One-pot solvothermal synthesis of FePt/Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles

Via a facile, one-pot solvothermal synthesis, highly uniform FePt/Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles are successfully developed, which further demonstrates their superiority in the MR imaging of living cells.     

Synthesis and characterization of FePt nanoparticles and FePt nanoparticle/SiO2-matrix composite films

Superparamagnetic face-centered cubic (fcc) FePt nanoparticles were synthesized using a polyol process. The effect of reaction temperature and molar ratio of Fe(CO)₅ to Pt(acac)₂ on the structure, composition and morphology of nanoparticles has been investigated. The optimum processing condition has been obtained for producing well-monodisperse fcc-phase FePt nanoparticles with the 2:1?molar ratio of Fe-Pt at 220?°C. In order to circumvent the problem of FePt particle coalescence during high temperature annealing for the L1₀ ordering, FePt nanoparticle/SiO₂-matrix composite films have been fabricated by sol?Cgel method. The experimental results confirm that the amorphous SiO₂ matrix effectively inhibits the grain growth and particle aggregation during 700?°C annealing for 1?h. Well-monodisperse face-centered tetragonal (fct) FePt particles embedded in the SiO₂ matrix can be obtained with the long-range chemical order parameter S of ~0.74, indicating partially ordered L1₀ phase transition in FePt/SiO₂ composite films. The FePt/SiO₂ system exhibits a hysteretic behavior with smaller coercive field of 1,450 Oe. The incomplete phase transition from cubic deredat height maxsium (A ₁-disordered phase to tetragonal L1₀-ordered phase) might be responsible for it.     

Synthesis of In2O3@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with enhanced deeper energy level emissions of In2O3

In(2)O(3)@SiO(2) core-shell nanoparticles were prepared using an organic solution synthesis approach and reverse-microemulsion technique. In order to explore the availability of various silica encapsulations, a partial phase diagram for this ternary system consisting of hexane/cyclohexane (1:29 wt), surfactant (polyoxyethylene(5)nonylphenyl ether, i.e., Igepal CO-520), and aqueous solution containing ammonium hydroxide was also established. It is realized that the shell-thickness can be tuned by several parameters such as the concentration of In(2)O(3) nanocrystal suspension and the dose of the Si-precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate. It was observed that the deeper energy level emissions of In(2)O(3) were apparently enhanced when In(2)O(3) was confined by the silica-shell in such core-shell nanoparticles. However, this enhancement could be degraded by increasing the shell-thickness.     

Synthesis of Pt@Fe2O3 nanorods as MRI probes for in vivo application

Magnetic Fe(2)O(3) nanorods with low cell toxicity were successfully synthesized via a wet-chemical method. In vivo studies with a rabbit model show that the nanorods exhibit excellent T(2) signal enhancement. This work demonstrates that magnetic nanorods may provide a new type of MR enhancement agent for use in biomedical applications.     

Monodispersed core-shell Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles

The ability to synthesize and assemble monodispersed core-shell nanoparticles is important for exploring the unique properties of nanoscale core, shell, or their combinations in technological applications. This paper describes findings of an investigation of the synthesis and assembly of core (Fe(3)O(4))-shell (Au) nanoparticles with high monodispersity. Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles of selected sizes were used as seeding materials for the reduction of gold precursors to produce gold-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)@Au). Experimental data from both physical and chemical determinations of the changes in particle size, surface plasmon resonance optical band, core-shell composition, surface reactivity, and magnetic properties have confirmed the formation of the core-shell nanostructure. The interfacial reactivity of a combination of ligand-exchanging and interparticle cross-linking was exploited for molecularly mediated thin film assembly of the core-shell nanoparticles. The SQUID data reveal a decrease in magnetization and blocking temperature and an increase in coercivity for Fe(3)O(4)@Au, reflecting the decreased coupling of the magnetic moments as a result of the increased interparticle spacing by both gold and capping shells. Implications of the findings to the design of interfacial reactivities via core-shell nanocomposites for magnetic, catalytic, and biological applications are also briefly discussed.     

One-pot synthesis of reverse type-I In2O3@In2S3 core-shell nanoparticles

A novel method to one-pot-synthesize high-quality In(2)O(3)@In(2)S(3) core-shell nanoparticles, consisting of a step of reducing In(2)O(3) core surface into a layer of active indium metal in high-temperature organic solution and a step of converting this layer to In(2)S(3) using CS(2), has been developed.     

Synthesis and size-dependent exchange bias in inverted core-shell MnO|Mn3O4 nanoparticles

Core-shell nanoparticles of MnO|Mn3O4 with average particle sizes of 5-60 nm, composed of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) core and a ferrimagnetic (FiM) shell, have been synthesized and their magnetic properties investigated. The core-shell structure has been generated by the passivation of the MnO cores, yielding an inverted AFM-core|FiM-shell system, as opposed to the typical FM-core|AFM-shell. The exchange-coupling between AFM and FiM gives rise to an enhanced coercivity of approximately 8 kOe and a loop shift of approximately 2 kOe at 10 K, i.e., exchange bias. The coercivity and loop shift show a non-monotonic variation with the core diameter. The large coercivity and the loop shift are ascribed to the highly anisotropic Mn3O4 and size effects of the AFM (i.e., uncompensated spins, AFM domains, and size-dependent transition temperature).     

SiO2@Fe2O3 core-shell nanoparticles for covalent immobilization and release of sparfloxacin drug

Silica-coated Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles were synthesized as carriers for the covalent immobilization and release of antimicrobial drug sparfloxacin (SPFX). SPFX-loaded nanoparticles exhibited time-dependent drug release, with no measurable in vitro cytotoxicity, making the drug@nanoparticle conjugates potentially relevant for nanomedicine applications.     

Synthesis of hafnium oxide-gold core-shell nanoparticles

Developing cheap composite nanoparticle systems that combines a high dielectric constant with good conductivity is important for the future of the electronic industry. In this study, two different sizes, 7.3 ± 2.2 and 5.6 ± 1.9 nm, of HfO(2)@Au core-shell nanoparticles are prepared by using a high-temperature reduction method. The core-shell nanoparticles are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. HfO(2) exhibits no absorption in the visible region, but the HfO(2)@Au core-shell nanoparticles show a plasmon absorption band at 555 nm that is 25 nm red-shifted as compared to pure gold nanoparticles. According to transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, the HfO(2) particles are coated with approximately three atomic layers of gold.     

Electrochemical synthesis of Fe3O4-PB nanoparticles with core-shell structure and its electrocatalytic reduction toward H2O2

The Fe₃O₄-Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles with core-shell structure have been in situ prepared directly on a nano-Fe₃O₄-modified glassy carbon electrode by cyclic voltammetry (CV). First, the magnetic nano-Fe₃O₄ particles were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Then, the properties of the Fe₃O₄-PB nanoparticles were characterized by CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device. The resulting core-shell Fe₃O₄-PB-modified electrode displays a dramatic electrocatalytic ability toward H₂O₂ reduction, and the catalytic current was a linear function with the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range of 1 × 10⁻⁷~5 × 10⁻⁴ mol/l. A detection limit of 2 × 10⁻⁸ (s/n = 3) was determined. Moreover, it showed good reproducibility, enhanced long-term stability, and potential applications in fields of magnetite biosensors.     

Synthesis and characterization of SiO2/Gd2O3:Eu core-shell luminescent materials

Europium-doped Gd2O3 with an average size of approximately 15 nm was coated on the surface of preformed silica nanospheres by the wet chemical method. SEM and TEM photographs showed that SiO2/Gd2O3:Eu core-shell submicrospheres are obtained. XRD patterns indicated that the Gd2O3:Eu shell is crystalline after heat treatment. FTIR and XPS spectra showed that the Gd2O3:Eu shell is linked to the silica surface by forming a Si-O-Gd bond. Photoluminescence studies showed that the luminescent properties are still retained after coating on an inert silica core; additionally, we noted that the emitting peaks are broadened, which results from size effects and interface effects of nanocrystal.     

Cr2O3/C@TiO2核壳型复合材料的设计合成及其光催化产氢性能

随着社会经济的快速发展,能源危机和环境污染问题成为世界各国关注的焦点.通过光催化剂将太阳能用于污染物降解、分解水产氢、CO2还原及有机物合成等领域,是解决上述问题的理想途径.过渡金属氧化物TiO2因其稳定性高、催化活性好、制备简单等优点,被认为是最理想的光催化材料.然而,TiO2带隙较宽、光响应范围窄、光量子效率低等缺点限制了其实际应用.将碳或Cr2O3与TiO2结合形成复合结构已被证明可以有效提升其光催化性能.另一方面,金属离子的掺杂可以有效提高氧化钛的可见光响应.本文利用具有高比表面积的金属有机骨架材料MIL-101(Cr)纳米材料作为模板、镉源和碳源,首先在MIL-101(Cr)表面可控生长TiO2纳米颗粒,获得MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2复合结构;然后在氮气保护下碳化形成Cr2O3/C@TiO2核壳型复合材料.碳化后,制备的复合材料具有模板的八面体形貌和高比表面积,MIL-101(Cr)中的Cr元素一部分会形成Cr2O3,一部分会掺杂到TiO2中,使得TiO2的吸收边红移.此外,Cr2O3/C@TiO2中的C有利于光的吸收和载流子的分离.这种独特的纳米结构赋予Cr2O3/C@TiO2复合材料优异的光催化性能.在300 W氙灯照射下,该复合材料光解水产氢的速率为446μmol h?1 g?1,约为纯TiO2的4倍.在可见光照射下,Cr2O3/C@TiO2分解水产氢的速率为25.5μmol h?1 g?1.将获得的粉体催化剂制备成光电极发现,Cr2O3/C@TiO2在全幅光照射下的光电流密度在0.4 V(vs.Ag/AgCl)下达到2.3 mA/cm2,约为纯TiO2的3.5倍.Cr2O3/C@TiO2光催化产氢活性的提高一方面是由于Cr掺杂到TiO2中使得其具有可见光响应,另一方面MIL-101碳化获得的Cr2O3/C有效促进了光生载流子的分离.     

Cr2O3/C@TiO2核壳型复合材料的设计合成及其光催化产氢性能

随着社会经济的快速发展,能源危机和环境污染问题成为世界各国关注的焦点.通过光催化剂将太阳能用于污染物降解、分解水产氢、CO2还原及有机物合成等领域,是解决上述问题的理想途径.过渡金属氧化物TiO2因其稳定性高、催化活性好、制备简单等优点,被认为是最理想的光催化材料.然而,TiO2带隙较宽、光响应范围窄、光量子效率低等缺点限制了其实际应用.将碳或Cr2O3与TiO2结合形成复合结构已被证明可以有效提升其光催化性能.另一方面,金属离子的掺杂可以有效提高氧化钛的可见光响应.本文利用具有高比表面积的金属有机骨架材料MIL-101(Cr)纳米材料作为模板、镉源和碳源,首先在MIL-101(Cr)表面可控生长TiO2纳米颗粒,获得MIL-101(Cr)@TiO2复合结构;然后在氮气保护下碳化形成Cr2O3/C@TiO2核壳型复合材料.碳化后,制备的复合材料具有模板的八面体形貌和高比表面积,MIL-101(Cr)中的Cr元素一部分会形成Cr2O3,一部分会掺杂到TiO2中,使得TiO2的吸收边红移.此外,Cr2O3/C@TiO2中的C有利于光的吸收和载流子的分离.这种独特的纳米结构赋予Cr2O3/C@TiO2复合材料优异的光催化性能.在300 W氙灯照射下,该复合材料光解水产氢的速率为446μmol h?1 g?1,约为纯TiO2的4倍.在可见光照射下,Cr2O3/C@TiO2分解水产氢的速率为25.5μmol h?1 g?1.将获得的粉体催化剂制备成光电极发现,Cr2O3/C@TiO2在全幅光照射下的光电流密度在0.4 V(vs.Ag/AgCl)下达到2.3 mA/cm2,约为纯TiO2的3.5倍.Cr2O3/C@TiO2光催化产氢活性的提高一方面是由于Cr掺杂到TiO2中使得其具有可见光响应,另一方面MIL-101碳化获得的Cr2O3/C有效促进了光生载流子的分离.     

Formation of heterodimer nanocrystals: UO2/In2O3 and FePt/In2O3

This Article reports a mechanistic study on the formation of colloidal UO(2)/In(2)O(3) and FePt/In(2)O(3) heterodimer nanocrystals. These dimer nanocrystals were synthesized via the growth of In(2)O(3) as the epitaxial material onto the seed nanocrystals of UO(2) or FePt. The resulting dimer nanocrystals were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersion spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The results from XRD and HRTEM clearly show that lattice strains exist in both of these dimer nanocrystals. Interestingly, the lattice of In(2)O(3) expands in UO(2)/In(2)O(3) dimers, whereas FePt/In(2)O(3) dimers exhibit compressed In(2)O(3) lattices. Using HRTEM and nanocrystal structure simulations, we have identified the crystallographic orientation of the attachment of the two segments in these two types of dimers. An unconventional Miller index was introduced to describe the crystallographic orientation of these heterodimer nanocrystals. On the basis of the results herein as well as those from other researchers, we propose an empirical law for the determination of the crystallographic attachment orientation in heterodimers: instead of growth on the facet of the seed nanocrystals where lattice mismatch is minimized, the growth of an epitaxial material often chooses the crystal facets where the first atomic monolayer of this material has the strongest affinity for the seed nanocrystals.     

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse silica-polyaniline core-shell nanoparticles

Monodisperse silica-polyaniline core-shell nanoparticles with an average diameter of 26 nm were synthesized by in-situ polymerisation of aniline monomers adsorbed on the silica surface through electrostatic interactions.     

Facile synthesis and properties of ZnFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4/polypyrrole core-shell nanoparticles

We demonstrated that ZnFe₂O₄/polypyrrole core-shell nanoparticles could be facilely synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole monomers on the surface of ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. The shell thickness of core-shell nanoparticles could be easily controlled by adjusting the amount of pyrrole monomers. The phase structures, morphologies and properties of the as-prepared products were investigated by XRD, TEM, SEM, VSM, and FTIR spectra. Magnetic studies revealed that the saturation magnetization (M_s) and coercivity (H_c) of ZnFe₂O₄/PPy core-shell nanoparticles is 17.8 emu/g and 130 Oe, respectively. The electromagnetic characteristics of products showed that ZnFe₂O₄/PPy core-shell nanoparticles exhibit excellent microwave absorption performance than ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, such as more powerful absorbing property and wider electromagnetic wave absorbing frequency band due to the proper matching of the permittivity and the permeability of ZnFe₂O₄/PPy core-shell nanoparticles.     

Preparation of Pt@Fe2O3 nanowires and their catalysis of selective oxidation of olefins and alcohols

Iron oxide coated platinum nanowires (Pt@Fe(2)O(3)NWs) with a diameter of 2.8 nm have been prepared by the oxygen oxidation of FePt NWs in oleylamine. These "cable"-like NWs were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. These Pt@Fe(2)O(3) NWs were used as "non-support" heterogeneous catalysts in oxidation of olefins and alcohols. The results revealed that it is an active and highly selective catalyst. Styrene derivatives were tested with molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant, with benzaldehyde successfully obtained from styrene in an absolute yield of 31%, whereas the use of tert-butyl hydroperoxide as the sole oxidant in the oxidation of alcohols led to yields of more than 80% of the corresponding ketone or aldehyde. This unsupported catalyst was found to be more active (TOF=96.5 h(-1)) than other reported Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticle catalysts and could be recycled multiple times without any notable decrease in activity. Our findings will extend the use of such nanomaterial catalysts to new catalytic systems.     

Comparative bioelectrochemical study of core-shell nanocluster films with ordinary layer-by-layer films containing heme proteins and CaCO3 nanoparticles

Negatively charged heme protein hemoglobin (Hb) or myoglobin (Mb) at pH 9.0 and positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium) (PDDA) were alternately adsorbed on the surface of CaCO(3) nanoparticles, forming core-shell CaCO(3)-[PDDA/(protein/PDDA)(m)] ([protein-m]) nanoclusters. Oppositely charged [protein-m] and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) were then assembled layer by layer on various solid substrates, forming {[protein-m]/PSS}(n) films. In the meantime, ordinary layer-by-layer films of heme proteins with CaCO(3) nanoparticles ({protein/CaCO(3)}(n)) were also grown on solid surfaces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to characterize the nanoclusters and monitor the growth of the two types of films. Both kinds of protein films assembled on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes exhibited well-defined, nearly reversible CV reduction-oxidation peaks, characteristic of heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couples, and were used to catalyze the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The {[protein-m]/PSS}(n) films demonstrate distinct advantages over the {protein/CaCO(3)}(n) films due to their larger fraction of electroactive proteins, higher catalytic efficiency, and better thermostability. The penetration experiments of the electroactive probe into these films indicate that the {[protein-m]/PSS}(n) nanocluster films possess more pores or channels than the simple {protein/CaCO(3)}(n) films, which may be beneficial to counterion transport in the charge-hopping mechanism and helpful for the diffusion of catalysis substrates into the films. In addition, the electrochemical and biocatalytic activity of protein nanocluster films can be tailored by controlling the number of bilayers assembled on the nanoparticle cores (m) as well as the film thickness or the number of nanocluster layers on the electrodes (n).     

Excited carrier dynamics of alpha-Cr2O3/alpha-Fe2O3 core-shell nanostructures

In this work alpha-Cr(2)O(3)/alpha-Fe(2)O(3) core-shell polycrystalline nanostructures were synthesized by using alpha-Cr(2)O(3) nanoparticles as seed crystals during aqueous nucleation. The formation of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) polycrystallites on alpha-Cr(2)O(3) surfaces was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The excited-state relaxation dynamics of as-grown core-shell structures and "pure" alpha-Fe(2)O(3) particles of the same size were measured with femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The results show the carrier lifetimes decay within a few picoseconds regardless of sample. This is likely due to fast recombination/trapping of carriers to defects and iron d-states.     

SiO2@Fe2O3核-壳结构催化剂的制备及表征

采用优化的Stöber法制备了平均粒径为230 nm的单分散球形SiO₂颗粒,并以此为内核,通过水解沉积法制备了不同壳层厚度的核-壳结构SiO₂@Fe₂O₃催化剂。采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、N₂物理吸附和X射线衍射分析(XRD)等手段对催化剂进行表征,探讨了不同制备条件对SiO₂@Fe₂O₃催化剂形貌的影响。结果表明,通过水解沉积法制备的SiO₂@Fe₂O₃催化剂具有明显的核-壳结构,并且保持了原始SiO₂核的球形形貌,Fe₂O₃纳米粒子通过-OH的氢键作用连接在SiO₂表面,形成了2~10 nm厚的Fe₂O₃均匀连续包覆层。