Construction of inorganic nanoparticles by micro-nano-porous structure of cellulose matrix

In our previous work, the CdS nanoparticles/cellulose films exhibited significantly high photocatalytic H₂ production efficiency under visible light irradiation than the ordinary CdS photocatalyst. In present paper, the CdS nanoparticles were synthesized in situ in pores of the regenerated cellulose substrate and the porous structure of cellulose, formation of the CdS nanoparticles and interactions between CdS and cellulose matrix in the composite films were investigated deeply. The experimental results indicated that the micro-nano-porous structure of the cellulose matrix could be used easily to create inorganic nanoparticles, which supplied not only cavities for the formation of nanoparticles, but also a shell (semi-stiff cellulose molecules support the pore wall) to protect their nano-structure. When the cellulose films with porous structure at wet state were immersed into inorganic ions solution, the ions interacted immediately with the –OH groups of cellulose, and then transformed into inorganic composite via another treatment, finally inorganic nanoparticles formed during the dry. The pore size of the cellulose matrix decreased from 180 nm (at wet state) to about 18 nm (at dry state), leading to the formation of nanoparticles. The results revealed that the CdS nanoparticles with a mean particle diameter about 6 nm were dispersed well, and were immobilized tightly in the cellulose matrix, resulting in a portable photocatalyst with high efficiency for photocatalytic for H₂ evolution. This is simple and “green” pathway to prepare the organic–inorganic hybrid materials.     

Preparation of CdS nanoparticles by hydrothermal method in microemulsion

CdS nanoparticles with good crystallinity were prepared by hydrothermal method in microemulsion composed of polyoxyethylene laurylether/water/cyclohexane/butanol. The structure and the size of the CdS nanoparticles were analyzed by TEM and XRD. The UV-Vis optical absorption of the samples was also investigated. The results show that hydrothermal treatment is an effective method to prepare CdS nanoparticles of hexagonal structure at lower temperature. The particles were in dimensional uniformity. The diameter of the CdS nanoparticles decreased with the increase of the molar ratio of water to surfactant. The minimum diameter of the CdS nanoparticles prepared in this work was about 10 nm. Obvious blue shift appeared in the UV-Vis absorption spectra. Translated from Chinese Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2006, 22(5): (in Chinese)     

Preparation of SiO2-Pt-CdS composite photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution under visible light

CdS nanoparticles were prepared by the precipitation method. Pt was loaded on CdS by photodeposition. SiO₂-Pt-CdS was synthesized via hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate in the presence of Pt-CdS. The samples were characterized by XRD, BET, PL and UV-Vis techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the samples for hydrogen evolution was investigated under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm). The stability and activity of CdS was improved by coating SiO₂.     

ZIF-8衍生ZnO耦合HZSM-5一步催化合成气制烃醚燃料

通过水热溶剂法合成有机骨架结构材料ZIF-8,以其为前驱体调变焙烧温度制备ZnO纳米粒子。采用XRD、TEM、XPS、Raman等表征研究ZnO的组成结构及晶粒粒径形态变化;将ZnO与HZSM-5耦合形成双功能催化剂,考察其在合成气转化中的催化活性。结果表明,焙烧温度对ZnO的颗粒粒径结构影响较大,温度影响晶粒的形成速率,提高温度会促进ZnO的聚集; ZIF-8衍生ZnO通过调变温度影响ZnO晶粒粒径,起到改变产物分布的作用。当焙烧温度≤450℃时,以碳包覆ZnO纳米粒子结构存在,ZnO晶粒粒径小于20 nm,含碳ZnO耦合HZSM-5催化剂的产物以二甲醚为主;当温度≥500℃,以纯相ZnO存在,ZnO晶粒粒径皆大于20 nm,ZnO耦合HZSM-5催化剂的产物以烃类为主。ZnO与HZSM-5的耦合方式对双功能催化剂的产物选择性有显著影响。     

水热法合成CdS/ZnO核壳结构纳米微粒

以半胱氨酸镉配合物为前驱体,采用水热法合成CdS纳米微粒,并以ZnO对其进行表面修饰,形成具有核／壳结构的CdS／ZnO半导体纳米微粒,CdS纳米微粒表面经ZnO修饰后,其带边发射大大增强,透射电镜显示,110℃下反应4h所得的CdS／ZnO颗粒尺寸约为20nm,电子衍射表明其结构为六方相。     

Bacterial detection using carbohydrate-functionalised CdS quantum dots: a model study exploiting E. coli recognition of mannosides

Mannose-coated CdS quantum dots (Man-QDs) were prepared in a facile aqueous, one-pot process that exploits the self-assembly of thiolated mannose in the presence of CdS under reducing conditions. The resulting ∼15 nm diameter nanoparticles produce an intense, broad luminescence emission centred at 550 nm. These Man-QDs induce luminescent aggregates of Escherichia coli which can be used to detect bacteria in cell suspensions containing as few as 10⁴E. coli per mL. The aggregation process is dependent on the E. coli cell surface FimH mannose-specific lectin. The recognition and subsequent detection of the E. coli using the Man-QD has been shown to be specific as aggregation does not occur either with an E. coli strain defective in the FimH lectin or with galactose-coated QDs.     

Studies on optical absorption and structural properties of Fe doped CdS quantum dots

Fe doped CdS quantum dots have been prepared using simple precursors by chemical precipitation technique. Fe doped CdS quantum dots have been synthesized by mixing cadmium nitrate, sodium sulfide and adding Fe under suitable conditions. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that undoped and Fe doped CdS crystallizes in hexagonal structure. The lattice constants of Fe doped CdS nanoparticles decreased slightly with incorporation of Fe and no secondary phase was observed. The average grain size of the nanoparticles is found to lie in the range of 2.8–4.2 nm. HRTEM results show that undoped and 3.75% Fe doped CdS nanoparticles exhibit a uniform size distribution and average size of the nanoparticles is about 2–3 nm. Raman spectra show that 1LO and 2LO peaks of the Fe doped CdS samples are slightly red shifted compared with those of undoped CdS. Optical absorption spectra of Fe doped CdS nanoparticles exhibited red shift.     

Photovoltaic properties of graphene oxide sheets beaded with ZnO nanoparticles

A hybrid material of graphene oxide (GO) sheets beaded with ZnO nanoparticles was prepared. The material extends over a few hundred square nanometers, in which the ZnO nanoparticles (average diameter (∼5 nm)) are dispersed evenly on the GO sheet. Both the surface photovoltage or surface photocurrent intensity for the material are much stronger than for pure ZnO nanoparticles, meaning that the free charge carriers can effectively be transferred from ZnO nanoparticles to GO sheets, which can serve as a probe to monitor the electron transfer from excited ZnO to GO. Anchoring ZnO nanoparticles on two dimensional carbon nanostructures such as GO can pave a way towards the design of ordered nanostructure assemblies that can harvest light energy efficiently.     

Solid state morphology and band gap studies of ETS-10 supported CdS nanoparticles

Engelhard titanosilicate (ETS-10) supported cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by various solid state techniques including: XRD, DR UV-Vis, TEM and FESEM. The effect of different synthesis routes of CdS nanoparticles on its physicochemical character was studied. It was observed that CdS nanoparticles prepared by both in situ sulphur reduction (CdS-IS) and reverse micelle (CdS-RM) methods showed similar roperties. However, CdS-IS nanoparticles are more feasible and economically practical. The reflectance measurements of the as-synthesized CdS nanoparticles are apparently blue-shifted compared to bulk CdS. This phenomenon of blue-shifted absorption edge has been ascribed to an increase in bandgap energy with a decrease in particle sizes. The bandgap of the as-synthesized CdS samples was calculated from the linear correlation of [F(R) hν]² and hν. The bandgap of CdS in ETS-10 was noticeably slightly reduced when compared with the as-synthesized CdS (8 nm) due to the formation of cluster arrays on the pores of ETS-10.     

Size-dependent carrier dynamics in CdS nanoparticles by femtosecond visible-pump/IR-probe measurements

Ultrafast photoexcited carrier dynamics in CdS nanoparticles prepared by an AOT/n-heptane reversed micelle system were investigated by a femtosecond visible-pump/mid-IR probe technique. A mid-IR probe beam was found to mainly probe the ultrafast dynamics of photoexcited electrons in the conduction band. Dispersions of CdS nanoparticles with 8 different mean diameters from 2.9 to 4.1 nm were prepared by tuning the mole ratio between water and AOT (W = [H(2)O]/[AOT]) in the reversed micelle systems. The excited state lifetime strongly depended on the mean size of CdS nanoparticles with a maximum around a mean diameter of 3.5 nm. This result was explained by considering the balance between the carrier recombination rates via surface states and those via interior states. The relationship between the excited state lifetime and the size of CdS nanoparticles was drastically changed when the surface was terminated by thiol molecules.     

Patterning porous matrices and planar substrates with quantum dots

Silica hydrogels and planar substrates were patterned with CdS nanoparticles using a photolithographic method based on the photo dissociation of thiols and cadmium-thiolate complexes. Silica hydrogels were prepared via a standard base-catalyzed route. The solvent was exchanged with an aqueous solution of CdSO₄ and 2-mercaptoethanol, and the samples were then exposed to a focused ultraviolet beam. Planar substrates were patterned by illuminating a precursor solution spin coated on the substrates. CdS nanoparticles formed in the illuminated spots, and had a diameter below about 2 nm. The diameter of the spots illuminated by the UV beam could be varied from a few hundred to a few μm, on both hydrogels and planar substrates. Samples were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and optical absorption, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopies. All these techniques confirmed the chemical identity of the CdS nanoparticles. To investigate the mechanism of nanoparticle formation, we took absorption spectra of the precursor solution as a function of irradiation time. In unirradiated solutions, we noticed a maximum at 250 nm, characteristic of Cd-thiolate complexes. The absorption at 250 nm decreased with increasing irradiation time. A new band appeared at 265 nm for exposures around 5 min, and that band shifted to 290 nm in samples exposed for 10 min. A yellow precipitate formed after about 30 min. XRD showed that the precipitate was cubic CdS, with a mean particle size of 1.4 nm. We attribute formation of CdS to the photodissociation of the thiols and of the Cd-thiolates. UV irradiation of these precursors yields a series of species that can react with Cd²⁺, such as RS^·, S²⁻ and H₂S. Small CdS nanoparticles form in the initial stages of illumination, and present absorption bands in the 265–290 nm region. These CdS aggregates grow, coalesce and precipitate for longer irradiation times.     

Studies of nanoparticulate cadmium sulfide in amphiphilic polymaleic acid octadecanol ester Langmuir-Blodgett films

The reversed micelles of CdS nanoparticles capped with oligomer–polymaleic acid octadecanol ester (PMAO) were synthesized by a colloid chemical method in an aqueous system. The chemical ratio of PMAO between the carboxylic group and the hydrocarbon chain was controlled to 1.5 : 1. The PMAO-capped CdS nanoparticles were transferred on to CaF₂ and Si substrates by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. Surface pressure–area isotherms indicated that PMAO-capped CdS nanoparticles could form a stable monolayer on the water subphase. The measurement of FTIR and small angle X-ray diffraction showed that the reversed micelles of PMAO-capped CdS nanoparticles were formed with a uniform size and order in LB films. The photoluminescence properties of PMAO-capped CdS both in the solution and in the LB film indicated that the photoluminescence peaks of reversed micelles obviously changed as a result of the energy transfer from PMAO to CdS and the interaction between clusters.     

Optical and kinetic studies of CdS:Cu nanoparticles

CdS:Cu nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a coprecipitation method using mercaptoethanol as a capping agent. Thermoluminescence (TL) spectra of CdS:Cu nanoparticles were studied for different exposure time. The synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–Vis spectrometry. XRD and SEM measurements showed that the size of the crystallites was in the range 8–17 nm. Optical measurements indicated a blue-shift in the absorption band edge upon Cu doping. The direct allowed bandgap of undoped and Cu-doped CdS nanoparticles was 2.53 and 2.64 eV, respectively. We also calculated the kinetic parameters for Cu-doped CdS nanoparticles from the TL glow curves measured at 254, 249, and 244 °C with variation of the ultra-violet (UV) exposure time. The glow curve shows general order kinetics, and its kinetic parameters are calculated.     

Effect of chelating functional polymer on the size of CdS nanocluster formation

Chelating poly(acrylates-co-2-methylacrylic acid 3-(bis-carboxymethylamino)-2-hydroxy-propyl ester) microspheres of diameter 250-310 nm were prepared by the soap-free emulsion polymerization method for varying amounts of GMA-IDA. Then CdS/copolymer composite was generated by chemical deposition on the surface of the copolymer microspheres. By XRD analysis it is found that the chelated CdS nanoparticles are a pure cubic zinc blende structure. The CdS/copolymer composite is examined by UV-vis absorbance, photoluminescence, and TEM observation. Average CdS nanoparticle size calculated from Henglein's empirical curve is in the range of 3.0-8.0 nm and varies according to the GMA-IDA molar ratio during polymerization, pH value during chelation, and postchelation annealing temperature. Higher ratio of chelating group, pH value, and annealing temperature produce larger CdS nanoparticles. As GMA-IDA ratio increases, photoluminescence exhibits a red shift from 510 to 520 nm, photoluminescence increases, and bandwidth decreases. Photoluminescence of the CdS nanoparticle becomes negligible when diameter exceeds 5 nm.     

Studies on optical absorption and photoluminescence of thioglycerol-stabilized CdS quantum dots

Nanoparticles of CdS were prepared at 303 K by aqueous precipitation method using CdSO4 and (NH4)2S in presence of the stabilizing agent thioglycerol. Adjustment of the thioglycerol (T) to ammonium sulphide (A) ratio (T:A) from 1:25 to 1:3.3 was done during synthesis and nanoparticles of different size were obtained. The prepared colloids were characterized by UV-vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic studies. Prominent first and second excitonic transitions are observed in the UV-vis spectrum of the colloid prepared with a T:A ratio of 1:3.3. Particle size analysis was done using XRD, high resolution TEM and dynamic light scattering and found to be approximately 3 nm. UV-vis and PL spectral features also agree with this particle size in colloid with T:A of 1:3.3. The band gap of CdS quantum dots has increased from the bulk value 2.4-2.9 eV. PL spectra show quantum size effect and the peak is shifted from 628 to 556 nm when the ratio of T:A was changed from 1:25 to 1:3.3. Doping of CdS with Zn2+ and Cu2+ is found to enhance the PL intensity. PL band shows blue-shift and red-shift on doping with Zn2+ and Cu2+, respectively. UV and PL spectral features of the CdS/Au hybrid nanoparticles obtained by a physical mixing of CdS and Au nanoclusters in various volume ratios is also discussed. Au red-shifts and rapidly quenches the PL of CdS. An additional low energy band approximately 650 nm is observed in the UV visible spectrum of the hybrid nanoparticles.     

Thin films composed of irregular micro-block arrays of closely packed CdS nanoparticles for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

CdS is a very important semiconductor, and various micro-/nano-structured forms of CdS have been fabricated with the aim of improving its photoelectrochemical performance. We report here for the first time the preparation of a CdS film consisting of irregular micro-block arrays of closely packed CdS nanoparticles. It performs outstandingly well as a photoanode because it possesses the advantages of both arrays and nanoparticles. This CdS film is prepared simply by a combination of reaction and assembly at the gas/liquid interface (RAG/L) with successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), requiring no templates or expensive equipment. In this approach, the nanopores in the film of loosely aggregated CdS nanoparticles produced by RAG/L are filled by CdS nanoparticles via SILAR, forming a compact CdS film. Network micro-cracks form in the compact CdS film due to calcination caused by differential thermal expansion compared with the substrate, and these cut the CdS film into irregular micro-block arrays. This micro-/nano-structure in the prepared CdS film improves its capacity for visible light absorption, facilitates the generation/separation of excited charges, and enhances mass transfer. In an alkaline solution of methanol, the prepared CdS film exhibits the highest saturation photocurrent density (6.5 mA cm^− 2) ever reported on CdS-based photoanodes under visible light illumination.     

CdS纳米晶@碳点复合物膜的电致化学发光

采用热解柠檬酸法制备碳点(CDs),并将之与表面无包裹剂的CdS纳米晶(CdS NCs)超声复合制备CdS纳米晶@碳点(CdS NCs@CDs)复合物。研究了复合物膜阴极电致化学发光(ECL),探讨了CDs对CdS纳米晶膜ECL增强的机理。CDs分散性良好、尺寸在1.5~4 nm之间;与粒径约为4 nm的CdS纳米晶按体积比2∶3复合后,在360 nm光激发下复合物具有最强的荧光发射且表现为CDs的荧光。同时,复合物膜产生归属于激发态CdS纳米晶的最强的ECL发射,且ECL发光峰起置电势正移至-1.05 V。复合物膜的ECL发射是pH依赖的,在pH值为6时,复合物膜具有最大的ECL强度,为CdS纳米晶膜ECL强度的19倍。这种ECL增强源于CDs能束缚大量电子产生局域电场从而促进近邻CdS纳米晶激发态的形成与弛豫。     

Comparative study on the effect of precursors on the morphology and electronic properties of CdS nanoparticles

Cadmium dithiocarbamate and cadmium ethyl xanthate complexes were synthesized and characterized by microanalysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses. The complexes were employed as molecular precursors for the fabrication of CdS nanoparticles in hexadecylamine (HDA) and oleylamine (OLA) at a temperature of 250 °C. Spherical and oval shaped particles with sizes ranging from 9.93 ± 1.89 to 16.74 ± 2.78 nm were obtained in OLA while spherical, oval and rod shaped particles with sizes ranging from 9.40 ± 1.65 to 29.90 ± 5.32 nm were obtained in HDA. Optical properties of the nanoparticles showed blue shifts as compared to the bulk CdS, with the OLA capped nanoparticles slightly more blue shifted than the corresponding HDA capped nanoparticles. Results of crystallinity patterns revealed hexagonal phase of CdS.     

Dithiol-mediated incorporation of CdS nanoparticles from reverse micellar system into Zn-doped SBA-15 mesoporous silica and their photocatalytic properties

CdS nanoparticles, as prepared in reverse micellar systems, were incorporated into alkanedithiol-modified Zn-doped SBA-15 mesoporous silica (dtz.sbnd;ZnSBA-15; pore diameter, ca. 4 nm), which were themselves prepared via hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of Zn(NO(3))(2) and triblock copolymer, as a nonsurfactant template and pore-forming agent, followed by contact with dithiol molecules. A particle-sieving effect for the dtz.sbnd;ZnSBA-15 was observed, in that the incorporation of the nanoparticles was remarkably decreased with increasing the nanoparticle size. The resulting CdSz.sbnd;ZnSBA-15 composite was then used as photocatalysts for the generation of H(2) from 2-propanol aqueous solution. Under UV irradiation (lambda>300 nm), a high photocatalytic activity was observed for this composite material. This is effected by electron transfer from the photoexcited ZnS (dithiol-bonded Zn on SBA-15) to CdS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity is increased with a decrease in the number of methylene groups in the dithiol molecules, according to the rank order 1,10-decanedithiol < 1,6-hexanedithiol < 1,2-ethanedithiol.