Syntheses of rare-earth metal oxide nanotubes by the sol-gel method assisted with porous anodic aluminum oxide templates

In this paper, we report a versatile synthetic method of ordered rare-earth metal (RE) oxide nanotubes. RE (RE=Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb) oxide nanotubes were successfully prepared from corresponding RE nitrate solution via the sol-gel method assisted with porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been employed to characterize the morphology and composition of the as-prepared nanotubes. It is found that as-prepared RE oxides evolve into bamboo-like nanotubes and entirely hollow nanotubes. A new possible formation mechanism of RE oxide nanotubes in the AAO channels is proposed. These high-quantity RE oxide nanotubes are expected to have promising applications in many areas such as luminescent materials, catalysts, magnets, etc.     

Carbon nanotube assisted synthesis of CeO2 nanotubes

CeO₂ nanotubes have been synthesized facilely using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as templates by a liquid phase deposition method. The properties of the CeO₂ nanotubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) as well as thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The obtained CeO₂ nanotubes with a polycrystalline face-centered cubic phase have a uniform diameter ranging from 40 to 50 nm. The CeO₂ nanotubes are composed of many tiny interconnected nanocrystallites of about 10 nm in size. The pretreatment of CNTs and calcination temperature were confirmed to be the crucial factors determining the formation of CeO₂ nanotubes. A possible formation mechanism has been suggested to explain the formation of CeO₂ nanotubes.     

Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles utilizing hydrated reverse micelles in CO2

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were produced by the controlled hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in the presence of reverse micelles formed in CO2 with the surfactants ammonium carboxylate perfluoropolyether (PFPECOO-+NH4) (Mw = 587) and poly(dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate-block-1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA-b-PFOMA). Based on dynamic light scattering measurements, the amorphous TiO2 particles formed by injection of TTIP are larger than the reverse micelles, indicating surfactant reorganization. The size of the particles and the stability of dispersions in CO2 were affected by the molar ratio of water to surfactant headgroup (w(o)), precursor concentration, and injection rate. The amorphous particle size did not change upon depressurization and redispersion in CO2. PDMAEMA-b-PFOMA provided greater stability against particle aggregation at higher reactant concentration compared with PFPECOO-+NH4. The crystallite size after calcination, which was examined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, increased with w(o).     

Lamellar metal-organic complex and its rod-like nanoparticles prepared with ultrasonic technique

Metal-organic complex (H3NCH2CH2NH2)3[MoO2(OC6H4O)2] with a lamellar morphology has been syn- thesized. Its crystal structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the crystal was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The metal-organic nanoparticles have been prepared by using an ultrasonic method. The morphology of the as-prepared nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The possible formation mechanism has also been proposed.     

Synthesis of Eu2O3 nanotube arrays through a facile sol-gel template approach

Eu2O3 nanotubes have been successfully fabricated by an improved sol-gel template method within the nanochannels of porous anodic alumina templates. The morphology, structure, and composition of the nanotubes were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction techniques, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction. The results show that the Eu2O3 nanotubes are polycrystalline with a cubic structure. The outer diameter of nanotubes is 50-80 nm, and the thickness of the tube wall is about 5 nm. The mechanism of nanotube formation was discussed.     

Sacrificial template growth of CdS nanotubes from Cd(OH)2 nanowires

A diffusion-controlled process was proposed for the preparation of inorganic nanotubes from nanowires. The preformed Cd(OH)₂ nanowires were used as the sacrificial templates to generate CdS nanotubes with different wall thickness. The axle-sleeve transition state found in-between the precursor and the formation of products proves the diffusion-controlled mechanism. CdS nanotubes can be prepared via this method at different temperature and with various sulfide sources. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results showed that all obtained CdS nanotubes consist conglomerated crystallites, and the crystallinity can be altered by changing the temperature of the growth process. The wall thickness of the produced CdS nanotubes can be controlled by changing the concentration of the sulfide source and stopping the reaction at different stages.     

Self-assembly of Co-based nanosheets into novel nest-shaped nanostructures: Synthesis and characterization

We report the first observation of the formation of novel Co-based three-dimensional (3D) self-assembly hollow nanostructures, i.e., nest-shaped nanospheres composed of sheet-like particles, via reduction of cobalt salt with sodium tetrahydroboride in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-cyclohexane-NH4F aqueous solutions. It was found that the cyclohexane has a significant influence on the formation of the nest-shaped Co-based nanospheres, because when the experiments are carried out in the absence of cyclohexane, only sheet-like particles are formed. NH4F plays also an important role in the formation of the hollow nanostructures because without this salt mainly solid spherical structures, composed of sheet-like particles, instead of nest-shaped structures are obtained. The nanostructures are mainly formed by Co, but also a minor amount (17%) of Co2B is present in the final compounds. The structures are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A possible mechanism for the formation of the novel Co-based nanostructures is proposed.     

ZnO-CNTs纳米复合材料的制备及性能表征

以醋酸锌(Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O)和经硝酸处理过的碳纳米管(CNTs)为原料, 一缩二乙二醇(DEG)为溶剂, 采用溶胶法制备得到ZnO-CNTs纳米复合材料, 并通过XRD、TEM、SEM、IR、PL等手段对样品进行了表征, TEM及SEM结果显示, 负载在碳纳米管上的氧化锌纳米颗粒的尺寸小于25 nm. 讨论了反应时间、反应温度等因素对产品形貌的影响, 并对复合材料的光致发光效应及其形成机理进行了初步的探讨. PL结果表明, 相对于纯ZnO, ZnO-CNTs纳米复合材料的近紫外发射峰峰位发生了明显的蓝移.     

Preparation of Multilayered 1,2-Ethylene-silica Nanotubes Through a Dual-templating Approach

Multilayered 1,2-ethylene-silica nanotubes were prepared with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)as a template and(S)-β-citronellol(CN)as a co-structure-directing agent.For a better understanding of t...     

一种新的WO3纳米管的制备方法

一维纳米材料因可用来构造高性能纳米器件的结构单元而成为纳米材料研究的热点．目前的研究重点集中在材料的制备和结构性能表征方面,已发展了多种制备方法,主要有模板法、V-L-S法、L-L-S法和V-S法等,其中阳极氧化铝(AAO)模板法是制备一维材料的好方法．AAO模板的制备工艺已相当成熟,     

毛刺状竹节结构氮化硼纳米管的合成与生长机理

以非晶硼和氧化镍纳米颗粒为原料,在氨气中1100℃下合成了毛刺状竹节结构的氮化硼纳米管. 利用X射线衍射和透射电镜研究了氮化硼纳米管的结构和形貌. 竹节结构纳米管表面的毛刺是六方氮化硼的纳米薄片. 提出了一种基于固态硼和气态二氧化硼扩散的毛刺形貌生长机理.     

Ultralong cadmium hydroxide nanowires: synthesis, characterization, and transformation into CdO nanostrands

Ultralong Cd(OH)2 nanowires were fabricated by a hydrothermal method from Cd(CH3COO)2 x H2O (0.01 mol/L) and C6H12N4 (0.015 mol/L) aqueous solution at 95 degrees C for 16 h without using any templates and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The length of the nanowires reached several micrometers, giving an aspect ratio of a few thousands. The formation mechanism of the nanowires is attributed to the oriented attachment of small particles. The growth method for the 1D nanostructure presented here offers an excellent tool for the design of other advanced materials with anisotropic properties. The Cd(OH)2 nanowires efficiently captured negatively charged dye, and the adsorbed dye molecules can be released after the addition of EDTA. The Cd(OH)2 nanowires as template compounds were further transformed into CdO semiconductor nanomaterials with similar morphology by calcination under 350 degrees C in air for 3 h.     

Fabrication and characterization of ultralong Ag/C nanocables, carbonaceous nanotubes, and chainlike beta-Ag2Se nanorods inside carbonaceous nanotubes

A novel complex-assisted hydrothermal route is presented to fabricate ultralong Ag/C nanocables with length ranging from 100 to 180 microm on a large scale, based on the reaction of sulfamic acid silver and salicylic acid. By chemical etching of these Ag/C nanocables, high-quality carbonaceous nanotubes can be obtained at room temperature. Using the as-prepared Ag/C nanocables as templates, a new strategy for introducing guest materials into hollow nanotubes is addressed. We take Ag(2)Se as an example and validate the feasibility of this strategy. All of the products are characterized in detail by multiform techniques: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM. The formation mechanisms of these products are tentatively proposed.     

二元阴阳离子表面活性剂法合成介孔氧化硅囊泡

以十二烷基磺酸钠(SDS)和十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)为表面活性剂, 在SDS与CTAB的摩尔比为1.0~2.3时, 以正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)为硅源, 在氨水-水体系中于68℃下合成介孔氧化硅囊泡. 通过透射电子显微镜(TEM)、 X射线衍射仪(XRD)、 热重分析仪(TGA)和氮气吸附-脱附实验仪对合成的产物进行表征. 结果表明, 合成的产物为介孔氧化硅囊泡聚集体, 孔径约为4 nm, 样品的Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)比表面积为826 m²/g. 对介孔氧化硅囊泡的形成机理做了初步探讨.     

Graphite-incorporated MoS2 nanotubes: a new coaxial binary system

Graphite-filled MoS2 nanotubes were synthesized by pyrolizing propylene inside MoS2 nanotubes prepared by a template-assisted technique. The large coaxial nanotubes were constituted of graphite sheets inserted between the MoS2 layers, forming the outer part, and coaxial multiwall carbon nanotubes intercalated with MoS2 inside. High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy techniques along with molecular dynamics simulation and quantum mechanical calculations were used to characterize the samples. The one-dimensional structures exhibit diverse morphologies such as long straight and twisted nanotubes with several structural irregularities. The interplanar spacing between the MoS2 layers was found to increase from 6.3 to 7.4 A due to intercalation with carbon. Simulated HREM images revealed the presence of mechanical strains in the carbon-intercalated MoS2 layers as the reason for obtaining these twisted nanostructures. The mechanism of formation of carbon-intercalated MoS2 tubular structures and their stability and electronic properties are discussed. Our results open up the possibility of using MoS2 nanotubes as templates for the synthesis of new one-dimensional binary-phase systems.     

Template‐Synthesized Copper Nanotubes via Electroless Plating

Template synthesis method of preparing copper nanotubes via electroless plating has been investigated in this paper. The tubular structures were obtained by calcinring copper‐coated carbon nanofibers. The final products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and x‐ray diffractometer (XRD). The results show that copper nanotubes can be synthesized by this method. The inner diameter of the prepared copper nanotubes is about 100 nm, and the wall thickness is about 25 nm. In this method, it is convenient to control the dimension or the shape of the obtained copper nanotubes by using different nanofibers as templates.     

Large-scale synthesis of silver nanowires and platinum nanotubes

Silver nanowires have been synthesized by ethylene glycol reduction of silver nitrate with the assistance of polyvinyl pyrrolidone and sodium sulfide in a large scale. By adjusting the reaction temperature and Na₂S content, silver nanowires with lengths up to 3?4 μm can be achieved in high yield. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected areas electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been employed to characterize silver nanowires. Platinum nanotubes with length about 3 μm can be prepared using as-prepared silver nanowires as sacrificial templates. Platinum nanotubes were characterized by TEM, SAED, and HRTEM.     

Controllable synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid MoOx/polyaniline nanowires and nanotubes

A novel chemical oxidative polymerization approach has been proposed for the controllable preparation of organic-inorganic hybrid MoO(x)/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites based on the nanowire precursor of Mo(3)O(10)(C(6)H(8)N)(2)·2H(2)O with sub-nanometer periodic structures. The nanotubes, nanowires, and rambutan-like nanoparticles of MoO(x)/PANI were successfully obtained through simply modulating the pH values to 2.5-3.5, ≈2.0 and ≈1.0, respectively. Through systematic physicochemical characterization, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and so forth, the composition and structure of MoO(x)/PANI hybrid nanocomposites are well confirmed. It is found that the nanowire morphology of the precursor is the key to achieve the one-dimensional (1D) structures of final products. A new polymerization-dissolution mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of such products with different morphologies, in which the match between polymerization and dissolution processes of the precursor plays the important role. This approach will find a new way to controllably prepare various organic-inorganic hybrid 1D nanomaterials especially for polymer-hybrid nanostructures.     

Formation of silicon carbide nanotubes and nanowires via reaction of silicon (from disproportionation of silicon monoxide) with carbon nanotubes

One-dimensional silicon-carbon nanotubes and nanowires of various shapes and structures were synthesized via the reaction of silicon (produced by disproportionation reaction of SiO) with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (as templates) at different temperatures. A new type of multiwalled silicon carbide nanotube (SiCNT), with 3.5-4.5 A interlayer spacings, was observed in addition to the previously known beta-SiC (cubic zinc blende structure) nanowires and the biaxial SiC-SiO(x) nanowires. The SiCNT was identified by high-resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM), elemental mapping, and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The multiwalled SiCNT was found to transform to a beta-SiC crystalline structure by electron beam annealing under TEM.     

MoO2微米空心球的水热合成及合成机理研究

Micrometer-sized MoO2 hollow spheres were synthesized hydrothermally with ammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate as molybdenum source, Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as structure-directing agent and C2H5OH as reducing agent, respectively. The products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermo- gravimetry and differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A morphology transition of "blocks-solid spheres-hollow spheres" during the growth process was observed and the possible mechanism for the formation of MoO2 samples was proposed to be through a microscale Kirkendall effect.