Small Noncytotoxic Carbon Nano‐Onions: First Covalent Functionalization with Biomolecules

Small carbon nano‐onions (CNOs, 6–8 shells) were prepared in high yield and functionalized with carboxylic groups by chemical oxidation. After functionalization these nanostructures were soluble in aqueous solutions. 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐5‐(3‐carboxymethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(4‐sulfophenyl)‐2 tetrazolium (MTS) tests showed excellent cytocompatibility of all CNOs analyzed at 30 and 300 μg mL^?1, so these carbon nanostructures can be safely used for biological applications. The first covalent functionalization of oxidized CNOs (ox‐CNOs) with biomolecules, by using biotin–avidin interactions is reported here. Multilayers were prepared on a gold surface by layer‐by‐layer assembly and the process was monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Covalent binding of molecules to the short amine‐terminated organosulfur monolayers was assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using total attenuated reflactance mode (FT‐IR/HATR).     

Facile Functionalization of Multilayer Fullerenes (Carbon Nano‐Onions) by Nitrene Chemistry and “Grafting from” Strategy

Facile functionalization of multilayer fullerenes (carbon nano‐onions, CNOs) was carried out by [2+1] cycloaddition of nitrenes. The products were further derivatized by using the “grafting from” strategy of in situ ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Using one‐step nitrene chemistry with high‐energy reagents, such as azidoethanol and azidoethyl 2‐bromo‐2‐methyl propanoate, in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone at 160°C for 16 h, hydroxyl and bromide functionalities were introduced onto the surfaces of CNOs. These hydroxyl CNOs (CNO‐OH) and bromic CNOs (CNO‐Br) were extensively characterized by various techniques such as thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS). TGA measurements indicated that the surface hydroxyl and bromide group density reached 1.49 and 0.49 mmol g^?1, respectively. The as‐functionalized CNOs showed much better solubility in solvents than pristine CNOs. The CNO‐OH were also observed to fluoresce at λ=453 nm in water. The CNO‐OH and CNO‐Br can be conveniently utilized as macroinitiators to conduct surface‐initiated in‐situ polymerizations. Poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL, 45wt %) and polystyrene (PS, 60 wt%) were then grafted from surfaces of CNOs through the ROP of ε‐caprolactone with the macroinitiator CNO‐OH and the ATRP of styrene with the macroinitiator CNO‐Br, respectively. The structures and morphology of the resulting products were characterized by ¹H NMR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The polymer functionalized CNOs have good solubility/dispersibility in common organic solvents. The facile and scalable functionalization approaches can pave the way for the comprehensive investigation of chemistry of CNOs and fabrication of novel CNO‐based nanomaterials and nanodevices.     

Nitrogen Adsorption Studies of PAN-Based Activated Carbon Fibers Prepared by Different Activation Methods

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) prepared by various activation methods were characterized using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption over a wide relative pressure from 10⁻⁶ to 1. Nitrogen adsorption is a standard tool for determination of porous structure parameters. In the present work, we carried out extensive adsorption studies of a series of PAN-ACFs activated by different methods. It was shown that the high-resolution α_S plot provided valuable information about structural properties of samples under study. The pore size distributions of samples under study were calculated by employing the regularization method according to density functional theory. By these analyses, the pore development and the dominant pores of samples prepared by different methods can be clearly observed. Moreover, the adsorption measurement could provide profound insight into the structural heterogeneity of the ACFs.     

Electrochemical Performance of Li_4Ti_5O_(12) Prepared by Different Methods

A series of Li4Ti5O12 materials were prepared by three different methods： solvothermal, sol-gel, and solid-state reaction methods. Phase composition, morphology, and particle sizes of the samples were studied by powder X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Electrochemical properties of the samples were investigated by charge-discharge tests. It is demonstrated that both sol-gel and solid-state reaction methods provided good control over the chemical composition and microstructure of the active material, in which sol-gel method yielded a fine Li4Ti5O12 spinel having an initial specific capacity of 146 mAh g-1 and low capacity fade during cycling. Comparatively, the solid-state method is simple and promising to prepare Li4Ti5O12 for commercial applications.     

Nano Silicon from Nano Silica Using Natural Resource (Rha) for Solar Cell Fabrication

Abstract

High purity (～99%) nano silica with an average particle size of ～100 nm was extracted at pH 3 at 650°C from a natural resource, rice husk, using alkaline extraction followed by acid precipitation method. Using nano silica as a precursor, silicon (Si) nanoparticles have been synthesized by high-temperature magnesiothermic reduction method. The prepared sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analyzer, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The comprehensive characterization studies indicate the pure phase formation of Si and the variation of particle size from 70 nm to 100 nm for samples synthesized at different sintering temperatures. Moreover, the silicon nanoparticles produced at 850°C have pure phase formation, high purity, and good absorption peaks. The efficiency calculated through IV characteristics is found to be increasing in silicon and ruthenium combination (2.67%), which is better than that achieved from the conventional solar cells. The produced silicon nanoparticles could be applied as an anode material for solar cell fabrication.     

Nano Grape Formation by isotactic‐Poly(methacrylic acid)‐block‐Poly(butyl acrylate)

A novel approach is employed to produce core–corona nanospheres, which introduces a stereoregular hydrophilic part to an amphiphilic block copolymer. The resultant morphology is reported using isotactic‐poly(methacrylic acid)‐block‐poly(butyl acrylate). Infrared spectroscopy revealed a supramolecular interaction, and X ray diffraction revealed the crystallization of the outer isotactic‐poly(methacrylic acid) part. The nanostructure, which looks like a nanosized ‘grape’, was formed when nanospheres and nanofibers coexisted simultaneously and partially fused.

     

Impact of Oxidation State on Reactivity and Selectivity Differences between Nickel(III) and Nickel(IV) Alkyl Complexes

Described is a systematic comparison of factors impacting the relative rates and selectivities of C(sp³)?C and C(sp³)?O bond‐forming reactions at high‐valent Ni as a function of oxidation state. Two Ni complexes are compared: a cationic octahedral Ni^IV complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)borate and a cationic octahedral Ni^III complex ligated by tris(pyrazolyl)methane. Key features of reactivity/selectivity are revealed: 1) C(sp³)?C(sp²) bond‐forming reductive elimination occurs from both centers, but the Ni^III complex reacts up to 300‐fold faster than the Ni^IV, depending on the reaction conditions. The relative reactivity is proposed to derive from ligand dissociation kinetics, which vary as a function of oxidation state and the presence/absence of visible light. 2) Upon the addition of acetate (AcO^?), the Ni^IV complex exclusively undergoes C(sp³)?OAc bond formation, while the Ni^III analogue forms the C(sp³)?C(sp²) coupled product selectively. This difference is rationalized based on the electrophilicity of the respective M?C(sp³) bonds, and thus their relative reactivity towards outer‐sphere S_N2‐type bond‐forming reactions.     

Formation of MoS2 inorganic fullerenes (IFs) by the reaction of MoO3 nanobelts and S

The reaction of MoO3 and S at temperatures higher than 300 degrees C in an argon atmosphere provides a convenient and effective method for the synthesis of MoS2 nanocrystalline substances. MoS2 nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles have been obtained by the reaction at 850 degrees C under well-controlled conditions. The influences of reaction temperature and duration were carefully investigated in this paper. All of the nanostructures were characterized by Xray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). A stepwise reaction model and rolling mechanism were proposed based on the experimental results.     

SOL-GEL法制备钛酸锶钡(BST)粉体

Ba1-x SrxTiO3 (BST) powders were fabricated by sol-gel process by using strontium carbonate for the substitution of strontium acetate. Barium acetate, strontium carbonate and titanium-tetrabutoxide were used as raw materials. The BST gel was studied by thermal analysis techniques, the physical structure of the BST powders was measured by XRD and the grain size was measured. The results showed that the powders possess a single perovskite phase after 700℃ and the ideal powder size even after 800℃ calcining. This indicated that the powder can be used for BST ceramics and the fabrication of the sol-gel derived BST can be carried out well by using carbonate as the starting materials.     

CVD法不同条件下制备的多壁碳纳米管的Fenton氧化改性

碳纳米管经焙烧和稀硝酸纯化处理后,在相同的实验条件下,采用Fenton试剂产生的·OH分别对CVD法合成的两种制备条件不同的多壁碳纳米管进行氧化改性处理。红外光谱(FT IR)表明,改性后的两种碳管结构中都引入了羟基、羰基和羧基等含氧官能团。此外,由于制备条件不同,导致它们的石墨化程度、缺陷含量和抗氧化能力等性质也不同,因此CVD法制备条件能够对碳管Fenton氧化改性结果产生重要影响。机理分析表明,这些含氧官能团可以看作是具有强亲电性和强氧化性的·OH对碳管上缺陷位置和不饱和键进行攻击的结果。     

Preparation and Optimization of PEGylated Nano Graphene Oxide-Based Delivery System for Drugs with Different Molecular Structures Using Design of Experiment (DoE)

Graphene oxide (GO), due to its 2D planar structure and favorable physical and chemical properties, has been used in different fields including drug delivery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different process parameters on the average size of drug-loaded PEGylated nano graphene oxide (NGO-PEG) particles using design of experiment (DoE) and the loading of drugs with different molecular structures on an NGO-PEG-based delivery system. GO was prepared from graphite, processed using a sonication method, and functionalized using PEG 6000. Acetaminophen (AMP), diclofenac (DIC), and methotrexate (MTX) were loaded onto NGO-PEG particles. Drug-loaded NGO-PEG was then characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), XRD. The DLS data showed that the drug-loaded NGO-PEG suspensions were in the size range of 200 nm–1.3 µm. The sonication time and the stirring rate were found to be the major process parameters which affected the average size of the drug-loaded NGO-PEG. FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM demonstrated that the functionalization or coating of the NGO occurred through physical interaction using PEG 6000. Methotrexate (MTX), with the highest number of aromatic rings, showed the highest loading efficiency of 95.6% compared to drugs with fewer aromatic rings (diclofenac (DIC) 70.5% and acetaminophen (AMP) 65.5%). This study suggests that GO-based nano delivery systems can be used to deliver drugs with multiple aromatic rings with a low water solubility and targeted delivery (e.g., cancer).     

液相沉积法制备光催化活性TiO2薄膜和纳米粉体

采用液相沉积法 ,在 3 5℃通过向六氟钛酸铵水溶液中添加硼酸和结晶诱导剂锐钛矿型TiO2 纳米晶 ,沉积出具有光催化活性的TiO2 薄膜和纳米粉体 .用XRD ,AFM ,阶梯仪 ,UV vis ,BET法对TiO2 薄膜和粉体的沉积条件、结构、厚度和性能进行了测定和表征 ,并用亚甲兰的降解 ,评价了TiO2 薄膜和纳米粉体的光催化活性 .结果表明 ,当反应物六氟钛酸铵与硼酸的摩尔比为 1∶2～ 1∶4时 ,沉积的粉体和薄膜含有锐钛矿相TiO2 ;经 3 0 0℃热处理的TiO2 薄膜和纳米粉体具有最高的光催化活性 ,它的光催化活性是未经热处理前的 5倍 .本文还解释了经 3 0 0℃热处理的薄膜和纳米粉体具有最高光催化活性的原因     

不同方法制备的Ni／ZrO2-CeO2-Al2O3催化剂对CH4-CO2重整反应的催化性能

 采用水热合成法、溶胶凝胶法和共沉淀－负载法制备了相同NiO含量的Ni／ZrO2－CeO2－Al2O3催化剂，考察了它们在CH4－CO2重整反应中的催化性能及稳定性，测定了积碳量．用CO2程序升温脱附方法测试了它们的CO2吸附性能，用H2程序升温脱附方法测试了表面Ni的分散度．结果表明，随温度升高，CH4和CO2转化率降低的顺序是：溶胶凝胶法≈共沉淀－负载法＞水热合成法，并且反应产物中n（CO）／n（H2）比随温度升高而降低．水热法和共沉淀－负载法制备的催化剂稳定性好，且前者的活性比后者高；溶胶凝胶法制得的催化剂活性较高，但易失活．积碳量大小顺序是：水热法＞溶胶凝胶法＞共沉淀－负载法．与其他方法制备的催化剂相比，水热法制备的催化剂对CO2的吸附量更大，\r\n而且积碳主要存在于载体上，从而保证了催化剂的稳定性．     

Sc2O@Td(19151)‐C76: Hindered Cluster Motion inside a Tetrahedral Carbon Cage Probed by Crystallographic and Computational Studies

A new cluster fullerene, Sc₂O@T_d(19151)‐C₇₆, has been isolated and characterized by mass spectrometry, UV/Vis/NIR absorption, ⁴⁵Sc NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The crystallographic analysis unambiguously assigned the cage structure as T_d(19151)‐C₇₆, which is the first tetrahedral fullerene cage characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. This study also demonstrated that the Sc₂O cluster has a much smaller Sc?O?Sc angle than that of Sc₂O@C_s(6)‐C₈₂ and the Sc₂O unit is fully ordered inside the T_d(19151)‐C₇₆ cage. Computational studies further revealed that the cluster motion of the Sc₂O is more restrained in the T_d(19151)‐C₇₆ cage than that in the C_s(6)‐C₈₂ cage. These results suggest that cage size affects not only the shapes but also the cluster motion inside fullerene cages.     

不同方法制备CaMoO4∶0.05Eu3+红色荧光粉的对比研究

分别以高温固相法、溶胶-凝胶法、水热法和共沉淀法合成Eu3+掺杂的CaMoO4红色荧光粉,通过X-射线衍射(XRD)、场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)、傅立叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)、光致荧光光谱(PL)进行表征,考察荧光粉晶相、形貌及发光性能对制备方法的依赖性。实验表明,由于Ca2+的半径(0.099 nm)与Eu3+半径(0.094 7 nm)大小相差不大,Eu3+容易取代Ca2+的位置进入晶格,Eu3+掺杂的CaMoO4在晶体结构上保持白钨矿结构。FESEM结果表明:未经后处理的水热法所得样品为片状、多孔结构;高温固相法所得样品尺寸大、团聚严重;溶胶-凝胶法所得样品分散度好、呈条形结构;共沉淀法所得样品形貌、尺寸比较均一。荧光光谱显示,四种样品发光强度差异很大,共沉淀法制得样品的发光强度为未经后处理的水热法制得样品的6-7倍,该现象主要是由样品形貌及表面缺陷的差异引起的。