In situ observation of maghemite nanoparticle adsorption at the water/gas interface

The adsorption of (maghemite) nanoparticles at the aqueous solution/gas interface was investigated by x-ray reflectivity. Two different concentrations (0.07 g/L and 0.7 g/L) were probed. The x-ray reflectivities indicate the adsorption of nanoparticles at the liquid surface for the highly concentrated solution, while no nanoparticle adsorption could be detected at the surface of the low concentrated solution within several hours. The vertical electron density profile of the high concentration solution/gas interface indicates the formation of a low ordered monolayer of nanoparticles occupying only 6% of the interfacial region.     

纳米粒子大小及其分布检测方法的研究现状与发展

介绍了几种具有代表性的纳米粒子检测方法,就其应用领域和测量范围比较各自的优缺点。重点讨论了激光衍射和光散射这两种测量纳米粒子大小及其分布的方法,总结其最新发展动态,指出这两种方法对纳米粒子测量和纳米粒子产业的重要作用。     

Preparation and characterization of polymer coated superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticle agglomerates

In order to produce magnetic microparticles (agglomerates), magnetite (Fe₃O₄) particles were synthesized using coprecipitation of FeSO₄·7H₂O and FeCl₃·6H₂O with the presence of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) in aqueous solution.. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) methods were used to characterize the PMAA coated superparamagnetic agglomerates. The influences of various processing parameters such as the process temperature, PMAA content, and the addition of surfactant on the agglomerate size and size distribution of produced magnetic microparticles were investigated. The particle size and size distribution characteristics, (the volume weighted mean size (D[4,3], surface weighted mean size D[3,2], the geometric standard deviation, and span value) of the magnetic agglomerates were determined using the laser diffraction technique. The PMAA coated magnetic agglomerates with surface weighted mean sizes ranging from 1.5 to 3 μm were produced successfully.     

Magnetic properties of maghemite nanoparticle systems: surface anisotropy and interparticle interaction effects

The static and dynamic magnetic properties of powders of maghemite nanoparticles with average diameter D=2.7, 4.6 and 8.7 nm have been investigated by magnetisation, AC susceptibility at variable frequency (5<ν<10⁴ Hz) and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements. The results provide an insight into the correlation between intra-particle and inter-particle effects.     

Restructuring of plasmonic nanoparticle aggregates with arbitrary particle size distribution in pulsed laser fields

We have studied processes of interaction of pulsed laser radiation with resonant groups of plasmonic nanoparticles(resonant domains) in large colloidal nanoparticle aggregates having different interparticle gaps and particle size distributions.These processes are responsible for the origin of nonlinear optical effects and photochromic reactions in multiparticle aggregates.To describe photo-induced transformations in resonant domains and alterations in their absorption spectra remaining after the pulse action,we introduce the factor of spectral photomodification.Based on calculation of changes in thermodynamic,mechanical,and optical characteristics of the domains,the histograms of the spectrum photomodification factor have been obtained for various interparticle gaps,an average particle size,and the degree of polydispersity.Variations in spectra have been analyzed depending on the intensity of laser radiation and various combinations of size characteristics of domains.The obtained results can be used to predict manifestation of photochromic effects in composite materials containing different plasmonic nanoparticle aggregates in pulsed laser fields.     

A study on measuring distribution of nanoparticle size based on ultrasonic attenuation spectrum

Through varying the ultrasonic path length,the ultrasonic attenuation spectrum of the nanometer particle suspensions is measured.Based on the McClements and BLBL model, the Optimum Regularization Technique is employed to inverse the distribution of particle size for nanometer particles.Experiments are carried out to measure the distribution of particle size of aqueous nanometer titanium dioxide suspension with volume fraction of 1%.The ultrasonic measurement results show good consistence with those from TEM(Transmission Electron Microscope) and centrifugal sedimentation particle size analyzers,which indicate that measuring distribution of the particle size of nanometer particles with the ultrasonic attenuation spectrum is feasible and reliable.     

Pulsed laser induced synthesis of scheelite-type colloidal nanoparticles in liquid and the size distribution by nanoparticle tracking analysis

Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of ceramic target in liquid phase was successfully employed to prepare calcium tungstate (CaWO₄) and calcium molybdate (CaMoO₄) colloidal nanoparticles. The crystalline phase, particle morphology and optical property of the colloidal nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The produced stable colloidal suspensions consisted of the well-dispersed nanoparticles showing a spherical shape. The mechanism for the laser ablation and nanoparticle forming was discussed under consideration of photo-ablation process. Nanoparticle tracking analysis using optical microscope combined with image analysis was proposed to determine the size distribution function of the prepared colloidal nanoparticles. The mean size of the CaWO₄ and CaMoO₄ colloidal nanoparticles were 16 and 29 nm, with a standard deviations of 2.1 and 5.2 nm, respectively.     

Femtosecond laser ablation of gold in water: influence of the laser-produced plasma on the nanoparticle size distribution

We have demonstrated that a thick polymer cover layer can significantly improve UV laser micromachining. The polymer cover layer acts as a wave-guide, concentrating the incoming laser beam onto the underlying substrate to be machined. With this method very low laser fluences can be used to drill fine, high aspect ratio holes in quartz, glass and other materials that are generally difficult to machine. We show that despite the improvements recorded, our experimental conditions are not optimized and the contribution of the cover layers in our experiments is less than what it could be. We suggest improvements to the cover layer material to improve the micomachining. The method has important advantages over conventional methods since a mask is not required and common laser equipment can be used to quickly and inexpensively form desired holes within the substrate. PACS 89.20.Bb     

Oscillating bubble concentration and its size distribution using acoustic emission spectra

New method has been proposed for the estimation of size and number density distribution of oscillating bubbles in a sonochemical reactor using acoustic emission spectra measurements. Bubble size distribution has been determined using Minnaert's equation [M. Minnaert, On musical air bubbles and sound of running water, Philanthr. Mag. 16 (1933) 235], i.e., size of oscillating bubble is inversely related to the frequency of its volume oscillations. Decomposition of the pressure signal measured by the hydrophone in frequency domain of FFT spectrum and then inverse FFT reconstruction of the signal at each frequency level has been carried out to get the information about each of the bubble/cavity oscillation event. The number mean radius of the bubble size is calculated to be in the range of 50-80mum and it was not found to vary much with the spatial distribution of acoustic field strength of the ultrasound processor used in the work. However, the number density of the oscillating bubbles and the nature of the distribution were found to vary in different horizontal planes away from the driving transducer surface in the ultrasonic bath. A separate set of experiments on erosion assessment studies were carried out using a thin aluminium foil, revealing a phenomena of active region of oscillating bubbles at antinodal points of the stationary waves, identical to the information provided by the acoustic emission spectra at the same location in the ultrasonic bath.     

Control of the interparticle spacing in superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle clusters by surface ligand engineering

Polymer-mediated self-assembly of superparamagnetic iron oxide(SPIO) nanoparticles allows modulation of the structure of SPIO nanocrystal cluster and their magnetic properties. In this study, dopamine-functionalized polyesters(DApolyester) were used to directly control the magnetic nanoparticle spacing and its effect on magnetic resonance relaxation properties of these clusters was investigated. Monodisperse SPIO nanocrystals with different surface coating materials(poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(lactic acid)) of different molecular weights containing dopamine(DA) structure(DA-PCL2k,DA-PCL1k, DA-PLA1k)) were prepared via ligand exchange reaction, and these nanocrystals were encapsulated inside amphiphilic polymer micelles to modulate the SPIO nanocrystal interparticle spacing. Small-angle x-ray scattering(SAXS)was applied to quantify the interparticle spacing of SPIO clusters. The results demonstrated that the tailored magnetic nanoparticle clusters featured controllable interparticle spacing providing directly by the different surface coating of SPIO nanocrystals. Systematic modulation of SPIO nanocrystal interparticle spacing can regulate the saturation magnetization(Ms) and T_2 relaxation of the aggregation, and lead to increased magnetic resonance(MR) relaxation properties with decreased interparticle spacing.     

Use of an electrical aerosol detector (EAD) for nanoparticle size distribution measurement

Recently, Nanoparticle Surface Area Monitor (NSAM, TSI model 3550) and EAD (EAD, TSI Model 3070A) have been commercially available to measure the integral parameters (i.e., total particle surface area and total particle length) of nanoparticles. By comparison, the configuration of the EAD or NSAM is similar to that of electrical mobility analyzer of the early generation for particle size distribution measurement. It is therefore possible to use the EAD or NSAM as a particle sizer. To realize the objective of using the EAD as a sizer, we characterized the average electrical charges of monodisperse particles passing through the EAD particle charger and ion trap set at voltages ranging from 20 to 2500 V. The average charge data collected at different ion-trap voltages were then summarized by the empirical correlation using the parameter of Z _p *V, where Z _p is the particle electrical mobility and V is the ion-trap voltage. A data-reduction scheme was further proposed to retrieve the size distribution of sampled particles from the EAD readout at different ion-trap voltages. In the scheme, the functional format of each mode in a number size distribution of particles was assumed as log-normal, but the number of modes in an entire size distribution is not limited. A criterion was used to best fit the simulated EAD readouts with experimental ones by varying the count median diameter (CMD), geometric standard deviation (σ _g), and total particle number (N _t ) of each mode in a particle size distribution. Experiments were performed to verify the proposed scheme.     

Ferromagnetic behaviour of interacting superparamagnetic particle aggregates in basaltic rocks

Studies on two rare cases of magnetic behaviour in basaltic rocks are reported. In both the cases a peak in susceptibility occurs at −160°C. However, one sample shows only normal hysteresis loops at low temperatures in a wide range of fields, while the other sample shows a constricted hysteresis loop in 1000 Oe at −190°C. Both types of behaviour can occur as a result of differing states of aggregation of interacting superparamagnetic particles in the respective samples.     

Application of the Straining Capture Mechanism in gaps to the measurement of particle concentration and size distribution

This paper attempts to answer the question of whether a measurement of the relative flow rate of a suspension of spheres, flowing under constant pressure drop through gaps of precisely determined geometry, may be utilised to measure the concentration and size distribution of the particles. A positive answer is possible only if several restrictions are imposed on the character of the flow, a maximum ratio of sphere diameter to gap height and a maximum number of captured particles. This answer is based on a model of the filtration process taking place in the gap and the consequent relationship between the flow characteristics of the gap and the number and diameter of the captured particles.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of large maghemite nanoparticles: influence of the pH on the particle size

Maghemite nanoparticles with sizes in the range 10–110 nm and good monodispersity have been synthesized by co precipitation at room temperature from Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions by a (N(CH₃)₄OH) solution, followed by an hydrothermal treatment at 200 °C and an oxidation step with Fe(NO₃)₃. The influence of the incubation time (at 200 °C) and of the pH of the autoclaved solution on the particles size has been studied. It was found that the pH value allows to tune the size of the maghemite particles. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Core-shell structure and size effect in barium titanate nanoparticle

A quantitative core-shell structure model on the grain size effect of nano-BaTiO₃ ceramics has been proposed on the basis of the Ginsburg–Landau–Devonshire thermodynamic theory. In this study, we have considered the existence of surface effects, which leads to the core-shell structure in BaTiO₃ nanoparticles consisting of inner tetragonal core, gradient lattice strain layer, and surface cubic layer. The size effects on the spontaneous polarization, Curie temperature, c/a ratio, and electrocaloric and dielectric properties of BaTiO₃ ferroelectric nanoparticle are successfully explained. Theoretical and experimental results for BaTiO₃ nanoparticle are compared and discussed.     

Dependence of the viscosity of nanofluids on nanoparticle size and material

The viscosity of nanofluids as a function of nanoparticle size and material is modeled and analyzed. Dependences of the viscosity of nanofluids based on liquid argon with aluminum and lithium nanoparticles are obtained. The nanoparticle size ranges from 1 to 4 nm. The volume concentration of nanoparticles is varied from 1% to 12%. It is shown that the viscosity of the nanofluid increases with decreasing nanoparticle size and, in addition, depends on the nanoparticle material.     

Scattered Light Photometer for On-Line monitoring of size distribution parameters and particle number concentration

A scattered light photometer which monitors the particle number concentration of aerosols is described. The photometer measures the scattered light from illuminated submicron particle clouds with known material properties at certain scattering angles. Intensity ratios in combination with the degree of polarization are used to determine the mean particle diameter and the geometric standard deviation of an assumed log-normal particle size distribution. The determination of the particle size distribution is based on an algorithm which compares the measured and calculated (Mie theory) relative intensity quantities described. Furthermore, the particle number concentration is monitored from a single absolute intensity measurement at one scattering angle. In order to obtain quantitative results a spherical particle shape is required.     

Dimensional effects in the properties of maghemite

Single-phase γ-Fe₂O₃ powders with a coercivity of 161–263 Oe are obtained from iron(III) hydroxide by hydrothermal synthesis followed by heat treatment. Particle size distributions are plotted, based on the TEM data. Magnetic measurements show that a significant decrease in the squareness ratio and coercivity occurs at a mean particle volume of 60000 nm³.