Synthesis of thermally stable highly ordered nanoporous tin oxide thin films with a 3D face-centered orthorhombic nanostructure

Thin films of nanoporous tin oxide with a 3D face-centered orthorhombic nanostructure have been synthesized by self-assembly that is controlled by post-coating thermal treatment under controlled humidity. In contrast to the conventional evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA), the films here have no ordered nanostructure after dip-coating. However, the initial coatings are formed under conditions that inhibit significant hydrolysis and condensation for extended periods. This allows the use of postsynthesis thermal vapor treatments to completely control the formation of the nanostructure. With EO106-PO70-EO106 (Pluronic F127) triblock copolymer as the template, highly ordered nanostructures were generated by exposing the disordered films to a stream of water vapor at elevated temperature, which rehydrates the films and allows the formation of the thermodynamically favored phase. Further exposure to water vapor drives the condensation reaction through the elimination of HCl. The X-ray diffraction pattern from the nanostructure was indexed in the space group Fmmm as determined by analysis of 2D small-angle X-ray scattering patterns at various angles of incidence. The nanostructure is then stabilized and made nanoporous by extended controlled thermal treatments. After self-assembly and template removal, the films are thermally stable up to 600 degrees C and retain an ordered, face-centered orthorhombic nanostructure.     

Synthesis and characterization of hexagonal boron nitride used for comparison of removal of anionic and cationic hazardous azo-dye: kinetics and equilibrium studies

The purpose of this study was to compare the adsorption behavior of cationic and anionic dyes onto a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanostructure that was rich in a negative charge. Herein, the hBN nanostructure was synthesized using boric acid as a precursor material. The characteristic peaks of the hBN nanostructure were performed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies. The morphology and the particle size of hBN nanostructure were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). During the studies, various essential adsorption parameters were investigated, such as the initial dye concentration, pH of the dye solution, adsorbent dose, and contact time. Under optimal conditions, the removal of 42.6% Metanil yellow (MY) and 90% Victoria blue B (VBB) from aqueous solution was performed using a 10-mg hBN nanostructure. Furthermore, the equilibrium studies showed that the Freundlich isotherm model fitted well for the removal of MY. However, the Langmuir isotherm model fitted well for the removal of VBB. Moreover, according to the results obtained from the kinetic studies, while the first-order kinetic model was suited for the adsorption of the MY, the second-order kinetic model was found to well fit for the adsorption of VBB.     

Multilayer Substrate‐Mediated Tuning Resonance of Plasmon and SERS EF of Nanostructured Silver

A thin‐film of dielectric on a reflecting surface constituting a multilayer substrate modulates light intensity due to the interference effect. A nanostructure consisting of randomly oriented silver particles of different shapes, sizes, and interparticle spacings supports multiple plasmon resonances and is observed to have a broad extinction spectrum that spans the entire visible region. Combining the two systems by fabricating the nanostructure on the thin‐dielectric film of the multilayer substrate yields a new composite structure which is observed to modulate both the extinction spectrum and the SERS EF (surface enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factor) of the nanostructure as the thickness of the thin‐film dielectric is varied. The frequency and intensity of the visible extinction spectrum vary dramatically with the dielectric thickness and in the intermediate thickness range the spectrum has no visible band. The SERS EF determined for the composite structure as a function of the thin‐film dielectric thickness varies by several orders of magnitude. Strong correlation between the magnitude of the SERS EF and the extinction intensity is observed over the entire dielectric thickness range indicating that the extinction spectrum corresponds to the excitation of the plasmon resonances of the nanostructure. A significant finding which has potential applications is that the composite structure has synergic effect to boost SERS EF of the nanostructure by an order of magnitude or more compared to the same nanostructure on an unlayered substrate.     

Atomic ordering as a new way of nanostructure creation in solids

The application of atomic-vacancy ordering for generating nanostructures in non-stoichiometric compounds and substituting solid solutions is considered. The conditions under which a nanostructure is formed in powder and bulk samples and peculiarities of the nanostructure within them are exemplified with non-stoichiometric vanadium carbide VC_0.875. The formation of nanostructure in the VC_0.875 carbide has been demonstrated to originate from the first order phase transition disorder-order VC_0.875 → V₈C₇ accompanied by an abrupt volume change.     

Star-shaped Keggin-type heteropolytungstate nanostructure as a new catalyst for the preparation of quinoxaline derivatives

In this work, we report the novel successful preparation of the Keggin-type Cs(CTA)₂PW₁₂O₄₀ (CTA = cetyltrimethylammonium cation) nanostructure by a microemulsion method. The microemulsion system included the cationic surfactant CTAB, 1-butanol as co-surfactant, isooctane as oil phase, and an aqueous solution containing CsNO₃. The Cs(CTA)₂PW₁₂O₄₀ nanostructure was formed by the addition of an aqueous solution of phosphotungstic acid to the microemulsion solution. Characterization of the resultant nanostructure was done using FT–IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and CHN elemental analysis. The product was found to be a star-shaped nanostructure composed of some nanorods whose diameter and length are about 100 nm and 500 nm, respectively. The prepared nanostructure was used as a recoverable catalyst for the synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives by the condensation of 1,2-diamines with 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, which afforded the products in good to high yields in short reaction times.     

Wettability of zinc oxide surfaces with controllable structures

Zinc oxide (ZnO) surfaces with controllable structures (i.e, microstructure, nanostructure, and micronanobinary structure) have been created by controlling pH at < 4 or > 10.5 in the Zn(gray) + H2O2 reaction. The resulting surface shows superhydrophobicity. It is found that the water contact angle (CA) of the surface with micronanobinary structure is greater than that of nanostructure and that of nanostructure is greater than that of the microstructure. Theoretical analysis is completely in agreement with the experimental results.     

Olefin metathesis on nanostructures

Alkene metathesis processes on nanostructures can proceed via radial or lateral pathways. Radial metathesis installs new functionalities on the surface of a nanostructure through outward growth from its core. Lateral metathesis involves successive crosslinking of neighboring alkenes on the nanostructure and creates a polymer shell around the particle.     

Synthesis and characterization of a grapevine nanostructure consisting of single-walled carbon nanotubes with covalently attached [60]fullerene balls

A grapevine nanostructure based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) covalently functionalized with [60]fullerene (C60) has been synthesized and characterized in detail. Investigations into the ball-on-tube carbon nanostructure by ESR spectroscopy indicate a tendency for ground-state electron transfer from the SWNT to the C60 moieties. The cyclic-voltammetric response of the nanostructure film exhibits reversible multiple-step electrochemical reactions of the dispersed C60, which are strikingly similar to those of the C60 derivatives in solution, but with consistent negative shifts in the redox potential. This results from the covalent linkage of C60 to the surfaces of the SWNTs in the form of monomers and manifests the electronic interaction between the C60 and SWNT moieties.     

Mechanical Properties of Machined Nanostructures

"Three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to predict the mechanical properties of a single crystalline copper with different scratching depths and no defects by embedded-atom method potential respectively. The mechanical properties for nanostructure with no defects and machined groove are investigated by various strain rates, scratched depths and scratching directions. Through the visualization technique of atomic coordination number, the onset and movement of defects in workpiece such as dislocations are analyzed under tensile loads. Work-harden formation, recrystallization behavior and the properties of rupturing process of nanostructure are exhibited at the atomic view. The relation between stress and the onset and evolvement of defects in specimen is analyzed for fundamental understanding the mechanical properties of nanostructure."     

Order and orientation control of mesoporous silica films on conducting gold substrates formed by dip-coating and self-assembly: a grazing angle of incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and field emission scanning electron microscopy study

Grazing-angle of incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterize the mesophase symmetry, orientation, and long-range order in PEO20-PPO70-PEO20 (Pluronic P123) templated mesoporous silica thin films on conducting gold substrates as a function of silica-to-ethylene oxide (Si/EO) block ratio and relative humidity (RH). The films are formed by dip-coating followed by evaporation-induced self-assembly under tightly controlled RH. The general evolution of the mesophase follows the trends that are expected based on shape factors due to swelling of the PEO block. However, changes in orientation of the nanostructure relative to the substrate and the degree of long-range order are found to depend on Si/EO ratio. These effects are likely due to the dynamics of evaporation and self-assembly. Generally, at Si/EO ratios lower than 3.29, the films contained regions where the nanostructure was not oriented relative to the plane of the substrate. However, for Si/EO ratios greater than 3.62, conditions were found where the nanostructure of the film was highly oriented relative to the plane of the substrate. This is true over the range of RH studied, independent of the nanostructure symmetry. For low Si/EO ratios at the highest RH levels, the films were composed of a mixture of spherical and cylindrical pores. At high Si/EO ratios and high RH levels, the films had a highly oriented R-3m nanostructure but displayed streaking perpendicular to the substrate in the Bragg spots on GISAXS patterns. This streaking is interpreted as faulting along planes parallel to the substrate.     

Single‐Molecule Visualization of the Activity of a Zn2+‐Dependent DNAzyme

We demonstrate the single‐molecule imaging of the catalytic reaction of a Zn²⁺‐dependent DNAzyme in a DNA origami nanostructure. The single‐molecule catalytic activity of the DNAzyme was examined in the designed nanostructure, a DNA frame. The DNAzyme and a substrate strand attached to two supported dsDNA molecules were assembled in the DNA frame in two different configurations. The reaction was monitored by observing the configurational changes of the incorporated DNA strands in the DNA frame. This configurational changes were clearly observed in accordance with the progress of the reaction. The separation processes of the dsDNA molecules, as induced by the cleavage by the DNAzyme, were directly visualized by high‐speed atomic force microscopy (AFM). This nanostructure‐based AFM imaging technique is suitable for the monitoring of various chemical and biochemical catalytic reactions at the single‐molecule level.     

Self-assembly of discotic liquid crystal porphyrin into more controllable ordered nanostructure mediated by fluorophobic effect

The novel nanoscale discotic liquid crystal porphyrin with partial chain perfluorination, which has the same basic structure as the best photoreceptor in nature (chlorophyll), shows an exceptionally enhanced tendency to self-assemble into ordered nanostructure. Defect-free homeotropically aligned fluorinated porphyrin thin films were, for the first time, fabricated and characterised. The ability to self-assemble large π-conjugated discotic molecules into highly ordered nanostructure via partial chain perfluorination provides new insight for the bottom-up nanofabrication of molecular devices. The controllable ordered porphyrin nanostructure with directed molecular arrangement holds great promise for use in high-performance electronic devices.     

Construction and DNA Condensation of Cyclodextrin‐Coated Gold Nanoparticles with Anthryl Grafts

The condensation of DNA in a controlled manner is one of the key steps in gene delivery and gene therapy. For this purpose, a water‐soluble supramolecular nanostructure is constructed by coating 14 β‐cyclodextrins onto the surface of a gold nanoparticle, followed by the noncovalent association of different amounts of anthryl‐modified adamantanes with coated β‐cyclodextrins. The strong binding of β‐cyclodextrins with anthryl adamantanes (K_S=8.61×10⁴ M ^?1) efficiently stabilizes the supramolecular nanostructure. Spectrophotometric fluorescence spectra and microscopic studies demonstrated that, with many anthryl grafts that can intercalate in the outer space of the DNA double helix, this supramolecular nanostructure showed good condensation abilities to calf thymus DNA. Significantly, the condensation efficiency of supramolecular nanostructure towards DNA could be conveniently controlled by adjusting the ratio between gold nanoparticles and anthryl adamantane grafts, leading to the formation of DNA condensates of a size that are suitable for the endocytosis of hepatoma cells, which will make it potentially applicable in many fields of medicinal science and biotechnology.     

Gas-Phase Deposited Plasmonic Nanoparticles Supported on 3D-Graphene/Nickel Foam for Highly SERS Detection

In this work, we proposed a novel three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic nanostructure based on porous graphene/nickel foam (GNF) and gas-phase deposited Ag nanoparticles (NPs).Ag NPs with high density were directly deposited on the surface of 3D GNF by performing a novel cluster beam deposition approach. In comparison with traditional Ag substrate(SiO₂/Ag), such hot-spots enriched 3D nanostructure showed extremely high electromag-netic field enhancement under incident light irradiation which could be used as a sensitive chemical sensor based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed nanostructure showed superior SERS performance in terms of Raman signal reproducibility and sensitivity for the probe molecules. 3D full-wave simulation showed that the enhanced SERS performance in this 3D hierarchical plasmonic nanostructure was mainly obtained from the hot-spots between Ag NPs and the near-field coupling between Ag NPs and GNF sca olds. This work can provide a novel assembled SERS substrate as a SERS-based chemical sensor in practical applications.     

Six-rayed star-like nanostructures in prospective plasmonic devices

A six-rayed star-like nanostructure was prepared by a combination of colloidal self-assembly, thermal sintering and chemical etching, which enables the tuning of both size of the particles and neck diameter. In this nanostructure, six nanotips are arrayed in a symmetric and planar arrangement on a spherical particle. Localized surface plasmon resonance characteristics were also clarified.     

Comprehensive study of nanostructured supports with high surface area for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

An extensive study of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on nanostructure supports with high surface area such as nanostructure γ-alumina, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), and the hybrid of SWNTs/nanostructure γ-alumina has been investigated. The nanostructure γ-alumina was promoted with lanthanum to obtain better performance of catalyst and 15 wt% cobalt loading was the basis of our investigation. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was performed in a fixed bed reactor under different reaction conditions (220–240 °C, 15–25 bar, H₂/CO ratio of 2, GHSV of 900–1400) in order to study the effects of temperature, pressure and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) changes on hydrocarbon selectivity and catalyst activity. The catalysts were extensively characterized by different methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), hydrogen (H₂) chemisorption and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The results showed that the yield of hybrid supported catalyst (55.4%) is higher than that of nanostructure γ-alumina supported catalyst (55.0%) and lower than that of SWNTs supported cobalt catalyst (71.0%). The hybrid supported catalyst showed higher reduction degree and dispersion of cobalt particles. The temperature, pressure and GHSV effects on hybrid supported catalyst were studied and results showed that higher pressure favors the chain growth and temperature increase leads to the increases in methane selectivity and CO conversion. Higher hydrocarbon selectivity and CO conversion showed positive relationship with increasing GHSV while lower hydrocarbon selectivity diminishes.     

Control of wettability of molecularly thin liquid films by nanostructures

The patterning of liquid thin films on solid surfaces is very important in various fields of science and engineering related to surfaces and interfaces. A method of nanometer-scale patterning of a molecularly thin liquid film on a silicon substrate using the lyophobicity of the oxide nanostructures has recently been reported (Fukuzawa, K.; Deguchi, T.; Kawamura, J.; Mitsuya, Y.; Muramatsu, T.; Zhang, H. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2005, 87, 203108). However, the origin of the lyophobicity of the nanostructure with a height of around 1 nm, which was fabricated by probe oxidation, has not yet been clarified. In the present study, the change in thickness of the liquid film on mesa-shaped nanostructures and the wettability for the various combinations of the thickness of the liquid films and the height of ridge-shaped nanostructures were investigated. These revealed that lyophobicity is caused by a lowering of the intermolecular interaction between the liquid and silicon surfaces by the nanostructure and enables the patterning of a liquid film along it. The tendency of the wettability for a given liquid film and nanostructure size can be predicted by estimating the contributions of the intermolecular interaction and capillary pressure. In this method, the height of the nanostructure can control the wettability. These results can provide a novel method of nanoscale patterning of liquid thin films, which will be very useful in creating new functional surfaces.     

Particle‐in‐a‐Frame Nanostructures with Interior Nanogaps

Designing plasmonic hollow colloids with small interior nanogaps would allow structural properties to be exploited that are normally linked to an ensemble of particles but within a single nanoparticle. Now, a synthetic approach for constructing a new class of frame nanostructures is presented. Fine control over the galvanic replacement reaction of Ag nanoprisms with Au precursors gave unprecedented Au particle‐in‐a‐frame nanostructures with well‐defined sub‐2 nm interior nanogaps. The prepared nanostructures exhibited superior performance in applications, such as plasmonic sensing and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering, over their solid nanostructure and nanoframe counterparts. This highlights the benefit of their interior hot spots, which can highly promote and maximize the electric field confinement within a single nanostructure.     

Dendrite-like Co3O4 nanostructure and its applications in sensors, supercapacitors and catalysis

Dendrite-like Co(3)O(4) nanostructure, made up of many nanorods with diameters of 15-20 nm and lengths of 2-3 μm, has been successfully prepared by calcining the corresponding nanostructured Co-8-hydroxyquinoline coordination precursor in air. The Co(3)O(4) nanostructure was evaluated as an electrochemical sensor for H(2)O(2) detection and the results reveal that it has good linear dependence and high sensitivity to H(2)O(2) concentration changes. As an electrode material of a supercapacitor, it was found that the nanostructured Co(3)O(4) electrode exhibits high specific capacitance and long cycle life. The Co(3)O(4) nanostructure also has good catalytic properties and is steadily active for CO oxidation, giving 100% CO conversion at low temperatures. The multifunctional Co(3)O(4) nanostructure would be a promising functional nanomaterial applied in multi industrialized fields.     

水热法制备稳定的发光CdTe材料

采用水热合成技术将表面修饰有羧基的纳米CdTe微粒与表面活性剂和硅源进行自组装,得到了一种与氧化硅复合的稳定的CdTe发光材料.通过一系列表征手段(如TG-DTA,EDX,TEM,荧光光谱和N₂吸附)证实了CdTe微粒复合在氧化硅中.进一步通过烧结的方法除去表面活性剂,用稀酸除去金属氧化物,即得到多孔的氧化硅材料.