Wet chemical synthesis and a combined X-ray and Mössbauer study of the formation of FeSb2 nanoparticles

Understanding how solids form is a challenging task, and few strategies allow for elucidation of reaction pathways that are useful for designing the synthesis of solids. Here, we report a powerful solution-mediated approach for formation of nanocrystals of the thermoelectrically promising FeSb(2) that uses activated metal nanoparticles as precursors. The small particle size of the reactants ensures minimum diffusion paths, low activation barriers, and low reaction temperatures, thereby eliminating solid-solid diffusion as the rate-limiting step in conventional bulk-scale solid-state synthesis. A time- and temperature-dependent study of formation of nanoparticular FeSb(2) by X-ray powder diffraction and iron-57 M?ssbauer spectroscopy showed the incipient formation of the binary phase in the temperature range of 200-250 °C.     

Plasma-Induced Synthesis of CuO Nanofibers and ZnO Nanoflowers in Water

Fiber-shaped cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles and flower-shaped ZnO nanoparticles were facilely synthesized by plasma-induced technique directly from copper and zinc electrode pair in water, respectively. The phase composition, morphologies and optical property of nanoparticles have been investigated by energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and UV–vis. The in situ analysis by an optical emission spectroscopy clarified the formation mechanism. Plasma was generated from the discharge between a metal electrode pair in water by a pulse direct current power. CuO and ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via almost the same formation mechanism, which were prepared via the rapid energetic radicals’ bombardment to electrodes’ surface, atom vapour diffusion, plasma expansion, solution medium condensation, and in situ oxygen reaction and further growth. This novel plasma-induced technique will become a potential application in nanomaterials synthesis.     

Chitosan aerogel containing silver nanoparticles: From metal-chitosan powder to porous material

The work presents a synthetic approach that combines methods of metal vapor synthesis (MVS), gelation and supercritical drying in order to obtain chitosan aerogels containing silver nanoparticles. On the first stage, two types of silver organosols were prepared via the eco-sustainable MVS method. Then the prepared silver organosols were used to modify chitosan powders for producing metal-chitosan powder composites. Gelation of the powder composites was performed in oxalic acid at elevated temperatures. Supercritical drying of the gels was implemented in order to preserve the formed porous structures. Thus, the chitosan powders modified with MVS-produced silver nanoparticles were used to prepare metal-chitosan aerogels. Characterization of the structure and the morphology of both powder and aerogel silver-chitosan composites was conducted by means of low temperature nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, SEM and TEM. Changes in the structure and morphology of silver nanoparticles between powder and aerogel composites were analyzed.     

Controlled Fabrication of Cd-Bi Nanoparticles via Sonochemical Method

IntroductionMetal or alloy nanoparticles,because of their con-spicuous physicochemical properties,have been widelyapplied to various fields such as electronics,catalysis,magnetism,and corrosion-resistant materialsfields[1—4].It has been estimated that the particle sizeand the properties of nanoparticles depend strongly onthe specific method of fabrication and the applied ex-periment conditions,which makes the controlled syn-thesis of nanomaterials become an increasingly activeand important ar…     

Formation of Pd/Au nanostructures from Pd nanowires via galvanic replacement reaction

Bimetallic nanostructures with non-random metal atoms distribution are very important for various applications. To synthesize such structures via benign wet chemistry approach remains challenging. This paper reports a synthesis of a Au/Pd alloy nanostructure through the galvanic replacement reaction between Pd ultrathin nanowires (2.4 +/- 0.2 nm in width, over 30 nm in length) and AuCl3 in toluene. Both morphological and structural changes were monitored during the reaction up to 10 h. Continuous changes of chemical composition and crystalline structure from Pd nanowires to Pd68Au32 and Pd45Au55 alloys, and to Au nanoparticles were observed. More interestingly, by using combined techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), UV-vis absorption, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, we found the formation of Pd68Au32 non-random alloy with Au-rich core and Pd-rich shell, and random Pd45Au55 alloy with uniformly mixed Pd and Au atom inside the nanoparticles, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that alkylamine will strongly stabilize Pd to the surface, resulting in diffusion of Au atoms into the core region to form a non-random alloy. We believe such benign synthetic techniques can also enable the large scale preparation of various types of non-random alloys for several technically important catalysis applications.     

Step-by-step synthesis of copper(I) complex supported on platinum nanoparticle-decorated mesoporous silica hollow spheres and its remarkable catalytic performance in Sonogashira coupling reaction

In this study, a step-by-step method for the synthesis of platinum nanoparticles and copper(I) complex supported on mesoporous silica hollow spheres (Pt-MSHSs-Cu) is introduced. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental and thermogravimetric analyses were applied for characterization of the surface, structure, size, phase composition, and morphology of the synthesized materials. The characterized material, Pt-MSHSs-Cu, was used as an efficient and heterogeneous catalyst in the Sonogashira coupling reaction under different reaction conditions. In comparison with MSHSs, Cu(I)-functionalized MSHSs (MSHSs-Cu), and Pt-MSHSs samples, the Pt-MSHSs-Cu catalyst exhibited significantly increased catalytic performance with 91.50% yield. Therefore, the results obtained suggested a synergistic effect derived from platinum nanoparticles, MSHSs substrate, and copper(I) complex, which enhanced the rate of the Sonogashira coupling reaction.     

锂离子电池负极材料铜锌锡硫纳米颗粒的制备及其电化学性能

以金属氯化物为金属源,硫脲为硫源,聚乙二醇和乙二醇为混合溶剂,采用溶剂热法一步合成了球形的铜锌锡硫纳米颗粒.利用X射线衍射仪(XRD),扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)分析了铜锌锡硫纳米颗粒的物相、结构、形貌;利用电池测试系统对以铜锌锡硫纳米颗粒为锂离子电池负极材料组装的锂离子电池的电化学性能进行了测试.结果表明:所得到的产物为具有锌黄锡矿结构的纯相铜锌锡硫,颗粒直径在300～500nm.铜锌锡硫纳米颗粒作为锂离子电池的负极材料具有较好的稳定性,有望在锂离子电池研究和应用中得到推广.     

Oxidation of activated aluminum with water as a method for hydrogen generation

The activation of aluminum with low-melting gallium-based alloys makes it possible to obtain a material easily oxidizable by water at room temperature to release ~1.2 L of pure hydrogen per 1 g of metal. The kinetics and regularities of the interaction of activated aluminum with water were studied as a function of the amount and composition of metal activators, dispersity of the powder, and temperature. The phase composition of the solid reaction products was shown by X-ray diffraction analysis to depend on temperature and duration of the process.     

Plasma generation in liquid as a new efficient synthesis approach of titania–zinc ferrite nano(photo)catalyst

In the past years, an important problem that requires solutions at the global scale is the environmental pollution. This work describes a possible approach toward finding such solutions based on nanophotocatalysts with improved activity. Thus, the present study reports a new and efficient synthesis procedure for titania–zinc ferrite nanocomposite with enhanced photodegradation activity. The method is based on the liquid phase plasma technique and follows a bottom-up scheme. The resulted materials have been compared with those synthesized by the ultrasound-assisted method. Using the plasma-assisted procedures in the fabrication of an efficient nano(photo)catalyst decreases considerably the reaction time. The liquid phase plasma generates nanoparticles with enhanced structural, textural, and morphological properties as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering.     

镁铝复合金属氧化物负载纳米Pd催化剂的制备及其在醇胺一步合成亚胺反应中的应用

以共沉淀法制备的Pd2+掺杂水滑石为前驱体,通过焙烧、还原得到了镁铝复合金属氧化物负载纳米Pd催化剂.利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS),场发射透射电子显微镜(TEM)等手段对催化剂进行表征,发现通过Pd2+掺杂水滑石为前驱体制备的复合金属氧化物负载纳米Pd催化剂,可以实现Pd纳米颗粒(3.6 nm)在镁铝复合氧化物表面的均匀分散.该催化剂在催化苯甲醇和苯胺一步法合成N-苄叉苯胺时,在温和的反应条件下表现出良好的催化性能以及对N-苄叉苯胺较高的选择性,产物收率99%.在循环实验过程中,催化剂表现出较好的稳定性,并且催化活性未见下降.     

乙炔等离子体法制备超细Mg纳米颗粒及其吸放氢循环性能

采用乙炔等离子体蒸发Mg的方法成功制备了40 nm左右的超细Mg纳米颗粒. 通过透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、比表面积测试(BET)和吸放氢测试等方法对其微观结构和吸放氢循环性质进行了研究. 超细Mg纳米颗粒具有比普通Mg颗粒更大的比表面积, 氢扩散至颗粒内部所需距离更短, 因而大大提高了其吸放氢动力学性质. Mg纳米颗粒表面的C既减少了Mg的氧化, 又阻碍了吸放氢过程中Mg颗粒的长大. 这种超细结构的Mg纳米颗粒具有良好的循环性质, 30次循环后容量仍没有衰减.     

Metallurgy in a beaker: nanoparticle toolkit for the rapid low-temperature solution synthesis of functional multimetallic solid-state materials

Intermetallic compounds and alloys are traditionally synthesized by heating mixtures of metal powders to high temperatures for long periods of time. A low-temperature solution-based alternative has been developed, and this strategy exploits the enhanced reactivity of nanoparticles and the nanometer diffusion distances afforded by binary nanocomposite precursors. Prereduced metal nanoparticles are combined in known ratios, and they form nanomodulated composites that rapidly transform into intermetallics and alloys upon heating at low temperatures. The approach is general in terms of accessible compositions, structures, and morphologies. Multiple compounds in the same binary system can be readily accessed; e.g., AuCu, AuCu3, Au3Cu, and the AuCu-II superlattice are all accessible in the Au-Cu system. This concept can be extended to other binary systems, including the intermetallics FePt3, CoPt, CuPt, and Cu3Pt and the alloys Ag-Pt, Au-Pd, and Ni-Pt. The ternary intermetallic Ag2Pd3S can also be rapidly synthesized at low temperatures from a nanocomposite precursor comprised of Ag2S and Pd nanoparticles. Using this low-temperature solution-based approach, a variety of morphologically diverse nanomaterials are accessible: surface-confined thin films (planar and nonplanar supports), free-standing monoliths, nanomesh materials, inverse opals, and dense gram-scale nanocrystalline powders of intermetallic AuCu. Importantly, the multimetallic materials synthesized using this approach are functional, yielding a room-temperature Fe-Pt ferromagnet, a superconducting sample of Ag2Pd3S (Tc = 1.10 K), and a AuPd4 alloy that selectively catalyzes the formation of H2O2 from H2 and O2. Such flexibility in the synthesis and processing of functional intermetallic and alloy materials is unprecedented.     

Thermal Treatment of Iron-Copper Metastable Alloys

Mechanical alloying is a versatile technique for the solid state synthesis of many materials, including alloys such as iron-copper where the elements are immiscible under equilibrium conditions. The structural and magnetic state of these alloys, and their thermal stability, have been investigated by means of thermomagnetometry, DSC, X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Comparison of the thermomagnetometry curves for the various alloys together with analysis of intermediate reaction products enabled the individual thermal processes to be identified. The Curie temperature of the alloys was measured, and it was found that on heating the metastable alloys underwent phase segregation between 300-400°C.     

Synthesis, characterization, and structure-selective extraction of 1-3-nm diameter AuAg dendrimer-encapsulated bimetallic nanoparticles

The synthesis and characterization of 1-3-nm diameter, structurally well-defined, bimetallic AuAg dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) are reported. Three different bimetallic structures were examined: AuAg alloys synthesized by cocomplexation and subsequent reduction of dendrimer-encapsulated Au3+ and Ag+ and core/shell [Au](Ag) and [AuAg alloy](Ag) structures (for structured materials, brackets indicate the core metal and parentheses indicate the shell metal) synthesized by a sequential loading method. Depending on the shell metal and its oxidation state, the AuAg nanoparticles can be extracted from the dendrimer into an organic phase using different surfactants. This provides a means for analyzing the composition of the shell. UV-vis, TEM, and single-particle X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the bimetallic DENs before and after extraction and show that the extraction step does not alter the size or composition of the bimetallic nanoparticles.     

Reactions of nanoparticles inside a polyethylene matrix: Reduction of lead(II) and mercury(II) oxides by supercritical isopropanol

Methods were developed for manufacturing of isolated nanoparticles of lead(II) and mercury(II) oxides produced by the thermal decomposition of metal compounds in a solution-melt of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in mineral oil. The PbO and HgO nanoparticles stabilized in the LDPE matrix were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The metal oxides in the polyethylene matrix were reacted with a supercritical fluid of isopropanol (SCF i-PrOH). The PbO in the nanoparticles was reduced to the metal as a result of the reaction with SCF i-PrOH. When SCF i-PrOH was reacted with the HgO nanoparticles stabilized in the LDPE matrix, the oxide was also reduced to the metal. TEM showed that the nanoparticles were conserved after their reaction with SCF i-PrOH.     

Synthesis of face-centered tetragonal FePt nanoparticles and granular films from Pt@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticles

This paper describes a new approach for making face-centered tetragonal (fct) FePt nanoparticles with a diameter of 17 nm and granular films from Pt@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticle precursors. The core-shell nanoparticles were converted to fct FePt through a reduction and alloy formation process at enhanced temperatures. The Fe and Pt elemental analysis was conducted on both individual nanoparticles and granular films using energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Our convergent evidence from selected area electron diffraction (SAED), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and EDX analysis indicates that the final products are fct FePt alloys. The fct FePt films have coercivities of 8.0-9.1 kOe at 5 K and 7.0 kOe at 300 K measured by a SQUID magnetometer. These values depend on the conversion temperatures of Pt@Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Unlike the previously synthesized disordered face-centered cubic (fcc) FePt nanoparticles with diameters of 4-6 nm (Sun, S. H.; Murray, C. B.; Weller, D.; Folks, L.; Moser, A. Science 2000, 287, 1989), the FePt nanoparticles presented in this work not only possess the preferred fct phase but also are in a size range that is expected to be ferromagnetic and have high coercivity, which is important to the practical applications in ultrahigh density data storage media and magnetic nano devices.     

Fullerene-like (IF) Nb(x)Mo(1-x)S2 nanoparticles

IF-Mo1-xNbxS2 nanoparticles have been synthesized by a vapor-phase reaction involving the respective metal halides with H2S. The IF-Mo1-xNbxS2 nanoparticles, containing up to 25% Nb, were characterized by a variety of experimental techniques. Analysis of the powder X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and different electron microscopy techniques shows that the majority of the Nb atoms are organized as nanosheets of NbS2 within the MoS2 host lattice. Most of the remaining Nb atoms (3%) are interspersed individually and randomly in the MoS2 host lattice. Very few Nb atoms, if any, are intercalated between the MoS2 layers. A sub-nanometer film of niobium oxide seems to encoat the majority of the nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the chemically resolved electrical measurement mode (CREM) and scanning probe microscopy measurements of individual nanoparticles show that the mixed IF nanoparticles are metallic independent of the substitution pattern of the Nb atoms in the lattice of MoS2 (whereas unsubstituted IF-MoS2 nanoparticles are semiconducting). Furthermore the IF-Mo1-xNbxS2 nanoparticles are found to exhibit interesting single electron tunneling effects at low temperatures.     

Structure-reactivity correlations for solid-state enantioselective photochemical reactions established directly from powder X-ray diffraction

A prerequisite for the development of structure-reactivity correlations for photoreactive crystalline materials is to have detailed knowledge of the structural properties of the reactant crystalline phase. In some cases, however, the materials of interest can be prepared only as microcrystalline powders and are not amenable to structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This paper demonstrates the utility of modern powder X-ray diffraction techniques for obtaining structural understanding in such cases, leading to the development of structure-reactivity correlations. In particular, a series of three photoreactive organic salts are considered, which undergo the same photochemical asymmetric reaction but with high enantiomeric excess in two cases and low enantiomeric excess in the other case. The structural properties of the three salts determined from powder X-ray diffraction data are shown to provide a direct rationalization of these observations.     

Synthesis and research of phase composition of alloys Nb2O5: Fe3+ and Ta2O5: Fe3+

The conditions were studied for the synthesis of niobium and tantalum pentoxide containing iron impurity introduced into the strip liquor after extraction separation of niobium and tantalum and subsequent precipitation of metal hydroxides with ammonia. A phase composition of the synthesized alloys was examined by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy.     

Production and structural characterization of crystalline silver nanoparticles from Bacillus cereus isolate

To date, biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles has been intensively studied using bacteria and fungi. We have isolated and identified metal resistant bacterial strains from electroplating industries, they produce silver nanoparticles. The reduction reaction of aqueous silver nitrate with bacterial biomass was carried out for 120 h. Bacteria produced metallic nanoparticles showed a strong absorbance at surface plasmon resonance wavelength around 420 nm. The size and morphology of these nanoparticles were typically imaged using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, the particles size ranges between 4 and 5 nm and are spherical in shape. The crystal structure of the particles was characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern. The full width half maxima from X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the particles exhibited face-centered cubic phase.