au molar ratio.     

One Step Preparation of Highly Dispersed TiO2 Nanoparticles

A facile approach was developed to prepare highly dispersed TiO₂ nanoparticles with selected phase. The crystallization phase of the nanoparticles can be easily tuned from anatase to rutile by the dosage of hydrochloric acid in the reaction system. The crystallite size of the as-prepared anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles was ca. 3.2 nm with high dispersion. A transparent TiO₂ colloid was obtained by dispersing the as-prepared anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles in deionized water without any organic additives added. The concentration of TiO₂-H₂O colloid can be as high as 1600 g/L. The optical transmittance of TiO₂-H₂O colloid with a low concentration was nearly 100% in the visible region. Furthermore, anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles(TiO₂-NPs) showed superior photocatalytic performance compared to rutile TiO₂-NPs.     

One-step fabrication and high photocatalytic activity of porous TiO2 hollow aggregates by using a low-temperature hydrothermal method without templates

Porous TiO2 hollow aggregates have been synthesized on a large scale by means of a simple hydrothermal method without using any templates. The as-prepared products were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy, XRD, TEM, nitrogen adsorption, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the aggregates was demonstrated through the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B. Structural characterization indicates that the porous TiO2 aggregates are 500-800 nm in diameter and display mesoporous structure. The average pore sizes and BET surface areas of the aggregates are 12 nm and 168 m2 g-1, respectively. Optical adsorption investigations show that the aggregates possess an optical band-gap energy of 3.36 eV. The as-prepared products were substantially more effective photocatalysts than the commercially available photocatalyst P25. The dye degradation rate of the porous TiO2 hollow aggregates is more than twice that of P25. The high photoactivities of the aggregates can be attributed to the combined effects of several factors, namely, large surface areas, the existence of mesopores, and the high band-gap energy. In addition, the as-prepared products can be easily recycled.     

A one-step aqueous synthetic route to extremely small CdSe nanoparticles

By employing Na2Se as a selenium source, we demonstrate that extremely small ( approximately 1 nm) mercapto acid-stabilized CdSe nanoparticles can be conveniently prepared in water. The as-prepared nanoparticles start to show dominant near band-gap photoluminescence in the blue spectral range and show high photoluminescence in the green spectral range.     

Chemometric and microscopic analyses for the size growth of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles during their superlattice formation

Superlattices of gold nanoparticles have been produced at an air/solution interface under a highly acidic condition. The nanoparticle surface is protected by N-acetylglutathione (NAG). During the course of the superlattice formation, size growth of nanoparticles was observed: The superlattices were composed of nanoparticles of 6.6 nm in core diameter, whereas the as-prepared nanoparticles had the core diameter of 1.4 nm. The growth kinetics was pursued by the time evolution of the UV-vis absorption spectra for the sample solution. The change in the absorption spectral profiles was so small that we conducted principal-component analysis (PCA), which is known as a chemometric technique to resolve (or extract) spectra of minute chemical species submerged in the original spectra. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) corroborated the PCA results, yielding a successful explanation of the growth scheme of the NAG-protected gold nanoparticles.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic performance of silica-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Silica-modified titanium dioxides were prepared by a hydrothermal method and then characterized by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, TEM, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The silica-modified titanium dioxides were in anatase phase and had large surface areas. There was strong interaction between SiO2 and TiO2, and TiOSi bonds formed during the hydrothermal process. The addition of silica in TiO2 particles could effectively suppress the formation of the rutile phase and the growth of titanium dioxide crystals. DRS spectra proved an increase in the band-gap transition with the increase of silica. The silica-modified TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited better photocatalytic activity, which increased with the silica amount, in comparison with pure TiO2 nanoparticles. Due to better thermal stability, the photocatalytic activity of the silica-modified TiO2 sample held good photocatalytic activity even after calcined at 1273 K.     

Self-assembly of lambda-DNA networks/Ag nanoparticles: hybrid architecture and active-SERS substrate

In this article, highly rough and stable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates had been fabricated by a facile layer-by-layer technique. Unique lambda-DNA networks and CTAB capped silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were alternatively self-assembled on the charged mica surface until a desirable number of bilayers were reached. The as-prepared hybrid architectures were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal Raman microscopy, respectively. Linear increases of the maximum absorbance of DNA band with the number of bilayers present a common LBL assembly feature. The red-shift of surface plasmon of silver nanoparticles within the hybrid films was mainly due to the aggregation effect. With the increase of number of bilayers, the surface coverage of nanoparticles on the substrate became larger, as well as the rising of total amount of nanoparticles and the surface roughness of hybrid films. These rough metallic hybrid architectures could be utilized as SERS-active substrates. A significant enhanced Raman scattering effect of the adsorbed analytes, e.g., methylene blue (MB), on these hybrid films was easily exploited by the confocal Raman microscopy. The enhancement factor depended on the surface coverage of nanoparticles and number of bilayers of lambda-DNA/AgNP.     

High purity anatase TiO(2) nanocrystals: near room-temperature synthesis, grain growth kinetics, and surface hydration chemistry

High purity, spherical anatase nanocrystals were prepared by a modified sol-gel method. Mixing of anhydrous TiCl(4) with ethanol at about 0 degrees C yielded a yellowish sol that was transformed into phase-pure anatase of 7.7 nm in size after baking at 87 degrees C for 3 days. This synthesis route eliminates the presence of fine seeds of the nanoscale brookite phase that frequently occurs in low-temperature formation reactions and also significantly retards the phase transformation to rutile at high temperatures. Heating the as-is 7.7 nm anatase for 2 h at temperatures up to 600 degrees C leads to an increase in grain size of the anatase nanoparticles to 32 nm. By varying the calcination time from 2 to 48 h at 300 degrees C, the particle size could be controlled between 12 and 15.3 nm. The grain growth kinetics of anatase nanoparticles was found to follow the equation, D(2) - D(0)(2) = k(0)t(m)e((-)(E)(a)/(RT)) with a time exponent m = 0.286(+/-9) and an activation energy of E(a) = 32 +/- 2 kJ x mol(-)(1). Thermogravimetric analysis in combination with infrared and X-ray photoemission spectroscopies has shown the anatase nanocrystals at different sizes to be composed of an interior anatase lattice with surfaces that are hydrogen-bonded to a wide set of energetically nonequivalent groups. With a decrease in particle size, the anatase lattice volume contracts, while the surface hydration increases. The removal of the surface hydration layers causes coarsening of the nanoparticles.     

Crystallization and photovoltaic properties of titania-coated polystyrene hybrid microspheres and their photocatalytic activity

The hybrid microspheres with polystyrene core coated by titania nanoparticles were prepared by miniemulsion polymerization, and the as-prepared samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, TG-DTA, XPS, and SPS techniques. TiO2 nanoparticles experienced two processes of phase transition, i.e., amorphous to anatase and anatase to rutile at the calcining temperature range from 400 to 1000 degrees C. The phase transformation temperature of TiO2 hybrid microspheres from anatase to rutile was increased by about 300 degrees C due to the blocking function of calcined polymer remainder. SPS results present that the band-gap of hybrid microspheres is 3.2-3.4 eV, which is larger than that of pure TiO2. The maximum intensity of the SPS signal is about 3 times larger for the hybrid material as compared to the pure TiO2. In addition, the photocatalytic degradation rate of TiO2 hybrid microspheres was 15% faster than that of pure TiO2 in the experiment of the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange.     

Biosynthesis of silver nanocrystals by Bacillus licheniformis

The use of microorganisms for the synthesis of nanoparticles is in the limelight of modern nanotechnology. Using the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles was investigated. These silver nanoparticles were characterized by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nanoparticles exhibited maximum absorbance at 440 nm in UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD spectrum of silver nanoparticles exhibited 2theta values corresponding to the silver nanocrystal. SEM micrographs revealed the formation of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles of 50 nm, and the presence of silver was confirmed by EDX analysis.     

Synthesis of highly efficient C-doped TiO(2) photocatalyst and its photo-generated charge-transfer properties

Carbon-doped anatase TiO(2) was prepared by a facile hydrothermal process without adding additional carbon source. The as-prepared sample shows highly efficient photocatalytic activity, which only requires 4min and is about 11 times higher than that of Degussa P25 TiO(2) in degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV light irradiation. Moreover, a highly visible-light activity is also observed. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that the carbon atoms are incorporated into the interstitial positions of TiO(2) lattice and form a strong interaction with titanium atoms and extend photoresponding range to 700nm. Surface photovoltage spectra (SPS) and transient photovoltage (TPV) suggest that the presence of interstitial carbons induce several localized occupied states in the gap, enhance the separation extent and restrain the recombination of the photo-induced electron and hole carriers in TiO(2).     

Synthesis of nano-TiO2 assisted by diethylene glycol for use in high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells

The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs) consisting of anatase TiO_2 nanoparticles that were synthesized via a hydrothermal method was studied.The synthesized TiO_2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),nitrogen sorption analysis,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),and UV-vis spectroscopy.Then the J-Vcurve,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),and open-circuit voltage decay(OCVD) measurement were applied to evaluate the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs.Compared with the commercial TiO_2nanoparticles(P25),the synthesized-TiO_2 nanoparticles showed better performance.By adding diethylene glycol(DEG) before the hydrothermal process,the synthesized TiO_2 nanoparticles(hereafter referred to as TiO_2-DEG particles) shows narrower size distribution,larger specific surface area,higher crystallinity,and less surface defects than TiO_2(DEG free) particles.The analysis of photovoltaic properties of DSSCs based on TiO_2-DEG particles showed that the recombination of electron-hole pairs was decreased and the trapping of carries in grain boundaries restrained.It was believed that the photoelectrode fabricated with the as-prepared TiO_2 nanoparticles improved the loading amount of dye sensitizers(N719).and enhanced the photocurrent of the DSSCs.As a result,the TiO_2-DEG particle based cells achieved a photo-to-electricity conversion efficiency(η) of 7.90%,which is higher than 7.53%for the cell based on TiO2(DEG free) and 6.59%for the one fabricated with P25.     

维生素E绿色还原法制备银纳米粒子的研究

采用一种绿色还原法制备银纳米粒子,以维生素E为还原剂,淀粉为稳定剂,在液相中还原硫酸银,通过改变溶液的pH值和反应时间,得到不同粒径的黄色银纳米粒子,并分别采用透射电镜、红外光谱、紫外-可见吸收光谱、扫描电镜和电化学方法对银纳米粒子进行表征。结果表明:维生素E在溶液中被氧化生成苯醌,反应得到的银纳米粒子为球形,粒径为8~25 nm;在较强碱性条件下,得到的银纳米粒子尺寸较小,分布较均匀,其平均粒径约为10 nm;不同条件下生成的银溶胶分别在417、411、409、408 nm处出现紫外吸收峰,这些吸收峰均为银纳米粒子的表面共振吸收;生成的银纳米粒子具有很好的电化学性质,并对L-半胱氨酸的电化学反应显示了良好的催化活性。     

ZnO microrods photodeposited with Au@Ag nanoparticles: Synthesis,characterization and application in SERS

Decorating one-dimensional micromaterials with nanoparticles provides an effective method to manipulate and integrate their physicochemical and optoelectronic properties. Here, we demonstrate an example of photochemical deposition of Au core/Ag shell nanoparticles onto ZnO microrods (ZnO/Au@Ag). The as-prepared micromaterials were characterized and confirmed by UV-vis spectra, XRD, XPS, FE-SEM and EDX analysis. Raman spectra revealed that the vibration energy of oxygen sublattice decreased after deposition of metallic nanoparticles. Their apparent Fermi level was calculated to be 156.9 mV from a Nernstian equilibrium with a redox couple in solution and primary investigation indicated their potential application as an active surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrate. The proposed method could extend to synthesize a series of core-shell nanoparticles decorated one-dimensional composite micromaterials and the as-prepared multifunctional micromaterials may also find their application in photocatalysis, gas sensor and so on. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Facile Synthesis of Uniform Zinc-blende ZnS Nanospheres with Excellent Photocatalytic Activity toward Methylene Blue Degradation

Uniform and well-dispersed Zn S nanospheres have been successfully synthesized via a facile chemical route. The crystal structure, morphology, surface area and photocatalytic properties of the sample were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) and ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis) spectrum. The results of characterizations indicate that the products are identified as mesoporous zinc-blende ZnS nanospheres with an average diameter of 200 nm, which are comprised of nanoparticles with the crystallite size of about 3.2 nm calculated by XRD. Very importantly, photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue(MB) shows that the as-prepared Zn S nanospheres exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity with nearly 100% of MB decomposed after UV-light irradiation for 25 min. The excellent photocatalytic activity of ZnS nanospheres can be ascribed to the large specific surface area and hierarchical mesoporous structure.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of anhydrous CdS nanoparticles in a water-oil microemulsion

Microwave irradiation at a frequency of 2.45 GHz and a power ranging between 22 and 30 W was used, in a water-oil microemulsion at 35+/-2 degrees C, to obtain stable, small, crystalline, anhydrous CdS nanoparticles exhibiting enhanced luminescence properties. The process of nanoparticles growth at different irradiation times was followed by UV-vis spectroscopy. It was observed that irradiated nanoparticles grew faster and their size reached a constant value. The final mean nanoparticle diameter was 2.7 nm, smaller than that observed in a non-irradiated sample, in which particle dimensions slowly increased even after 10 h. This finding was confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy which also suggested that the spherical nanoparticles had a narrow size distribution and were spatially well separated. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to obtain information about structural changes that the microemulsion underwent when irradiated by microwaves. In particular, the evolution of the stretching and bending bands of water molecules along with the CO and SO3 stretching bands of the surfactant molecules, showed that water was selectively and almost completely extracted from the aqueous core of the reversed micelles. Changes in the surroundings of the nanoparticles surface were monitored by photoluminescence spectroscopy and variations in the emission band profiles indicated enhanced luminescence properties. The latter finding, as well as the inhibition of the nanoparticles growth process, are attributable to the progressive reduction of water content in the core of the reversed micelles.