Study of size dependent features of swift heavy ion irradiation in nanosized zinc ferrite

In the present work zinc ferrite nanoparticles of different crystallite size were irradiated with 200 MeV Ag¹⁵⁺ ion beam. The structural and magnetic characterization performed for these samples indicate the presence of size dependent irradiation induced changes in the nanoparticles. The superparamgnetic nanoparticles do not alter their behavior after irradiation; however paramagnetic samples exhibit weak ferrimagnetism in the irradiated specimen. Results obtained from these measurements are in agreement with results obtained from the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

Preparation of highly crystalline blue emitting MVO4:Tm (M=Gd, Y) spherical nanoparticles: Effects of activator concentration and annealing temperature on luminescence, lifetime and quantum yield

Highly crystalline spherical nanoparticles of MVO₄:Tm³⁺ (M=Gd, Y) having a size of 20–45 nm were prepared using ethylene glycol as both capping agent and reaction medium. X-ray diffraction study shows linear decrease in the unit cell volume with an increase in Tm³⁺ concentrations in MVO₄ (M=Gd, Y; Tm³⁺=0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 at%), indicative of quantitative substitution of Gd³⁺/Y³⁺ lattice sites by Tm³⁺ ions in MVO₄. Blue light emission at 475 nm is observed after excitation at 310 nm due to energy transfer from VO₄³⁻ absorption band to Tm³⁺. Emission intensity and average decay lifetime increase with an increase in heat treatment from 500 to 900 °C. This has been attributed to an extent of reduction in non-radiative process arising from surface. The emission intensity of Tm³⁺ in GdVO₄ host is higher than that in YVO₄ and thus the former host is better. Quantum yield increases with increase in heat-treatment temperature. This material will be the alternative blue light emitter.     

Infrared laser-produced carbon-phase shield to oxidation of nanosized titanium monoxide

Pulsed infrared laser-irradiation of titanium monoxide leads to ablation and when carried out in gaseous benzene (1-5 Torr) to simultaneous dielectric breakdown of benzene into low molecular carbonaceous species which allow carbothermal reduction of ablated TiO_x particles and their protection by carbonaceous shell. The deposited particles are characterized by Fourier transform infrared Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and by electron microscopy and shown to be stable towards oxidation in air. The reported process can find use in protection of gas-phase produced reactive nanoparticles by carbon phase.     

Intrinsic magnetism in Fe doped SnO2 nanoparticles

Iron doped semiconducting nanoparticles Sn_1−xFe_xO₂ with x=0, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.01 and 0.03 were prepared by a sol-gel method. The X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy measurements confirm the rutile structure with no impurity phase. The three characteristic lines of electron spin resonance (ESR) are observed in the doped samples for all compositions, which is a clear evidence for rhombic Fe³⁺ in rutile phase. The line width of ESR increases with increase in Fe concentration due to induced disorder. The spin-pumping effect is observed at temperatures below 250 K for the samples with x=0.01 and 0.03. However, based on the Curie-Weiss susceptibility, iron is in paramagnetic state and is subject to weak antiferromagnetic interaction. Blue shift in the optical band gap is observed with increase in the Fe content.     

Micellar nucleation differential microemulsion polymerization

Polymer nanoparticles within the range of 2–5 nm with a solid content of more than 13 wt.% and a narrow molecular weight polydispersity (Mw/Mn ∼ 1.1) were for the first time prepared using a micellar nucleation differential microemulsion polymerization system emulsified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), with SDS/monomer (methyl methacrylate) and SDS/H₂O weight ratios of up to 1:16 and 1:100, respectively. It was found that for benzoyl peroxide (BPO), micellar nucleation is more favorable for the synthesis of smaller polymer nanoparticles than ammonium persulfate (APS) which gives rise to homogeneous nucleation and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) which involves partially heterogeneous nucleation. In the polymerization process, there exists a critical stability concentration (CSC) of SDS, above which the size of the nanoparticles is to be minimized and stabilized. With an increase in the monomer addition rate, the polymerization system changes from a microemulsion system to an emulsion system. A mechanism was proposed to describe the micellar nucleation process of differential microemulsion polymerization. This study may contribute to the development of fine polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery systems.     

Reaction of Primary Alkylamines,Heterocumulenes, and Isatoic Anhydride,Catalyzed by Magnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles in H2O

An efficient protocol for the one‐pot reaction of isatoic anhydride (=1,2‐dihydro‐4H‐3,1‐benzoxazine‐2,4‐dione), primary alkylamines, and heterocumulenes (isothiocyanates and isocyanates) in H₂O catalyzed by magnetically recoverable Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles is described.     

Direct detection of nanoparticles and components in smoke by time-of-flight mass spectrometry with soft plasma ionization

A new system combining a soft plasma ionization (SPI) source with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) has been successfully developed and applied to direct and on-line analysis of nanoparticles in smoke generated during combustion of mosquito coils with no sample preparation. The mass spectra of nanoparticles in smoke were examined in conjunction with the effects of species, pressure and current of the SPI discharge on fragmentation. The results indicated that a maximum mass of m/z 1576 was detectable when the following optima SPI conditions were satisfied: a He gas pressure of 1000 Pa with an air pressure of 1600 Pa and a discharge current of 110 mA. Furthermore, considering the results for emission spectra we suppose an ionization mechanism of SPI in which excitation and ionization of nitrogen molecule is promoted by the presence of He gas, leading to promote the smoke sample ionization. The mass spectrum of nanoparticles showed specific patterns of a peak interval of 74 which were assigned to triacetylene (1,3,5-hexatriyne). The most abundant peak in the mass spectrum, at m/z 452, was assigned to triacontanoic acid.     

磁性碱木素胺稳定的Ru纳米粒子催化α-蒎烯加氢反应

通过Mannich反应在碱木素结构中引入胺源,再结合共沉淀法制备了包裹Fe₃O₄磁核的稳定金属粒子的碱木素胺载体,并进一步构建了催化可再生资源α-蒎烯加氢反应的Ru纳米粒子催化剂.通过元素分析、粉末X射线衍射、傅里叶变换红外光谱、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱、透射电子显微镜、热重分析和X射线光电子能谱等方法对该催化剂进行表征.结果表明,碱木素中的苯环和含氧基团均对金属粒子有稳定作用,但胺源的引入可更加有效地稳定金属粒子.经过对催化剂制备工艺、木质素类型、胺源类型和胺源含量的筛选,得到活性最优的催化剂Fe₃O₄@0.8ALN₁-Ru,Ru负载量为1.92 mmol/g,Ru粒子粒径为（2.1±0.5）nm.该催化剂在n（α-蒎烯）/n（Ru）=65.8,1 MPa H₂条件下70℃催化1 mL α-蒎烯加氢反应2 h,可获得99.64%的α-蒎烯转化率和96.52%的顺式蒎烷选择性,并表现出良好的重复使用稳定性.     

Using Prussian blue analogue nanoparticles confined into ordered mesoporous silica monoliths as precursors of oxides

Powdered Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) and PBAs confined in ordered mesoporous silica monoliths were used as oxide precursors through thermal treatment under an oxidizing atmosphere. The study focuses on the transformation of the alkali cation-free CoCo PBA of chemical formula K_0.1Co^II₄[Co^III(CN)₆]_2.7·20 H₂O. The compounds were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and the magnetic properties of the calcined samples were investigated. In both cases, powdered and confined PBAs, the coordination polymers are transformed into well-crystallized Co₃O₄ spinel oxide. In the case of the confined PBA, isolated Co₃O₄ single crystals confined within the ordered mesoporosity of the monoliths were evidenced by HRTEM. A preliminary study shows an effect of particle size and confinement on the magnetic properties of the confined oxide particles.     

Effect of a nano-sized natural clinoptilolite modified by the hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant on cephalexin drug delivery

The use of porous materials as host systems for medical applications has been considered in recent years. The aim of this work is to construct an efficient adsorbent for the adsorption and delivering of cephalexin. For this pupose, pretreated natural nano-sized clinoptilolite (NZ) was modified by the cationic hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant (HDTMA), and the obtained modified zeolite nanoparticles (SMZ) were used to design systems for storage and release of cephalexin (CPX). The adsorbed and released extents of the drug onto/from the modified zeolite were determined by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The results showed that both decreasing the particle size of clinoptilolite and modifying its surface significantly increase the adsorbed drug extent. All the compounds were characterized by SEM, TEM, FT–IR, TG/DTG, and XRD. TG/DTG and also FT–IR results showed sufficient loading amounts of HDTMA and CPX onto the raw and modified zeolite, respectively. It was proven by means of TG that the composites are more stable thermally when the admicelles contain cephalexin in their interior. IR spectroscopy studies indicated that the zeolite structure remained unchanged after the modification with the surfactant and after the cephalexin drug has been loaded. Due to the presence of hydroxyl and amine groups in the cephalexin structure, pH plays an important role on the adsorbed CPX extent, so that the maximum adsorbed CPX was observed at pH = 12. While the delivery of CPX was better at pH = 2, because at alkaline pHs, the anionic carboxylate form of CPX has higher attractive force with the positive head of the surfactant on the SMZ. Hence, the stomach's acidic pH is appropriate for drug delivery. The effects of some cations in the delivery extent confirm that the diet can significantly affect the delivery of the CPX from the proposed adsorbent.