Photocatalytic growth of dendritic silver nanostructures as SERS substrates

We report a one-step photocatalytic synthesis method of dendritic silver nanostructures. These self-organised structures show an excellent Raman enhancement enabling the detection of analytes from dilute solutions by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of fullerene@gold core-shell nanostructures

A "direct encapsulation" method was developed for the synthesis of highly stable water-soluble fullerene@gold core-shell nanostructures, with gold nanoshells showing either closed or porous morphology. This gold nano-shell coating formed a "nano-oven", capable of decomposing encapsulated fullerene molecules rapidly when irradiated by laser. We envisaged this being a useful tool for chemical reactions as well as a novel scaffold for nano-material synthesis.     

Differential SERS activity of gold and silver nanostructures enabled by adsorbed poly(vinylpyrrolidone)

We report that poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), a common stabilizer of colloidal dispersions of noble metal nanostructures, has a dramatic effect on their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity and enables highly selective SERS detection of analytes of various type and charge. Nanostructures studied include PVP-stabilized Au-Ag nanoshells synthesized by galvanic exchange reaction of citrate-reduced Ag nanoparticles (NPs), as well as solid citrate-reduced Ag and Au NPs, both before and after stabilization with PVP. All nanostructures were characterized in terms of their size, surface plasmon resonance wavelength, surface charge, and chemical composition. While the SERS activities of the parent citrate-reduced Ag and Au NPs are similar for rhodamine 6G (R6G) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) at various pH values, PVP-stabilized nanostructures demonstrate large differences in SERS enhancement factors (EFs) between these analytes depending on their chemical nature and protonation state. At pH values higher than BPE's pK(a2) of 5.65, where the analyte is largely unprotonated, the PVP-coated Au-Ag nanoshells showed a high SERS EF of >10(8). In contrast, SERS EFs were 10(3)- to 10(5)-fold lower for the protonated form of BPE at lower pH values, or for the usually highly SERS-active cationic R6G. The differential SERS activity of PVP-stabilized nanostructures is a result of discriminatory binding of analytes within-adsorbed PVP monolayer and a subsequent increase of analyte concentration at the nanostructure surface. Our experimental and theoretical quantum chemical calculations show that BPE binding with PVP-stabilized Au-Ag nanoshells is stronger when the analyte is in its unprotonated form as compared to its cationic, protonated form at a lower pH.     

Synthesis and characterization of surface-enhanced Raman scattering tags with Ag/SiO2 core-shell nanostructures using reverse micelle technology

A novel simplified method for synthesis of surface-enhanced Raman scattering tags has been reported. This synthesis method is based on reverse micelle technique using Igepal CO-520 as a surfactant and the mixed solution of silver nitrate and rhodamine dyes with isothiocyanate group as water pool followed by hydrazine hydrate reduction and TEOS polymerization leading to the formation of silica layer surrounding the silver core. Compared to the method reported in literature, the proposed methodology eliminates the necessity of vitrophilic pretreatment and makes it possible to complete all different processes including the preparation of silver nanoparticles, the conjugation of dye molecules and the formation of silica shell in the microreactor. The nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman tags obtained are composed of silver core conjugated with rhodamine dyes and an encasing silica shell. Both the dyes themselves and the Ag/SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles without the encapsulation of dyes exhibit no Raman signals. However, the Ag/SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles exhibit strong Raman signals when encapsulated with these dyes. This is due to the appearance of fluorescence quenching and surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect resulting from the conjugation of dyes and silver core. The Raman tags were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible absorption spectrometry, and Raman spectrometry.     

Dendrimer films as matrices for electrochemical fabrication of novel gold/palladium bimetallic nanostructures

Electrodeposition of novel Au/Pd bimetallic nanostructures with dendrimer films as matrices has been reported. The dendrimers exhibited highly open structures arising from protonation of amines and this made them have good penetrability for solvent molecules. The unique properties of dendrimers obviously affected the morphologies and compositions of deposited bimetallic nanostructures compared with those from unmodified surfaces. Field-emitted scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy were used to characterize these nanostructures. The results showed that these bimetallic nanostructures were consisted of many small nanoparticles. Effects of ratios of KAuCl₄ and K₂PdCl₆, electrodeposition time and layer number of assembled dendrimers were thoroughly investigated. At last, electrochemical properties of the bimetallic nanostructures were also studied.     

Modification of gold nanoparticle composite nanostructures using thermosensitive core-shell particles as a template

We report the formation of novel thermosensitive hybrid core-shell particles via in situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles using thermosensitive core-shell particles as a template. The template core-shell particles, with cores composed mainly of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (GMA) and shells composed mainly of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), were synthesized in aqueous medium, and functional groups such as thiol groups were incorporated into each particle. We found that these particles containing thiol groups were effective for the in situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles in long-term storage. The obtained hybrid particles exhibited a reversible color change from red to purple, which originated from the surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles and which was temperature-dependent in the range of 25-40 degrees C. In addition to their thermosensitive property, the hybrid particles exhibited the unique characteristic of uniform distribution on a solid substrate. The particles obtained by this approach have potential thermosensitive applications such as in sensors and photonic or electronic devices.     

Biorecognition-modulated ion fluxes through functionalized gold nanotubules as a novel label-free biosensing approach

A novel biosensing principle is presented, based on the potentiometric monitoring of an indicator ion such as Ca2+, whose zero-current flux through chemically modified nanochannels is altered by biorecognition events.     

Evaluation of electrodeposited gold nanostructures for applications in QCM sensing

The electrodeposition of gold nanostructures increases the surface area of a biosensor, which brings an enhancement of the sensitivity by increasing the amount of analyte binding to the surface. To evaluate the relationship among the surface structure, the area and the analyte binding, we quantitatively analyzed them for quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensing by scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry measurements. The results indicate a several-times increase of analyte bindings, and also the limitation of the sensing performance.     

Surfactantless synthesis of multiple shapes of gold nanostructures and their shape-dependent SERS spectroscopy

A useful method for the synthesis of various gold nanostructures is presented. The results demonstrated that flowerlike nanoparticle arrays, nanowire networks, nanosheets, and nanoflowers were obtained on the solid substrate under different experimental conditions. In addition, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) on the as-prepared gold nanostructures of various shapes were measured, and their shape-dependent properties were evaluated. The intensity of the SERS signal was the smallest for the gold nanosheets, and the flowerlike nanoparticle arrays gave the strongest SERS signals.     

Controllable growth of silver nanostructures by a simple replacement reaction and their SERS studies

Hierarchical silver nanostructures, consisting of dendritic (symmetric branched) and fractal patterns (randomly ramified), were synthesized very easily by dropping a droplet of AgNO₃-HF solution on silicon wafers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and open circuit potential-time (Ocp-t) measurement demonstrated that the two nanostructures converted with the reaction composition. The structural evolution was tentatively explained with the theory that oriented growth was determined by the anisotropy of the solid–liquid interfacial energy and the oriented attachment-based aggregation mechanism. Results on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals of the silver films with hierarchical nanostructures demonstrate that SERS is sensitive to silver nanostructures.     

Synthesis of silver dendritic nanostructures protected by tetrathiafulvalene

Silver dendritic nanostructures protected by tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) were synthesized via reduction of silver ions with TTF in acetonitrile.     

Synthesis and characterisation of advanced UHMWPE/silver nanocomposites for biomedical applications

A supercritical fluid (SCF) route for facile and homogeneous introduction of silver nanoparticles into polymer hosts is described. Our focus is on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). We demonstrate that the metallic nanoparticles have a substantial effect upon the wear and tribochemical properties of the polymer substrate.     

A novel amperometric biosensor based on gold nanoparticles-mesoporous silica composite for biosensing glucose

We report a novel bienzyme biosensor based on the assembly of the glucose oxidase (GOD) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) onto the gold nanoparticles encapsulated mesoporous silica SBA-15 composite (AuNPs-SBA-15). Electrochemical behavior of the bienzyme bioconjugates biosensor is studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that the presence of mesoporous AuNPs-SBA-15 greatly enhanced the protein loadings, accelerated interfacial electron transfer of HRP and the electroconducting surface, resulting in the realization of direct electrochemistry of HRP. Owing to the electrocatalytic effect of AuNPs-SBA-15 composite, the biosensor exhibits a sensitive response to H₂O₂ generated from enzymatic reactions. Thus the bienzyme biosensor could be used for the detection of glucose without the addition of any mediator. The detection limit of glucose was 0.5 μM with a linear range from 1 to 48 μM. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20635020 & 90606016)     

Bottom-up assembly of colloidal gold and silver nanostructures for designable plasmonic structures and metamaterials

We report on bottom-up assembly routes for fabricating plasmonic structures and metamaterials composed of colloidal gold and silver nanostructures, such as nanoparticles ("metatoms") and shape-controlled nanocrystals. Owing to their well-controlled sizes/shapes, facile surface functionalization, and excellent plasmonic properties in the visible and near-infrared regions, these nanoparticles and nanocrystals are excellent building blocks of plasmonic structures and metamaterials for optical applications. Recently, we have utilized two kinds of bottom-up techniques (i.e., multiple-probe-based nanomanipulation and layer-by-layer self-assembly) to fabricate strongly coupled plasmonic dimers, one-dimensional (1D) chains, and large-scale two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) nanoparticle supercrystals. These coupled nanoparticle/nanocrystal assemblies exhibit unique and tunable plasmonic properties, depending on the material composition, size/shape, intergap distance, the number of composing nanoparticles/nanocrystals (1D chains), and the nanoparticle layer number in the case of 3D nanoparticle supercrystals. By studying these coupled nanoparticle/nanocrystal assemblies, the fundamental plasmonic metamaterial effects could be investigated in detail under well-prepared and previously unexplored experimental settings.     

Formation of gold and silver nanostructures within polyvinylpyrollidone (PVP) gel

Study on reduction of Au(III) and Ag(I) and the formation of Au and Ag nanostructures was performed on the gels of metal precursor and PVP polymer mixture. Some comparing samples were prepared for better understanding the role of reactants on the reduction of metal ions and further growth of nanocrystals. The results suggest that, in addition to its function of generating stable colloids, PVP not only has a reducing effect on metal ions, but also acts as a crystal growth modifier. At low temperatures, the reducing effect of PVP is strong on Ag(I) ions in AgNO₃, while the reduction of complex Au(III) ions in HAuCl₄ is slow, involving two steps of Au(III)→Au(I)→Au. In the study of temperature disturbance on crystal growth, Au nanoplates of new and well-defined star shape were observed. The differences in the size and shape of nanoparticles are discussed from the colloid chemistry.     

Synthesis and applications of silver nanoparticles

Over the past few decades, nanoparticles of noble metals such as silver exhibited significantly distinct physical, chemical and biological properties from their bulk counterparts. Nano-size particles of less than 100 nm in diameter are currently attracting increasing attention for the wide range of new applications in various fields of industry. Such powders can exhibit properties that differ substantially from those of bulk materials, as a result of small particle dimension, high surface area, quantum confinement and other effects. Most of the unique properties of nanoparticles require not only the particles to be of nano-sized, but also the particles be dispersed without agglomeration. Discoveries in the past decade have clearly demonstrated that the electromagnetic, optical and catalytic properties of silver nanoparticles are strongly influenced by shape, size and size distribution, which are often varied by varying the synthetic methods, reducing agents and stabilizers. Accordingly, this review presents different methods of preparation silver nanoparticles and application of these nanoparticles in different fields.     

Hierarchical magnetic core-shell nanostructures for microwave absorption: Synthesis, microstructure and property studies

Core-shell nanostructures have attracted considerable attention in the past decades because of their fundamental scientific significance and many technological applications.Recently,it has been reported that the core-shell nanostructures with advanced compositions and complicated morphologies show great potential as high-performance microwave absorbers due to their unique properties,such as large surface areas,multi-functionalities and synergistic effects between the interior core and outer shell.This review article focuses on the recent progress in synthesis and characterization of hierarchical magnetic core-shell nanostructures for microwave absorption applications based on our own work.In addition,several future trends in this field for next-generation microwave absorbers are discussed.     

Adsorption mechanisms of sulfathiazole on gold,silver and copper surfaces studied by SERS

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of sulfathiazole was studied in gold, silver and copper colloids as well as on a gold plate. SERS spectra of sulfathiazole in gold and silver colloids indicated chemisorption of molecules on the metal nanoparticles through the amide nitrogen, with the phenyl moiety orthogonally placed and the thiazole ring almost parallel positioned towards the metal surface. Although selectively enhanced phenyl bands pointed to a very similar position of the sulfathiazole molecules on the copper colloid, a chemical bonding was not implied. Unlike adsorption mechanisms and position of the molecules on the colloid metal surfaces, a sideway adsorption of sulfathiazole on the gold plate was proposed. Hereby, both, the amide nitrogen and the thiazole nitrogen were considered responsible for approaching of sulfathiazole to the gold enhancing surface.     

金与银电极表面甘氨酸分子吸附作用的SERS光谱研究

本文利用表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)技术研究了甘氨酸在金与银基底表面的吸附作用特征。研究表明甘氨酸分子以COO-的不对称形式吸附于金电极表面,且NH2也是其可能的吸附位点;而在银电极表面,则主要是通过COO-的对称形式而吸附。在此基础上,进一步研究了电极电位与溶液酸碱性对吸附于粗糙化银电极表面甘氨酸分子吸附作用的影响。研究结果表明,甘氨酸分子中去质子化羧基的吸附作用受电位影响较小,而电位对-NH3+吸附作用的影响程度较大。另一方面,溶液pH值对银电极表面的甘氨酸分子吸附行为的影响也较为显著。随着溶液酸性减小羧基倾向于相对于电极表面平行吸附。这是由于随着溶液碱性增大氨基质子化程度的减小,有利于氨基在银电极表面吸附。这将改变分子的吸附构型使其更接近于电极表面。这些变化主要出现在pH值大于10的条件下。