Rigid nanoscopic containers for highly dispersed, stable metal and bimetal nanoparticles with both size and site control

We demonstrate a novel strategy for the preparation of mesoporous silica-supported, highly dispersed, stable metal and bimetal nanoparticles with both size and site control. The supporting mesoporous silica, functionalized by polyaminoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, is prepared by repeated Michael addition with methyl acrylates (MA) and amidation reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA), by using aminopropyl-functionalized mesoporous silica as the starting material. The encapsulation of metal nanoparticles within the dendrimer-propagated mesoporous silica is achieved by the chemical reduction of metal-salt-impregnated dendrimer-mesoporous silica by using aqueous hydrazine. The site control of the metal or bimetal nanoparticles is accomplished by the localization of inter- or intradendrimeric nanoparticles within the mesoporous silica tunnels. The size of the encapsulated nanoparticles is controlled by their confinement to the nanocavity of the dendrimer and the mesopore. For Cu and Pd, particles locate at the lining of mesoporous tunnels, and have diameters of less than 2.0 nm. For Pd/Pt, particles locate at the middle of mesoporous tunnels and have diameters in the range of 2.0-4.2 nm. The Pd and Pd/Pt nanoparticles are very stable in air, whereas the Cu nanoparticles are stable only in an inert atmosphere.     

Fabrication and photoluminescent properties of ZnO/mesoporous silica composites templated by a chelating surfactant

A novel anionic surfactant-templated synthesis of ZnO/mesoporous silica nanocomposites has been carried out by using N-hexadecylethylenediamine triacetate (HED3A), a triprotic surfactant, as the structure-directing agent. The chelating template can capture zinc ions in solution and then direct the mesophase formation, enabling an amount of zinc oxide to be embedded in the porous silica matrix during calcination. With variation of the molar ratio of Zn(2+) to HED3A in the template, a series of composites with different doping amounts were obtained after the removal of organic components. The variation of the zinc ion concentration in the initial template solution induces an evolution of the silica mesophase, presumably due to the change in electronegativity of the HED3A headgroup caused by the chelating effect. Spectroscopic studies show a strong host-guest interaction between the silica pore walls and ultrafine ZnO nanoparticles. The photoluminescence properties of the resulting composites exhibit a size-dependent light emission and quantum-confinement effect of ZnO, accompanied by an infrequent violet emission originating from the ZnO-SiO(2) interface.     

Zinc oxide colloids with controlled size, shape, and structure

Highly dispersed uniform ZnO particles of different sizes and shapes were prepared by slowly adding zinc salt and sodium hydroxide solutions in parallel into aqueous solutions of Arabic gum. Except for the very early stages, the precipitated solids consisted of a well-defined zinc oxide phase. Depending on the experimental conditions, the size of the final polycrystalline particles formed by the aggregation of nanosize entities varied from 100 to 300 nm. The reaction temperature affected both the size of the nanosize precursors and their arrangement in the final particles. At ambient temperature the primary nanoparticles, approximately 10 nm in size, formed spherical aggregates, while at 600 degrees C they were much larger (44 nm) and combined to form rather uniform hexagonal ZnO prisms. The aspect ratio and the internal structure of the latter could be altered by changing the nature of the zinc salt, the addition rate, and the initial concentration of the reactants. Based on the findings of the study a two-stage mechanism for the formation of uniform polycrystalline particles with well-defined geometric shapes is proposed.     

Biochemical synthesis of gold and zinc nanoparticles in reverse micelles

Gold and zinc nanoparticles were obtained in AOT reverse micelles in isooctane by reduction of the corresponding metal ions by the natural pigment quercetin (the biochemical synthesis technique). Gold and zinc ions were introduced into the micellar solution of quercetin in the form of aqueous solutions, HAuCl₄ and [Zn(NH₃)₄]SO₄, to the water to AOT molar ratios 1–3 and 3–4, respectively. The process of nanoparticle formation was investigated by spectrophotometry. Nanoparticle size and shape were determined by transmission electron microscopy. The data obtained allow to conclude that there are two steps in metal ion-quercetin interaction: (1) complex formation, and (2) complex dissociation with subsequent formation of nanoparticles and a second product, presumably oxidized quercetin. Gold nanoparticles were found to be of various shapes (spheres, hexahedrons, triangles, and cylinders) and sizes, mainly in the 10–20 nm range; zinc nanoparticles are chiefly spherical and ～5 nm in size. In both cases, the nanoparticles are stable in the air in micellar solution over long periods of time (from a several months to a several years).     

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites of (2‐hydroxypropyl)cellulose as a precursor of nanocrystalline zinc oxide layers

The sol–gel method of synthesis of the hybrid nanocomposite films of ZnO/(2‐hydroxypropyl) cellulose (HPC) on silica glass is presented. The sol phases were prepared for different weight ratios of zinc acetate dihydrate to HPC in the presence of triethylamine (TEA). Raman spectrum of the mixture of ZnAc and HPC indicates coordinating interaction between zinc ion and HPC. The generation of ZnO nanoparticles in the HPC matrix proceeds in situ through the annealing of the gel phase at a temperature of 160°C. Identification of ZnO nanoparticles in the HPC matrix is done by using photoluminescence (PL), UV–Vis, and Raman spectroscopy. The films of ZnO/HPC nanocomposite are transparent in the visible light and show a higher energy value of absorption edge compared with ZnO in the bulk. Nanocrystalline films of ZnO were obtained by the calcination of ZnO/HPC nanocomposite at 500°C. ZnO films possess a good transparency for the visible light and high absorbance for UV light. Nanocrystallite sizes of ZnO particles were estimated from the X‐ ray lines broadening. The properties of ZnO layers were studied by the evaluation of PL, X‐ray investigation and atom force microscope (AFM) scanning, and the optical absorption edge. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coagulation and stabilization of sterically functionalized magnetite nanoparticles in an organic solvent with different technical polymers

Single crystalline zinc tin oxide (ZTO) nanocrystallites were prepared at room temperature through association with a peptide-containing bolaamphiphile molecule. The bolaamphiphile molecules self-assembled to form spherical structures with creation of ZTO nanocrystallites inside. ZTO nanocrystallite synthesis was achieved only when the bolaamphiphile molecule was present, while a mixture of amorphous Sn and Zn precipitates was formed in the absence of the bolaamphiphile molecule. The bolaamphiphile molecule is thought to stabilize the Zn(2+) and Sn(4+) precursor ions by ligation and to induce subsequent condensation forming crystalline ZTO. The ZTO formation was achieved only at a strong acidic condition that promotes dissociation and ionization of Zn and Sn precursors and represses formation of ZnO and H(2)SnO(3). The prepared ZTO nanocrystallites had almost the same band gap energy as ZTO nanoparticles prepared by the conventional hydrothermal process. The outcomes of this study indicate that the controlled mineralization of metal precursor ions in a peptide-containing bolaamphiphile molecule suspension can be an alternative method to synthesize metal oxides at room temperature, while maintaining their crystalline structure and optoelectrical properties.     

Facile synthesis of silver core - silica shell composite nanoparticles

Combining metal nanoparticles and dielectrics (e.g. silica) to produce composite materials with high dielectric constant is motivated by application in energy storage. Control over dielectric properties and their uniformity throughout the composite material is best accomplished if the composite is comprised of metal core - dielectric shell structured nanoparticles with tunable dimensions. We have synthesized silver nanoparticles in the range of 40-100nm average size using low concentration of saccharide simultaneously as the reducing agent and electrostatic stabilizer. Coating these silver particles with silica from tetraalkoxysilanes has different outcomes depending on the alcoholic solvent and the silver particle concentration. A common issue in solution-based synthesis of core-shell particles is heterogeneous nucleation whereupon two populations are formed: the desired core-shell particles and undesired coreless particles of the shell material. We report the formation of Ag@SiO(2) core-shell particles without coreless silica particles as the byproduct in 2-propanol. In ethanol, it depends on the silver surface area available whether homogeneous nucleation of silica on silver is achieved. In methanol and 1-butanol, core-shell particles did not form. This demonstrates the significance of controlling the tetraalkoxysilane hydrolysis rate when growing silica shells on silver nanoparticles.     

Deposition of gold nanoparticles on silica spheres by electroless metal plating technique

A previously proposed method for metal deposition with silver [Kobayashi et al., Chem. Mater. 13 (2001) 1630] was extended to uniform deposition of gold nanoparticles on submicrometer-sized silica spheres. The present method consisted of three steps: (1) the adsorption of Sn(2+) ions took place on surface of silica particles, (2) Ag(+) ions added were reduced and simultaneously adsorbed to the surface, while Sn(2+) was oxidized to Sn(4+), and (3) Au(+) ions added were reduced and deposited on the Ag surface. TEM observation, X-ray diffractometry, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy revealed that gold metal nanoparticles with an average particle size of 13 nm and a crystal size of 5.1 nm were formed on the silica spheres with a size of 273 nm at an Au concentration of 0.77 M.     

TEM,XPS and ESR Studies of Sol-gel ZnO-SiO2 Nanocomposite and ZnO/SiO2 Prepared from Impregnation

The ZnO-SiO₂ nanocomposite was obtained using the sol-gel method^[1] and the sample of ZnO/SiO₂ was prepared by conventional impregnation way. A narrow size distributed ZnO nanoparticles had been observed on silica matrix through both methods by TEM. The particle size increased slightly with zinc oxide content and treatment temperature from the particles of an average value of ca. 3-5 nm for Zn₁₀-T₄₀₀ (the treatment 400℃ and the zinc oxide content 10 wt%) sample to an average value of ca. 6-8 nm in Zn₁₀-T₇₀₀ sample. Furthermore, the ZnO crystalline transition from monocrystal to polycrystalline phase had been observed with treatment from 400℃ to 700℃ in ZnO-SiO₂ from the selected area diffraction patterns. XPS investigation indicated that the Zn 2p binding energy in samples of ZnO/SiO₂ and ZnO-SiO₂ increased greatly compared with zinc oxide, which suggested that strong interactions between nanometer-size ZnO and silica support were established. And it also suggested that the Si-O-H groups present in the surface of silica may be partially or totally substituted by Si-O-Zn bonds. Comparison of the ZnO-SiO₂,the Zn 2p binding energy in the ZnO/SiO₂ is lower, which implied that more Si-O-Zn groups existed on the former than the latter. The ESR results showed an interesting phenomena that a first-order standard differential ESR spectra (g_e=2.062) appeared in all ZnO-SiO₂ samples and no any signals in other samples. The ESR signal obtained may be due to O^-, O^2-, Zn⁺ or other ions. But the O^- ion vacancy is unstable, and if the Zn⁺ and the O^2- ions are the paramagnetic centers the g-factor should be equal to 2.0021^[2] or 2.109^[3], so the ESR signal from ZnO-SiO₂ sample does not arise from the ions above. Perhaps it comes from Zn³⁺, because the g-factor is close to d⁹ and Zn 2p binding energy in ZnO-SiO₂ is much higher than ZnO. The results showed that the interaction between microcrystlline ZnO and silica support in ZnO-SiO₂ is stronger than in the ZnO/SiO₂.     

Formation mechanisms of gold-zinc oxide hexagonal nanopyramids by heterogeneous nucleation using microwave synthesis

This work reports the development of a fast and simple "one-pot" route for the synthesis of hybrid Au-ZnO hexagonal nanopyramids by sequential homogeneous-heterogeneous nucleation steps involving both Au and Zn ions using microwave irradiation (MWI). The rapid decomposition of zinc acetate by MWI in the presence of a mixture of oleic acid (OAc) and oleylamine (OAm) results in the formation of hexagonal ZnO nanopyramids. In the presence of Au ions, the initially formed Au nanocrystals act as heterogeneous nuclei for the nucleation and growth of the ZnO nanopyramids. The Au nanoparticles promote the heterogeneous nucleation of ZnO and the formation of the hexagonal base of the ZnO nanopyramids. Using preformed Au nanoparticles instead of Au ions results in a narrow size distribution of uniform Au-ZnO nanopyramids, each consisting of a gold nanoparticle embedded in the center of the hexagonal base of the ZnO nanopyramid. We study the factors that control the nucleation and growth of these complex structures, and provide new insights into the stepwise homogeneous-heterogeneous mechanism and the conventional heterogeneous nucleation on preformed Au nanoparticles. The formation of the hetero nanostructures Au-ZnO nanopyramids is strongly dependent on the molar ratios of OAc to OAm. The presence of OAc with a considerable dipole moment results in strong electrostatic interaction with the polar surfaces of the growing ZnO nanocrystals thus resulting in slowing the growth rate of the polar planes and allowing the formation of well-developed facets. In the absence of Au nanoparticles, a high concentration of zinc acetate and longer MWI times are required for the production of the nanopyramids. The gold nanoparticles could provide the metallic contact points within the hybrid nanopyramids which could facilitate the bottom-up assembly of Au-ZnO devices. Furthermore, the Au-ZnO nanopyramids could have improved performance in solar energy conversion and photocatalysis.     

Silica-metal core-shell nanostructures

Silica-metal nanostructures consisting of silica cores and metal nanoshells attract a lot of attention because of their unique properties and potential applications ranging from catalysis and biosensing to optical devices and medicine. The important feature of these nanostructures is the possibility of controlling their properties by the variation of their geometry, shell morphology and shell material. This review is devoted to silica-noble metal core-shell nanostructures; specifically, it outlines the main methods used for the preparation and surface modification of silica particles and presents the major strategies for the formation of metal nanoshells on the modified silica particles. A special emphasis is given to the St?ber method, which is relatively simple, effective and well verified for the synthesis of large and highly uniform silica particles (with diameters from 100 nm to a few microns). Next, the surface chemistry of these particles is discussed with a special focus on the attachment of specific organic groups such as aminopropyl or mercaptopropyl groups, which interact strongly with metal species. Finally, the synthesis, characterization and application of various silica-metal core-shell nanostructures are reviewed, especially in relation to the siliceous cores with gold or silver nanoshells. Nowadays, gold is most often used metal for the formation of nanoshells due to its beneficial properties for many applications. However, other metals such as silver, platinum, palladium, nickel and copper were also used for fabrication of core-shell nanostructures. Silica-metal nanostructures can be prepared using various methods, for instance, (i) growth of metal nanoshells on the siliceous cores with deposited metal nanoparticles, (ii) reduction of metal species accompanied by precipitation of metal nanoparticles on the modified silica cores, and (iii) formation of metal nanoshells under ultrasonic conditions. A special emphasis is given to the seed-mediated growth, where metal nanoshells are formed on the modified silica cores with deposited metal nanoparticles. This strategy assures a good control of the nanoshell thickness as well as its surface properties.     

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.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and humidity sensing property of ZnO nanostructures and ZnO-In(OH)3 nanocomposites

Prism- and raspberry-like ZnO nanoparticles and ZnO-In(OH)(3) nanocomposites were prepared by template free hydrothermal method. XRD investigations and microscopic studies showed that pill-like In(OH)(3) particles with body-centered cubic crystal structure formed on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles resulting in increased specific surface area. TEM-EDX mapping images demonstrated that not only nanocomposite formation took place in the course of the synthesis, but zinc ions were also built into the crystal lattice of the In(OH)(3). However, only undoped In(OH)(3) was found on the surface of the pill-like particle aggregates by XPS analyses. The raspberry- and prism-like ZnO particles exhibit strong visible emission with a maximum at 585 and 595 nm, respectively, whose intensity significantly increase due to nanocomposite formation. Photoelectric investigations revealed that photocurrent intensity decreased with increasing indium ion concentration during UV light excitation, which was explained by increase in visible fluorescence emission. QCM measurements showed that morphology of ZnO and concentration of In(OH)(3) had an influence on the water vapor sensing properties.     

Ion conductivity in ZnO-NaCl composites

High-temperature impedance spectroscopy is used to measure the conductivity of nanocomposites consisting of the NaCl matrix and dispersed ZnO. In the range 500–700°C, a significant increase in the conductivity is found with decreasing ZnO particle size. The results signify that the matrix material interacts with zinc oxide nanoparticles.     

有机修饰氧化硅对抗紫外纳米ZnO的原位表面修饰

以正硅酸乙酯和二甲基二乙氧基硅烷作为共前驱体,通过溶胶-凝胶反应得到有机修饰氧化硅;用有机修饰氧化硅对碱式碳酸锌进行原位表面改性,通过对表面改性碱式碳酸锌进行热处理得到表面改性纳米ZnO;分析了表面改性纳米ZnO的结构和性能.结果表明,经有机修饰氧化硅改性处理的纳米ZnO具有强憎水性,与有机相的相容性较强,光催化活性得...     

The Role of Reduced Graphite Oxide in Transition Metal Oxide Nanocomposites Used as Li Anode Material: An Operando Study on CoFe2O4/rGO

A composite consisting of CoFe₂O₄ spinel nanoparticles and reduced graphite oxide (rGO) is studied as an anode material during Li uptake and release by applying synchrotron operando X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), yielding a comprehensive picture of the reaction mechanisms. In the early stages of Li uptake, a monoxide is formed as an intermediate phase containing Fe²⁺ and Co²⁺ ions; this observation is in contrast to reaction pathways proposed in the literature. In the fully discharged state, metallic Co and Fe nanoparticles are embedded in an amorphous Li₂O matrix. During charge, metallic Co and Fe are oxidized simultaneously to Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺, respectively, thus enabling a high and stable capacity to be achieved. Here, evidence is presented that the rGO acts as a support for the nanoparticles and prevents the particles from contact loss. The operando investigations are complemented by TEM, Raman spectroscopy, galvanostatic cycling, and cyclic voltammetry.     

Preparation and properties of polymer/zinc oxide nanocomposites using functionalized zinc oxide quantum dots

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/zinc oxide (ZnO) or carbazole polymer (PCEM)/ZnO nanocomposites, which are composed of high molecular weight PMMA or PCEM with narrow molecular weight distributions and ZnO nanoparticles, were successfully prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated by 2-bromo-2-methylpropionyl (BMP) group (ZnBM) introduced onto the ZnO nanoparticle surfaces. Introduction of the BMP group onto the ZnO surfaces was achieved by esterification of OH group of the ZnO surfaces. The chemically attached OH group-having ZnO nanoparticles (ZnHM) were fabricated by sol-gel reaction from zinc acetate dihydrate, followed by treatment of the ZnO nanoparticles with 2-hydroxypropionic acid (HPA). The ZnHM nanoparticles showed one UV absorption and two emission bands: UV emission peak and broad visible emission band, while the ZnBM exhibited broad UV absorption and no emission spectra. The PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites displayed UV absorption and photoluminescent (PL) band with blue emission on the basis of the ZnHM nanoparticles, where the ZnO nanoparticles dispersed homogeneously in the PMMA matrix. The PCEM/ZnO nanocomposites depicted UV emission peak due to the carbazole unit in the UV range, but no visible emission. Thermal properties of the PMMA/ZnO nanocomposites were improved by dispersion of the ZnO nanoparticles into the PMMA, but the PCEM/ZnO nanocomposites showed no improvement of the thermal properties.     

In Situ Formation of Gold Nanoparticles within a Polymer Particle and Their Catalytic Activities in Various Chemical Reactions

Composite materials consisting of nanoscale gold particles and protective polymer shells were designed and tested as catalysts in various chemical reactions. Initially, the systematic incorporation of multiple gold nanoparticles into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) particle was achieved by an in situ method under light irradiation. The degree of gold nanoparticle loading, along with the structural and morphological properties, was examined as a function of the amount of initial gold ions and reducing agent. As these gold nanoparticles were physically-embedded within the polymer particle in the absence of strong interfacial interactions between the gold nanoparticles and polymer matrix, the readily-accessible surface of the gold nanoparticles with a highly increased stability allowed for their use as recyclable catalysts in oxidation, reduction, and coupling reactions. Overall, the ability to integrate catalytically-active metal nanoparticles within polymer particles in situ allows for designing novel composite materials for multi-purpose catalytic systems.     

Facile synthesis and functionalization of water-soluble gold nanoparticles for a bioprobe

In this work, we report the size tunable synthesis of water-dispersed gold nanoparticles by using octadecylamine (ODA) as the reducing agent, that electrostatically complexes with the chloroaurate ions, reduces them, and subsequently caps the gold nanoparticles. Amine-capped gold nanoparticles, thus formed, were subsequently coordinated with a secondary monolayer of an anionic surfactant, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-sulfosuccinate (AOT) which helps in providing sufficient hydrophilicity to the gold nanoparticles. Functionalized gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, IR spectrophotometric, dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential and transmission electron microscopic techniques, which demonstrated high stability of gold nanoparticles in aqueous media, indicating stabilization via bilayers of ODA and AOT. The gold nanoparticles were further conjugated with a protein (bovine serum albumin) and the interaction was investigated by circular dichroism studies as well as by measuring the fluorescence quenching of the tryptophan residues of protein molecules after the binding of nanoparticles to specific sites of the protein. The binding constant and the stoichiometry values indicated that the particles with larger core size are less site-specific but show higher binding affinity with protein molecules. The use of a bio-compatible synthetic process and the stabilization of the gold nanoparticles by ODA and AOT are interesting from the point of view of making bioprobes for life science applications.     

溶剂热法制备六角锥形ZnO及其光致发光性能

通过乙酸锌和醇溶液反应得到了六角锥形纳米ZnO颗粒, 反应过程中不使用碱溶液和表面活性剂. 利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、选区电子衍射(SAED)及扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对其形貌和结构进行了表征分析. 结果表明, 此方法制备的ZnO颗粒为单晶, 而且六角锥形ZnO的室温光致发光谱(PL)在378 nm处显示出了单纯的紫外发射峰, 而不是通常报道的可见光区发射, 这也预示着这种特殊结构的纳米ZnO将会成为一种具有良好应用前景的光学材料.