Luminescent silver nanoparticles stabilised by a crown ether capped with an organometallic cluster

Monolayer-protected clusters of silver have been synthesised by the NaBH₄ reduction of a mixture of silver nitrate and the crown ether (6-mercaptohexyloxy)methyl-15-crown-5, or the triosmium cluster derivative Os₃(μ-H)(CO)₁₀[(6-mercaptohexyloxy)methyl-15-crown-5]. The nanoparticles showed good stability, are soluble in a wide range of organic solvents, and are luminescent.     

Study on synthesis of two-armed polymers containing a crown ether core and their self-assembly behaviors in selective solvents

A series of well-defined two-armed polymers containing a crown ether core, poly(stearyl methacrylate)-crown ether-poly(stearyl methacrylate) (PSMA-crown-PSMA), with different molecular weight were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The resultant polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR and GPC. The self-assembly behaviors of this kind of polymer in selective solvents were studied by TEM, and it was found that polymers with different molecular weight can directly self-assemble into hollow spheres, solid spheres and a monolayer film with regular pores by varying molecular weight and water content. The possible molecular packing motels for their self-assembly behaviors were proposed.     

Formation and characterization of surfactant stabilized silver nanoparticles: a kinetic study

Kinetic data for the silver nitrate–ascorbic acid redox system in presence of three surfactants (cationic, anionic and nonionic) are reported. Conventional spectrophotometric method was used to monitor the formation of surfactant stabilized nanosize silver particles during the reduction of silver nitrate by ascorbic acid. The size of the particles was determined with the help of transmission electron microscope. It was found that formation of stable perfect transparent silver sol and size of the particles depend upon the nature of the head group of the surfactants, i.e., cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100. The silver nanoparticles are spherical and of uniform particle size, and the average particle size is about 10 and 50 nm, respectively, for SDS and CTAB. For a certain reaction time, i.e., 30 min, the absorbance of reaction mixture first increased until it reached a maximum, then decreased with [ascorbic acid]. The reaction follows a fractional-order kinetics with respect to [ascorbic acid] in presence of CTAB. On the basis of various observations, the most plausible mechanism is proposed for the formation of silver nanoparticles.     

Colloidal silver nanoparticles stabilized by a water-soluble triosmium cluster

Silver nanoparticles stabilized by the water soluble triosmium cluster Os₃(μ-H)(CO)₁₀S(CH₂)₁₀COO]Na were prepared by both photochemical and chemical reduction of silver nitrate. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and high resolution TEM. The particles obtained by chemical reduction showed remarkable stability.     

Formation of the bimodal ensemble of silver nanoparticles in polymer solutions

Silver nanoparticles synthesized in polymer solutions are studied by spectroscopy (in near ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectral regions) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is established that the ensemble with bimodal particle size distribution is formed from initially polydisperse nanoparticle ensemble in methylhydroxy ethyl cellulose solution. In contrast to the classical scheme of the ripening of colloidal dispersions, the number of small particles increases with time in the studied system; moreover, particles with a size of about 2 nm turned out to be stable. The large particles grow with time and their concentration drops.Translated from Kolloidnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 67, No. 1, 2005, pp. 87–93. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Serebryakova, Uryupina, Roldughin.     

Study of emulsion polymerization stabilized by amphiphilic polymer nanoparticles

Submicron-sized polystyrene (PS) microspheres with a relatively narrow particle size distribution can be easily produced through emulsion polymerization induced by γ-ray at room temperature using a new type of amphiphilic cross-linked poly(stearyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) particles as stabilizer. The properties of these amphiphilic particles were described, including morphology, size, ζ potential, and contact angles. The effect of the pH value and the content of amphiphilic particles on the formation and stability of emulsions were also investigated. Meanwhile, the obtained PS microspheres were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, through observing the morphology and size of emulsion droplets at different times under an optical microscope, we found it is interesting that Pickering emulsions formed initially disappeared gradually, which is different from the common Pickering emulsions stabilized by inorganic particles. Thus, the mechanism was further discussed.     

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles stabilized by acid gelatin

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride at widely varied concentrations of the starting reagents. A physicochemical study of the synthesized nanosystems was carried out. The stabilizing ability of acid gelatin in the systems under study was considered. The stability diagram in the coordinates initial concentration of silver nitrate-concentration of gelatin was constructed.     

Development of catalytically active silver colloid nanoparticles stabilized by dextran

Colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with a mean diameter of 6.1 nm and a narrow size distribution were prepared by reduction of the correspondent metal salt with injection of NaBH(4), in the presence of dextran, and characterized by UV-vis, TEM, and DLS. The concentration of all reactants involved in the formation of the nanoparticles was optimized with the use of a new multivariate method, which revealed a significant reduction in the number of experiments when compared with the vast majority of univariate methods described in the literature. The Ag-NPs-dextran composite was able to efficiently catalyze the p-nitrophenol reduction in water by NaBH(4) with a rate constant normalized to the surface area of the nanoparticles per unit volume (k(1)) of 1.41 s(-1) m(-2) L, which is higher than values ever reported for Ag-NPs catalytic systems.     

Formation mechanism of carbogenic nanoparticles with dual photoluminescence emission

We present a systematic investigation of the formation mechanism of carbogenic nanoparticles (CNPs), otherwise referred to as C-dots, by following the pyrolysis of citric acid (CA)-ethanolamine (EA) precursor at different temperatures. Pyrolysis at 180 °C leads to a CNP molecular precursor with a strongly intense photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and high quantum yield formed by dehydration of CA-EA. At higher temperatures (230 °C) a carbogenic core starts forming and the PL is due to the presence of both molecular fluorophores and the carbogenic core. CNPs that exhibit mostly or exclusively PL arising from carbogenic cores are obtained at even higher temperatures (300 and 400 °C, respectively). Since the molecular fluorophores predominate at low pyrolysis temperatures while the carbogenic core starts forming at higher temperatures, the PL behavior of CNPs strongly depends on the conditions used for their synthesis.     

Formation of a supramolecular hyperbranched polymer from self-organization of an AB2 monomer containing a crown ether and two paraquat moieties

An AB2 monomer containing a bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10 and two paraquat moieties was designed and prepared. It self-organized to form a supramolecular hyperbranched polymer in solution.     

Studies on surface plasmon resonance and photoluminescence of silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles of different sizes were prepared by citrate reduction and characterized by UV-vis absorbance spectra, TEM images and photoluminescence spectra. The morphology of the colloids obtained consists of a mixture of nanorods and spheres. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and photoemission properties of Ag nanoparticles are found to be sensitive to citrate concentration. A blue shift in SPR and an enhancement in photoluminescence intensity are observed with increase in citrate concentration. Effect of addition of KCl and variation of pH in photoluminescence was also studied.     

Mechanism of growth of colloidal silver nanoparticles stabilized by polyvinyl pyrrolidone in gamma-irradiated silver nitrate solution

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizer and gamma-irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that both the amount and the molecular weight of PVP in the irradiated solution considerably affect the average size of the silver nanoparticles. The average size of the silver nanoparticles decreases with increasing the amount of PVP in the solution, but increases with increasing its molecular weight. Further, TEM showed that the silver nanoparticles become disassembled into smaller nanoparticles after dilution with distilled water and sonication. Since the processes of dilution and sonication are not expected to result in chemical reactions or to split the silver nanoparticles, we conclude that each silver nanoparticle prepared by [Formula: see text] -irradiation consists of several smaller nanoparticles surrounded by PVP. Thus, based on these observations, we propose a three-step mechanism for the growth of the silver nanoparticles under the conditions considered here. In the first step, the silver ions interact with PVP, then in the second step the silver ions that are exposed to gamma-irradiation are reduced to silver atoms; nearby silver atoms then aggregate at close range. These aggregates are the primary nanoparticles. Finally, these primary nanoparticles coalesce with other nearby primary nanoparticles or interact with PVP to form larger aggregates which are the secondary (final) nanoparticles.     

Ion-extraction by a crown ether with a photoresponsive carboxylate cap.

A new photoresponsive crown ether (I) with an azobenzene-4-oxyacetate function was synthesized. The photo-isomerized cis-(1) extracted K⁺ ion more selectively than trans-(I) and the thermal cis-trans isomerization was suppressed by added metal ions.     

Ion conduction in polymer electrolytes comprising crown ether and AZA-crown structures

Ion conduction, in solid solutions of salts mixed with comb-branch polymers with oligo(ethylene oxide) side chains, has been shown to reach levels that can be of practical use in dry battery applications. Further improvements in conductivity levels may require the discovery of polymer electrolytes capable of inducing greater degrees of ionization of the salt. New systems containing crown ether and aza-crown units have been synthesised and a preliminary assessment of some of these has been carried out. The results are compared with those obtained with the linear side chain analogues, and are sufficiently encouraging to merit further study.     

Solvent extraction of silver and thallium picrates with poly- and bis-(crown ether)s

Summary Solvent extraction of silver and thallium picrates by new poly- and bis(crown ether)s, which contain benzo-15-crown-5 or benzo-18-crown-6 moieties, was carried out in water-chloroform system. The poly- and bis(crown ether)s showed higher extractability for both metals than the corresponding monocyclic crown ethers.Especially poly- and bis(benzo-15-crown-5) were found to be quite effective extracting agents for Tl⁺.The extraction equilibrium constants and the complexation constants for the chloroform phase were also estimated.

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Lösungsmittelextraktion von Silber- und Thalliumpikraten mit Poly- und Bis-Kronenethern

Zusammenfassung Die Extraktion der Pikrate wurde in Wasser/Chloroform mit neuen Poly- und Bis-Kronenethern durchgeführt, die Benzo-15-Krone-5- oder Benzo-18-krone-6-Komponenten enthielten. Die Poly- und Bis-Kronenether wiesen für beide Metalle eine bessere Extrahierbarkeit auf als die entsprechenden monocyclischen Kronenether. Insbesondere Poly- und Bis(benzo-15-krone-5) erwiesen sich als wirkungsvolle Extraktionsmittel für Thallium(I). Die Extraktions-Gleichgewichtskonstanten und die Komplexbildungskonstanten für die Chloroformphase wurden bestimmt.

     

Crystal to crystal transformations and polymorphism in anionic hydrogen bonding networks stabilized by crown ether metal complexes

15-crown[5] or 18-crown[6] complexes of alkali, transition metal and ammonium cations together with polyprotic inorganic and organic anions have been used to construct crystalline molecular salts based on hydrogen bonded anionic networks. This new class of organic-inorganic complexes displays a variety of crystal-to-crystal transformations, mainly associated to the loss/uptake of water molecules and/or to the ionic reorganization accompanying phase transitions on varying the temperature. The dehydration and phase transition processes have been investigated by DSC, TGA and variable temperature X-ray powder diffraction. Most of the complexes described herein have been prepared by solid state mixing of the solid reactants.     

Binding of a hemoregulatory tetrapeptide by a bis-guanidinium crown ether

A synthetic receptor for the molecular recognition of a tetrapeptide in aqueous buffer was obtained by combining a luminescent crown ether with two pyrrole-guanidinium moieties. The compound interacts with ammonium carboxylates of complementary geometry and binds the hemoregulatory peptide Ac-Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro with K=7×10³ M⁻¹ at physiological pH. Shorter fragments and other tetrapeptides show no or significant reduced affinity. The binding of the target peptide to the functionalized crown ether is signalled by an increase of its emission intensity.