Growth of Hollow Transition Metal (Fe,Co, Ni) Oxide Nanoparticles on Graphene Sheets through Kirkendall Effect as Anodes for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A general strategy based on the nanoscale Kirkendall effect has been developed to grow hollow transition metal (Fe, Co or Ni) oxide nanoparticles on graphene sheets. When applied as lithium‐ion battery anodes, these hollow transition metal oxide‐based composites exhibit excellent electrochemical performance, with high reversible capacities and long‐term stabilities at a high current density, superior to most transition metal oxides reported to date.     

Formation of Metal Selenide and Metal–Selenium Nanoparticles using Distinct Reactivity between Selenium and Noble Metals

Small Se nanoparticles with a diameter of ≈20 nm were generated by the reduction of selenium chloride with NaBH₄ at ?10 °C. The reaction with Ag at 60 °C yielded stable Ag₂Se nanoparticles, which subsequently were transformed into M–Se nanoparticles (M=Cd, Zn, Pb) through cation exchange reactions with corresponding ions. The reaction with Pt formed Pt layers that were evenly coated on the surface of the Se nanoparticles, and the dissolution of the Se cores with hydrazine generated uniform Pt hollow nanoparticles. The reaction with Au generated tiny Au clusters on the Se surface, and eventually formed acorn‐shaped Au–Se nanoparticles through heat treatment. These results indicate that small Se nanoparticles with diameters of ≈20 nm can be used as a versatile platform for the synthesis of metal selenide and metal–selenium hybrid nanoparticles with complex structures.     

Galvanic Replacement Reactions of Active‐Metal Nanoparticles

We present a systemic investigation of a galvanic replacement technique in which active‐metal nanoparticles are used as sacrificial seeds. We found that different nanostructures can be controllably synthesized by varying the type of more noble‐metal ions and liquid medium. Specifically, nano‐heterostructures of noble metal (Ag, Au) or Cu nanocrystals on active‐metal (Mg, Zn) cores were obtained by the reaction of active‐metal nanoparticles with more noble‐metal ions in ethanol; Ag nanocrystal arrays were produced by the reaction of active‐metal nanoparticles with Ag⁺ ions in water; spongy Au nanospheres were generated by the reaction of active‐metal nanoparticles with AuCl₄^? ions in water; and SnO₂ nanoparticles were prepared when Sn²⁺ were used as the oxidant ions. The key factors determining the product morphology are shown to be the reactivity of the liquid medium and the nature of the oxidant–reductant couple, whereas Mg and Zn nanoparticles played similar roles in achieving various nanostructures. When microsized Mg and Zn particles were used as seeds in similar reactions, the products were mainly noble‐metal dendrites. The new approach proposed in this study expands the capability of the conventional nanoscale galvanic replacement method and provides new avenues to various structures, which are expected to have many potential applications in catalysis, optoelectronics, and biomedicine.     

Single-Chain Folding Nanoparticles as Carbon Nanotube Catchers

This contribution describes a simple method for preparing polymeric nanoparticles using photodimerization of anthracene moieties on the side chain of terpolymers in dilute regime and transformation of obtained polymeric nanoparticles into pyrene functional nanoparticles via Menschutkin quaternization procedure. Subsequently, pyrene possessing polymeric nanoparticles are attached onto multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) surfaces by π–π stacking strategy. Gel permeation chromatography, thermal gravimetric analysis, ultraviolet–visible, and fluorescence spectroscopies are used to analyze modified nanoparticles and their precursors. Electron microscopy and dispersion studies show that pyrene-modified polymeric nanoparticles are able to interconnect various CNTs. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 2709–2714     

Dual Soft‐Template System Based on Colloidal Chemistry for the Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

A new dual soft‐template system comprising the asymmetric triblock copolymer poly(styrene‐b‐2‐vinyl pyridine‐b‐ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO) and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is used to synthesize hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) nanoparticles with a center void of around 17 nm. The stable PS‐b‐P2VP‐b‐PEO polymeric micelle serves as a template to form the hollow interior, while the CTAB surfactant serves as a template to form mesopores in the shells. The P2VP blocks on the polymeric micelles can interact with positively charged CTA⁺ ions via negatively charged hydrolyzed silica species. Thus, dual soft‐templates clearly have different roles for the preparation of the HMS nanoparticles. Interestingly, the thicknesses of the mesoporous shell are tunable by varying the amounts of TEOS and CTAB. This study provides new insight on the preparation of mesoporous materials based on colloidal chemistry.     

Thermally Reversible Self‐Assembly of Nanoparticles via Polymer Crystallization

The directed self‐assembly of gold nanoparticles through the crystallization of surface‐grafted polyethylene oxide (PEO) in ethanol–water mixtures is described. This process is fully reversible and tunable through either the size of the core or the polymeric coating. Characterization by X‐ray scattering and electron microscopy of the self‐assembled structures reveals order at the nanoscale, typically not the case for thermoresponsive gold nanoparticles coated with lower or upper critical solution temperature polymers. A further novelty is the result of selective binding of calcium ions to the PEO in the fluid state: a reversible thermoresponsive transition become irreversible.

     

Polymer Composites with Plasmonic Metal Nanoparticles

Summary: A two-phase method has been adapted for the preparation of polymer composites consisting of regioregular poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and Au or Ag nanoparticles. This work compares optical and morphological properties of nanocomposites formed by mixing metal organosols and polymer solution (type I composites) with nanocomposites formed by in-situ reduction in polymer solutions (type II composites). Both types contained very small metal nanoparticles (1–10 nm). Interestingly, more than ten-fold enhancement of Raman scattering of the polymer by the electromagnetic (EM) mechanism of SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) resulted from the coupling of the polymer with plasmonic Au nanoparticles into a nanocomposite system.     

Green preparation of hollow mesoporous silica nanosphere inside-loaded gold nanoparticles and the catalytic activity

In this work, an active nano-catalyst with gold nanoparticles loaded in hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres (HMSNs/Au) was prepared by a one-pot sol-gel method, in which gold ions were loaded in hollow mesoporous silica spheres followed by sodium alginate reduction. The characterization of the HMSNs/Au were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms (BET). The high catalytic activity of HMSNs/Au, denoted as apparent turn-over frequency (TOF), was detected by UV-Vis spectrophotometer for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (74.5 h^?1) and 2-nitrophenol (108.7 h^?1) in the presence of sodium borohydride solution due to the small gold nanoparticles size and overall exposure of active sites. It is expected that this ecofriendly approach to prepare inorganic composited nanoparticles as high active catalysts based on hollow mesoporous materials was a promising platform for loading noble metal nanoparticles.     

Bismuth Nanoparticles in Stripping Voltammetry of Sulfide Ions

For the first time, carbon screen‐printed electrodes (CSPE) modified with bismuth nanoparticles have been used to determine sulfide ions with stripping voltammetry (SV) by formation of sparingly soluble compounds with the electrode material. The impact of weight, degree of bismuth dispersion on CSPE surface, and Bi₂S₃ accumulation parameters on the sensitivity of the sensor have been studied. It has been established that bismuth nanoparticles (Bi_nano) as agglomerates of about 180 nm exhibit the optimum sensory properties. The linear concentration range has been observed over the interval of 0.93–5 µM sulfide ions during the accumulation time of 75 s. A detection limit of 0.15 µM sulfide ions was achieved.     

溶液体系中的纳米金属粒子形状控制合成*

纳米尺度的金属粒子由于量子尺寸效应等原因而表现出不同于宏观金属块体的电学、磁学、光学和热学等性质.纳米金属粒子的性质不仅受到尺寸的影响,还与粒子的形状密切相关.不同形状的纳米金属粒子通常具有不同的表面结构和性质.近年来,纳米金属粒子的形状控制合成正受到越来越多的关注;其中,Ⅷ族和IB族金属的研究已取得一定进展.本文评述了纳米金属粒子的合成以及尺寸和形状控制的方法,分别介绍了铂、钯、镍、金、银、铜以及钴等金属的形状控制合成的近期研究进展.     

Complex Formation of d‐Metal Ions at the Interface of TbIII‐Doped Silica Nanoparticles as a Basis of Substrate‐Responsive TbIII‐Centered Luminescence

The complex formation of d‐metal ions at the interface of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles modified by amino groups is introduced as a route to sensing d‐metal ions and some organic molecules. Diverse modes of surface modification (covalent and noncovalent) are used to fix amino groups onto the silica surface. The interfacial binding of d‐metal ions and complexes is the reason for the Tb^III‐centered luminescence quenching. The regularities and mechanisms of quenching are estimated for the series of d‐metal ions and their complexes with chelating ligands. The obtained results reveal the interfacial binding of Cu^II ions as the basis of their quantitative determination in the concentration range 0.1–2.5 μM by means of steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements. The variation of chelating ligands results in a significant effect on the quenching regularities due to diverse binding modes (inner or outer sphere) between amino groups at the interface of nanoparticles and Fe^III ions. The applicability of the steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements to sense both Fe^III ions and catechols in aqueous solution by means of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles is also introduced.     

Self‐assembly in solutions of block and random copolymers during metal nanoparticle formation

The self‐assembly behavior of poly(isoprene‐b‐acrylic acid) and poly(styrene‐b‐2‐vinylpyridine) amphiphilic block copolymers, as well as a poly(styrene‐r‐2‐vinylpyridine) amphiphilic random copolymer was investigated in slightly selective organic solvents (tetrahydrofuran and toluene) in the presence of Ag and Au ions and subsequently Ag, Au metal nanoparticles, by means of dynamic light scattering. In the range of concentrations studied the copolymers exist in the form of micelles with cores composed of acrylic acid and 2‐vinylpyridine segments in equilibrium with unimers. The addition of metal ions and their subsequent transformation to metal nanoparticles shifts the equilibrium in favor of the micelles. The concentration of the inorganic components has also a considerable effect on the size of the polymeric aggregates. A similar behavior is observed for the random copolymer. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), UV‐visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) give valuable additional information on the nature of the interactions between the polymeric and inorganic components, as well as on the characteristics of the metal nanoparticles and the hybrid micelles formed in each case. The presented results have a direct relation to the synthesis of metal nanoparticles under confinement by utilization of copolymer nanoreactors and appropriate solution conditions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1515–1524, 2008     

Tailored composite polymer–metal nanoparticles by miniemulsion polymerization and thiol‐ene functionalization

A simple and modular synthetic approach, based on miniemulsion polymerization, has been developed for the fabrication of composite polymer–metal nanoparticle materials. The procedure produces well‐defined composite structures consisting of gold, silver, or MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (～10 nm in diameter) encapsulated within larger spherical nanoparticles of poly(divinylbenzene) (～100 nm in diameter). This methodology readily permits the incorporation of multiple metal domains into a single polymeric particle, while still preserving the useful optical and magnetic properties of the metal nanoparticles. The morphology of the composite particles is retained upon increasing the inorganic content and also upon redispersion in organic solvents. Finally, the ability to tailor the surface chemistry of the composite nanoparticles and incorporate steric stabilizing groups using simple thiol‐ene chemistry is demonstrated. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1594–1606, 2010     

聚合物负载金属纳米粒子型核壳结构催化剂的研究

核壳结构聚合物负载型催化剂因其载体材料独特的结构、形貌和性质而具有优异的催化活性,成为了催化化学领域研究的热点。本文综述了聚合物负载金属纳米粒子型核壳结构催化剂,包括球形聚合物刷负载金属纳米粒子、聚合物中空微球负载金属纳米粒子、聚合物实心微球表面包覆金属纳米粒子等类型催化剂的制备及其相应的催化性能,强调了各类载体的组成和结构特点对催化活性及其稳定性的影响。最后总结了该类催化材料的优势和不足,并对其性能和应用进行了展望。     

In Situ Self-Polymerization to Form Hollow Graphitized Carbon Nanocages with Embedded Cobalt Nanoparticles for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur batteries, owing to the multi-electron participation in the redox reaction, possess enormous energy density, which has aroused much attention. Nevertheless, the detrimental shuttle effect, volume expansion, and electrical insulation of sulfur, have hindered their application. To improve the cyclability, a functional host, consisting of Co nanoparticles and N-doped hollow graphitized carbon (Co-NHGC) material, is elaborated, which has the advantages of: 1) the graphitized carbon material working as an electronic matrix to improve the utilization rate of sulfur; 2) the hollow structure relieving the stress change caused by volume expansion; 3) the rich active sites catalyze the electrochemical reaction of sulfur and entrap polysulfides. These advantages significantly improve the performance of the lithium–sulfur batteries. Accordingly, the S@Co-NHGC cathode exhibits excellent initial specific capacity, high coulombic efficiency, and excellent rate performance. This work utilizes a novel method of dopamine in situ etching of a metal–organic framework to synthetize the Co-NHGC host of sulfur, which will hopefully provide inspiration for other energy materials.     

金纳米粒子在重金属离子检测方面的应用研究

近年来,贵金属纳米材料由于其具有独特的光学性质、稳定性、生物相容性和自身的结构特性等优点,被广泛用于重金属检测领域。总结了近年来金纳米粒子在重金属离子检测方面的研究现状,最后对贵金属纳米材料在重金属离子检测中的发展前景进行了展望。     

金纳米粒子在重金属离子检测方面的应用研究

近年来,贵金属纳米材料由于其具有独特的光学性质、稳定性、生物相容性和自身的结构特性等优点,被广泛用于重金属检测领域。总结了近年来金纳米粒子在重金属离子检测方面的研究现状,最后对贵金属纳米材料在重金属离子检测中的发展前景进行了展望。     

Chemico‐Physical Synthesis of Surfactant‐ and Ligand‐Free Gold Nanoparticles and Their Anti‐Galvanic Reduction Property

Galvanic reduction (GR) is a classic reaction. In simple terms, metals can reduce less reactive (or more noble) metal ions, while the opposite—metals reduce more reactive (or less noble) metal ions—should not occur. However, recently we found that anti‐galvanic reduction (AGR) occurred to thiolated gold and silver nanoparticles. However, the essential issue whether the occurrence of AGR requires the assistance of reductive thiolate ligands or not still remained unanswered. In this work, by using a novel protocol (chemical reduction and physical ablation), we synthesized surfactant‐ and ligand‐free gold nanoparticles. We found that these as‐prepared nanoparticles can reduce silver ions and copper ions, thus illustrating that AGR is not dependent on reductive ligands. Further experiments demonstrated that AGR is applicable to other metal (such as Pt and Pd) nanoparticles and that the AGR process is size‐dependent. Finally, it was found that the Raman scattering signals of Rhodamine 6G are distinctly enhanced on the gold nanoparticles that had been reacted with silver ions, which indicates the use of AGR for tuning the property of nanoparticles.     

Au@SiO_2中空微球的制备及催化性能

以天然高分子阿拉伯树胶(AG)为还原剂和稳定剂制备了金纳米粒子;将含有金纳米粒子(Au NPs)、阿拉伯树胶和氨水的溶液滴加到乙醇中形成AG-Au NPs复合胶团;利用正硅酸乙酯水解,在AG-Au NPs表面包覆二氧化硅壳层;通过简单水洗的方法得到了金纳米粒子@二氧化硅(Au@SiO_2)中空微球.采用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)和氮气吸附实验等对Au@SiO_2中空微球进行表征.通过设计对比实验,证实阿拉伯树胶在中空结构形成过程中起到模板剂的作用.催化性能测试结果表明,所制备的Au@SiO_2中空微球在硼氢化钠还原亚甲基蓝的反应中表现出良好的催化活性和重复使用性.     

Reversible Synthesis of Sub‐10 nm Spherical and Icosahedral Gold Nanoparticles from a Covalent Au(CN)2− Precursor and Recycling of Cyanide to form Ferric Ferrocyanide for Cell Staining

A solution approach based on Au(CN)₂^? chemistry is reported for the formation of nanoparticles. The covalent character of the Au(CN)₂^? precursor was exploited in the formation of sub‐10 nm nanospheres (≈2.4 nm) and highly monodisperse icosahedral Au nanoparticles (≈8 nm) at room temperature in a one‐pot aqueous synthesis. The respective spherical and icosahedral Au morphologies can be controlled by either the absence or presence of the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Using Au(CN)₂^? as a metal ion source, our findings suggest that the addition of citrate ions is necessary to enhance the particle formation rate as well as to generate a more homogeneous colloidal dispersion. Because of the presence of oxygen and the operation of a CN^? etching process associated with Au(CN)₂^? complex formation, an interesting reversible formation–dissolution process was observed, which allowed us to repeatedly prepare spherical and icosahedral Au nanoparticles. Time‐dependent TEM images and UV/Vis spectra were carefully acquired to study the reversibility of this formation–dissolution process. In view of the accompanying generation of toxic cyanide anions, we have developed a protocol to recycle cyanide in the presence of citrate ions through ferric ferrocyanide formation. After completion of particle formation, the residual solutions containing citrate ions and cyanide ions were processed to stain iron oxide nanoparticles endocytosized in cells. Additionally, the as‐prepared 8 nm Au icosahedra could be isolated and grown to larger 57 nm‐sized icosahedra using the seed‐mediated growth approach.