Constructing magnetic polyaniline/metal hybrid nanostructures using polyaniline/Fe3O4 composite hollow spheres as supports

Polyaniline (PANI)/Fe₃O₄ composite hollow spheres have been successfully synthesized in one step using sulfonated polystyrene (PS) spheres as templates. The magnetic PANI hollow spheres were used as supports for noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as Au and Pd. The morphology, composition and magnetic properties of the resulting products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic spectra and vibrating sample magnetometer. The catalytic activity of magnetic PANI/Au composite shells on the oxidation of dopamine was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The obtained results provide our product with a practical application for the detection of dopamine. On the other hand, the catalytic activity of magnetic PANI/Pd composite shells on the reduction of 4-nitroaniline was investigated by spectroscopic methods and compared with Pd/C catalyst which was already widely used in industrial production.     

Synthesis of polyaniline/Au composite nanotubes and their high performance in the detection of NADH

Polyaniline (PANI)/Au composite nanotubes were synthesized and developed as an electrode material for a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) sensor. A MnO₂ self-degradable template method was used to prepare the tube-like PANI nanomaterial. By introducing PANI nanotubes into Au colloid, Au nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully decorated onto the surface of PANI nanotubes through electrostatic effects. The morphology, composition, and optical properties of the resulting products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, the obtained PANI/Au composites were used as catalysts for the electrochemical oxidation of NADH. Cyclic voltammogram (CV) experiments indicated that PANI/Au-modified glassy carbon electrode showed a higher electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of NADH in a neutral environment. Differential pulse voltammogram (DPV) results illustrated that the fabricated NADH sensor had excellent anti-interference ability and displayed a wide linear range from 4?×?10^?4 to 8?×?10^?3 M with a detection limit of 0.5?×?10^?7 M.     

金/氧化亚铜异质球的制备及其可见光催化性能

使用L-半胱氨酸作为连接剂, 利用硼氢化钠原位还原预先吸附在介孔氧化亚铜表面的氯金酸根离子,得到了Au/Cu₂O异质结构. 应用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱和N₂物理吸附等手段对催化剂进行表征, 并以λ>400 nm的可见光作为光源, 评价了该催化剂光催化降解亚甲基蓝(MB)的活性. 实验结果表明, 直径为4 nm的金颗粒完好地负载在介孔氧化亚铜的表面, 并且介孔氧化亚铜的细微结构与孔径均未发生变化. 研究表明, 以乙醇作为反应溶剂有效抑制了AuCl₄^-与Cu₂O之间的氧化还原反应, 从而有利于氧化亚铜介孔结构的保持及金颗粒的原位还原. 光催化降解亚甲基蓝的结果表明, Au/Cu₂O异质结构的光催化活性比纯氧化亚铜光催化活性有明显提高. 推测其光催化性能提高的主要原因如下: 一方面, 金颗粒良好的导电性有利于氧化亚铜表面电子的快速转移, 实现电子-空穴分离; 另一方面, 金颗粒可能存在的表面等离子共振现象加速了光生电子的产生.     

Influence of borohydride concentration on the synthesized Au/graphene nanocomposites for direct borohydride fuel cell

Au/graphene nanocomposites are prepared via a one-pot chemical reduction process at room temperature, using graphene oxide (GO) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) as precursors. The obtained Au/graphene nanocomposites are characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM shows that the Au nanoparticles with size of approximately 8.7 nm disperse randomly on the surface of graphene. XPS confirms that the Au/graphene nanocomposites show a higher atomic percentage of C/O (6.3/1), in contrast to its precursor GO (2.2/1). Electrochemical studies reveal that the Au/graphene nanocomposites have electrochemically active surface area of 9.82 m² g^?1. Besides, the influence of borohydride concentration on the as-prepared Au/graphene nanocomposites is investigated in details by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometry. The results indicate that high concentration of borohydride can significantly improve the electrochemical performance of the Au/graphene catalyst.     

Polyaniline/Au composite hollow spheres: synthesis, characterization, and application to the detection of dopamine

Polyaniline (PANI)/Au composite hollow spheres were successfully synthesized using polystyrene/sulfonated polystyrene core/shell gel particle templates. The PANI shell thickness and the number of Au nanoparticles decorating the PANI could be controlled effectively by adjusting the experimental conditions. The morphology, composition, and optical properties of the resulting products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra. It was found that the electrical conductivity of the PANI/Au composite hollow spheres was more than 3 times higher than that of the pure PANI hollow spheres. Furthermore, PANI/Au composites were immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and applied to construct a sensor. The obtained PANI/Au-modified GCEs showed one pair of redox peaks and high catalytic activity for the oxidation of dopamine. The possible formation mechanism of the PANI/Au composite hollow spheres was also discussed.     

Facile synthesis of multifunctional multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polyaniline composite nanotubes

With an average diameter of 100-150 nm, composite nanotubes of polyaniline (PANI)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) containing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a two-step method. First, we synthesized monodispersed Fe₃O₄ NPs (d=17.6 nm, σ=1.92 nm) on the surface of MWNTs and then decorated the nanocomposites with a PANI layer via a self-assembly method. SEM and TEM images indicated that the obtained samples had the morphologies of nanotubes. The molecular structure and composition of MWNTs/Fe₃O₄ NPs/PANI nanotubes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. UV-vis spectra confirmed the existence of PANI and its response to acid and alkali. As a multifunctional material, the conductivity and magnetic properties of MWNTs/Fe₃O₄ NPs/PANI composites nanotubes were also investigated.     

Ag Nanoparticle/Nanofibrillated Cellulose Composite as an Effective and Green Catalyst for Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol

In this work, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) prepared through in situ green and facile synthesis by using nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) hydrogel as support, stabilizer and reducing agent by two different methods. Their catalytic abilities were examined for conversion of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The structure of as-synthesized composites with different AgNO₃ concentrations were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy; energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results show that all nanocomposites demonstrated excellent catalytic activity. Among them, Ag@NFC-2 sample, with spherical and well-dispersed Ag NPs along the nanofiber, produced by the second method having 0.25 M AgNO₃ concentration presented outstanding catalytic efficiency.     

Catalytic activity of novel thermoplastic/cellulose-Au nanocomposites prepared by cryomilling

Due to environmental concerns, increasing attention has been focused on the application and preparation of biobased polymers and their blends. In this study, cellulose, the most spread biopolymer on Earth, was used in the preparation of novel cotton/polypropylene-Au and cotton/polyethylene-Au nanocomposites via a green mechanochemical approach. First, mechanoradicals were generated by ball milling of the cotton and thermoplastics under cryo conditions, and then, these radicals were used in the reduction of Au ions to Au nanoparticles (Au NPs). Nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The application of mechanochemistry in obtaining the cotton/thermoplastic blends allowed homogenous and fine blending of the samples and in addition, excluded the usage of toxic solvents. Since Au NPs exhibit a wide range of applications, e.g., in catalysis, cotton/thermoplastic-Au nanocomposites were used to catalyze the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to
4-aminophenol, followed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Finally, the hydrophobicity of the nanocomposites was alternated by tuning the blend composition. In the prepared nanocomposites, cotton and thermoplastics acted as very good supporting matrices for the Au NPs and provided satisfactory access to the NPs.     

Soluble,Antibaterial, and Anticorrosion Studies of Sulfonated Polystyrene/Polyaniline/Silver Nanocomposites Prepared with the Sulfonated Polystyrene Template

In this work, multifunctional sulfonated polystyrene/polyaniline/silver (SPS /PANI /Ag) nanocomposites are prepared through using sulfonated polystyrene (SPS ) spheres as templates and utilizing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP ) as reducing agent and stabilizing agent. Our method is an environmentally friendly method because no toxic reagents are added during the preparation process. Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR ), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM ), and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDX ) results confirmed the formation of PS spheres, SPS spheres, SPS /PANI nanocomposites, and SPS /PANI /Ag nanocomposites. Powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD ) patterns indicate that the obtained Ag nanoparticles are crystalline. Solubilities measurements show that SPS /PANI /Ag nanocomposites have improved solubilities when compared to pure PANI in common organic solvents and deionized water. Antibacterial studies show that SPS /PANI /Ag nanocomposites can greatly inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Anticorrosion studies show that the incorporation of SPS /PANI /Ag nanocomposites in waterborne alkyd resin can greatly promote the anticorrosive efficiency of waterborne alkyd resin.     

Preparation,morphology and electrical conductivity of polyaniline/polyoxyalkylene–montmorillonite exfoliated nanocomposites

Polyaniline (PANI)/organoclay exfoliated nanocomposites containing different organoclay contents (14–50 wt%) were prepared. PANI emeraldine base (EB) and oligomeric PANI (o‐PANI) were intercalated into montmorillonite (MMT) modified by four types of polyoxyalkylene diamine or triamine (organoclay) using N‐methyl pyrolidinone (NMP) as a solvent in the presence of 0.1 M HCl. o‐PANI and EB have been synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline using ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS). Infrared absorption spectra (IR) confirm the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged surface of MMT and positively charged sites in PANI. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies disclosed that the d₀₀₁ spacing between interlamellar surface disappeared at low content of the organoclay. The morphology of these materials was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrical conductivities of the PANI‐organoclay and o‐PANI‐organoclay nanocomposites were 1.5 × 10^?3–2 × 10^?4 and 9.5 × 10^?7–1.8 × 10^?9 S/cm, respectively depending on the ratio of PANI. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One-step synthesis of PANI/Mn3O4 nanocomposites and evaluation of their electrochemical properties

In this paper, we have developed a simple, facile, and efficient approach to synthesize polyaniline/Mn₃O₄ (PANI/Mn₃O₄) nanocomposites using aniline as a reducer in the presence of KMnO₄ without any additives or templates. The morphology of the composites is characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrate that the tetrahedral Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles have uniform sizes and are finely dispersed in the PANI matrix. The crystallinity and chemical constituents of the composites are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Moreover, cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements are used to characterize the electrochemical properties of PANI/Mn₃O₄ nanocomposites. The developed materials give a pair of redox peaks and have better operation stability, which indicates that the composites show distinct electrochemical performance. So the PANI/Mn₃O₄ nanocomposites would have potential applications in bioanalysis, biodetection and so on.     

Plasma-based preparation of polyaniline/graphene and polypyrrole/graphene composites for dye-sensitized solar cells as counter electrodes

This study presents the preparation of graphene (GR) nanocomposites with polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPy) through the fast, versatile and environmentally friendly process of radio frequency (RF)-plasma polymerization. Morphological characterization of the nanocomposites is performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and shows that the PANI and PPy conducting polymers coated the GR surface. The surface properties of the GR nanocomposites are determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared GR nanocomposites are then used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The conversion cell efficiencies for iodine-doped DSSC samples are found to be 0.086%, 5.41%, and 5.60% for I₂-PANI, I₂-PANI-GR and I₂-PPy-GR, respectively, while the corresponding undoped samples reaches power conversion efficiencies of 3.82%, 1.30%, and 0.077% for PPy-GR, PANI-GR and PANI, respectively. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of iodine-doped composite-based DSSCs is significantly enhanced.     

全固态Z-型CdS/Au/Bi2MoO6异质结的构筑及其光催化性能

采用简单的化学还原沉积和二次水热的方法成功制备了CdS和Au共同修饰Z型CdS/Au/Bi2MoO6(CdS/Au/BMO)光催化剂。通过X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)等测试技术对其组成、形貌、光吸收特性和光电化学性能等进行系统表征。实验结果表明,CdS/Au/BMO-2复合材料在可见光照射下表现出最佳的降解效率,其降解RhB的速率常数约为BMO的8.8倍和CdS的20倍。Au NPs作为固态电子媒介,为光生电子的传输和转移提供了一个通道,同时Au NPs的表面等离子体共振(SPR)效应和CdS纳米粒子显著拓宽了催化体系对可见光的响应范围;通过对催化剂的组成、结构和光电性能表征,确定了CdS/Au/BMO的能带结构,进而探讨了CdS/Au/BMO活性增强机制。     

Synthesis of Au nanoparticles with Bi adlayers using glucose as dispersant

Well-dispersed Au/Bi nanoparticles with average size below 10 nm were prepared by using NaBH₄ to reduce HAuCl₄ with glucose as dispersant. The obtained Au/Bi NPs were well characterized by UV-Vis spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements. The electrochemical study found that Bi adlayers on the surface of Au nanoparticles owns two kinds of surface structures, including a low coverage (2 × 2)-Bi adlayer and a close-packed (p × √3)-2 Bi adlayer due to the strong interaction between the two Bi layers and the below Au atoms, which is same with that bulk on Au surface.     

Fabrication,characterization of polyaniline intercalated NiO nanocomposites and application in the development of non-enzymatic glucose biosensor

Determination of glucose plays very important part in diagnostics and management of diabetes. Nowadays, determination of glucose is necessary in human health. In order to develop the glucose biosensor, polymer modified catalytic composites were fabricated and used to detect glucose molecules. In this work, NiO nanostructure metal oxide (NMO) was fabricated via thermal decomposition method and polyaniline (wt% = 2, 4 and 6) assisted nanocomposites (NiO/PANI) were also prepared. The morphology and structure of synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by UV–visible diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis-DRS), Fourier transform- infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm measurement. The modified NiO/6%PANI/GCE had higher catalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose than NiO/GCE, PANI/GCE, NiO/2%PANI/GCE and NiO/4%PANI/GCE. This is due to the larger surface area of NiO/6%PANI nanocomposites provide a ploform for faster electron transfer to the detection of glucose. The constructed glucose biosensor have been exhibited a high sensitivity of 606.13 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², lowest detection limit of 0.19 µM, high selectivity, stability, simplicity and low cost for the quick detection of glucose in real sample as well.     

Multiple plasmonic effect on photocurrent generation of metal‐loaded titanium dioxide composite/dye films on gold grating surface

We demonstrate the multiple plasmonic effect on the photocurrent properties of photoanodes containing Ag or Au nanoparticles (NPs) loaded onto titanium dioxide film (Ag–TiO₂ or Au–TiO₂) on Au grating surfaces. Ag–TiO₂ or Au–TiO₂ nanocomposite particles are prepared by a flame spray pyrolysis route. The structures and morphologies of the prepared products are characterized by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Ag–TiO₂ or Au–TiO₂ composite NPs are deposited by spin coating onto the Au grating surfaces. The photoanode electrode is a layered structure of blu‐ray disc‐recordable grating substrate/Au/Ag (or Au)–TiO₂/dye/electrolyte/indium‐tin oxide. The plasmonic effect is induced when Ag or Au NPs are located within the propagating surface plasmon (SP) field on the Au grating surface. The short‐circuit photocurrent is increased by exciting the grating‐coupled propagating SP on the Au gratings and is further enhanced by positioning the Ag or Au NPs within the grating‐coupled SP field. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同质子酸掺杂对银/聚苯胺纳米复合材料结构和导电性的影响

利用紫外光作为辅助条件,在反胶束体系中采用一步双原位法合成了硝酸(HNO3)、对甲基苯磺酸(TSA)和5-磺基水杨酸(SSA)掺杂的银/聚苯胺(Ag/PANI)纳米复合材料.通过对复合材料进行红外光谱(FTIR)、紫外光谱(UV-Vis)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和导电性能的测试,研究了不同质子酸对Ag/PANI纳米复合材料结构、形貌和导电性能的影响.测试结果表明,3种酸掺杂制备的Ag/PANI纳米复合材料均为聚苯胺包覆银粒子的核-壳结构.不同的质子酸掺杂会对Ag/PANI纳米复合材料的电性能有重要影响.在3种酸掺杂的复合材料中,TSA掺杂的复合材料的电导率最佳,为215.14 S·cm-1.     

Preparation and electrochemical analysis of graphene/polyaniline composites prepared by aniline polymerization

Polyaniline (PANI)/graphene nanosheet (GNS) composites were prepared by a chemical oxidation polymerization. The morphology, structure, and crystallinity of the composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy, transition electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. GNS are considered as supporting materials which can provide a large number of active sites. The PANI nanofibers with diameter of 50 nm were homogeneously coated on the surface of GNS. The PANI/GNS composites exhibited a better electrochemical performance than the pure individual components. The PANI/GNS composites showed the highest specific capacitance 923 Fg^?1 at 10 mVs^?1 compared to 465 Fg^?1 for pure PANI and 99 Fg^?1 for GNS.     

On demand release of ionic silver from gold-silver alloy nanoparticles: fundamental antibacterial mechanisms study

Synthesis and biomedical research of bimetallic gold-silver nanoparticles (Au–Ag NPs) have gained much attention due to their unique properties. Antibacterial mechanism of gold-silver nanoparticles is a current topic of interest in nanomedicine engineering. We used three routes in the synthesis of Au–Ag NPs alloy: i) Co-reduction of [HOOC-4-C₆H₄NN]AuCl₄/AgNO₃, ii) Seeding of AuNPs-COOH/AgNO₃ and iii) immobilization of AgNPs over the parent AuNPs-COOH. Two mild reducing agents, NaBH₄ and 9-BBN (9-borabicyclo(3.3.1)nonane), were used. Colloidal alloy nanoparticles structure was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particles reduced using NaBH₄ were larger (~20 nm) than those synthesized using 9-BBN (<10 nm). The synthesized nanoparticles showed high stability under notoriously leaching conditions of chloride-containing electrolytes. Moreover, we studied the Au–Ag NPs antibacterial activity against the growth of Gram-negative Escherichia coli ATCC strain 25922 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC strain 29213. The antibacterial mechanisms were evaluated by studying the time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A major destruction of the bacterial cell wall and leakage of cell components were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which is clearly visible towards E. coli more than S. aureus bacterial strain. The destruction of the bacterial cell wall was further confirmed by detecting the DNA leakage using gel electrophoresis. The synergistic effect of gold enhanced the antibacterial properties, however, with low cytotoxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells. This study deals with the important aspects of time-dependent mechanisms of the antibacterial action of Au–Ag NPs since the leaching out of Ag ion is slow compared to AgNPs. The Au–Ag NPs alloy efficiently tackles microbial activity that can be controlled to minimize cytotoxicity and thus opens their future applications as antibacterial agents.     

Magnetic retrievable Ag/AgBr/ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst for efficient removal of organic pollutant under visible light

In the present work, a visible-light-driven Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized via a deposition–precipitation and photoreduction method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and optical properties of the as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The photocatalytic activities of the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites were evaluated through the photodegradation of gaseous toluene and methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The results revealed that the as-prepared Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. The degrading efficiency of MO could still reach 90% after four cycles, and the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite could be recycled easily by a magnet. Additionally, the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism was discussed according to the trapping experiments, which indicated that the photo-generated holes (h⁺) and •O₂⁻ played important roles in photodegradation process. At last, a possible photocatalytic oxidation pathways of toluene was proposed based on the results of GC–MS. The Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites showed potential application for efficient removal of organic pollutant.