Selective synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and annealing process

Four types of BN nanotubes are selectively synthesized by annealing porous precursor in flowing NH₃ and NH₃/H₂ atmosphere at temperature ranging from 1000 to 1200 °C in a vertical furnace. The as-synthesized BN nanotubes, including cylinder, wave-like, bamboo-like and bubble-chain, are characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, TEM and HRTEM. Three phenomenological growth models are proposed to interpret growth scenario and structure features of the four types of BN nanotubes. Selectivity of nanotubes formation is estimated as approximately 80-95%. The precursor containing B, Mg, Fe and O prepared by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method plays a key role in selective synthesis of the as-synthesized BN nanotubes. Chemical reactions are also discussed.     

Controlled morphology synthesis of β-FeOOH and the phase transition to Fe2O3

The hexagram and arrayed β-FeOOH nanorods were first synthesized free of surfactants through the solvent-thermal method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDAX) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the as-prepared products. The TEM and FESEM images showed that hexagram β-FeOOH and arrayed rod-like β-FeOOH with an average diameter of 10-15 nm and an average length of 100 nm (aspect ratio is about 10) were prepared. Electrochemical tests show that these nanorods deliver a large discharge capacity of 277 mA h g⁻¹ versus Li metal at 0.1 mA cm⁻² (voltage at 1.5-4.2 V). Treated the as-synthesized rod-like β-FeOOH by annealing, rhombus hematite was obtained.     

Sonochemical synthesis of mass single-crystal PbS nanobelts

Based on sonochemical technique, large-scale PbS nanobelts are successfully synthesized in the mixed solution of PbCl₂ and Na₂S₂O₃. These nanobelts are characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electronic diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and high-resolution TEM. The as-synthesized PbS nanobelts have width of about 80 nm, length up to several millimeters, and width-to-thickness ratio of about 5. In addition, the growth mechanism of PbS nanobelts is suggested.     

Synthesis of straight and helical carbon nanotubes from catalytic pyrolysis of polyethylene

Straight and helical carbon nanotubes with diameter from 20 to 60 nm have been synthesized through catalytic decomposition of polyethylene in autoclave at 700 °C. The X-ray power diffraction pattern indicates that the products are hexagonal graphite, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images reveal the morphologies and structures of carbon nanotubes. The effects of reaction temperature, catalyst and maleated polypropylene on the growth of the carbon nanotubes were also discussed, and the growth mechanism of the CNTs was proposed. Pyrolysis of polyethylene is a promising green chemical method for economically producing carbon nanotubes.     

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.     

A low-temperature synthesis of ultraviolet-light-emitting ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers

We have successfully synthesized single-crystal ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers by employing Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, NH₃·H₂O as the starting materials in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG, M_w=2000) at ambient pressure and low temperature (70 °C). Characterizations are carried out by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The results show that the as-prepared ZnO are tubular textures, which have average cross-sectional dimensions of 200-300 nm, lengths of 2-3.5 μm, and wall thickness of 80 nm. These tubular products demonstrate a sharp ultraviolet excitonic emission peak centered at 385 nm at room temperature. A possible growth mechanism and the influence of the reaction temperature on the formation of crystalline ZnO are presented.     

Self-catalyst growth of single-crystalline CaB6 nanostructures

Large-scale calcium hexaboride (CaB₆) nanostructures have been successfully fabricated with self-catalyst method using calcium (Ca) powders and boron trichloride (BCl₃) gas mixed with hydrogen and argon. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to characterize the compositions, morphologies, and structures of the samples. Our results show that the nanowires are highly single crystals elongated preferentially in the [1 1 0] direction. The growth mechanism based on the self-catalyst process is simply discussed.     

Ni(OH)2纳米管的制备、表征及电化学性能

以多孔氧化铝为模板, 在不同溶液浓度下, 用化学沉积法制备了氢氧化镍纳米管. 采用XRD, SEM, TEM和HRTEM等手段, 对产物的物相、表面形貌及微结构进行了表征. 结果表明所得产物是高纯度的氢氧化镍纳米管, 外径约为180～220 nm, 管壁厚20～30 nm. 将所制备的氢氧化镍纳米管制成电极, 其电化学性能测试表明, Ni(OH)₂纳米管的中空结构特点, 能够有效地提高镍电极的充电效率、放电比容量、高倍率及高温放电性能. 机理分析表明中空结构的Ni(OH)₂纳米管对于提高碱性二次电池的综合性能有着极为重要的意义.     

A facile preparation of nanocrystalline Mo2C from graphite or carbon nanotubes

Nanocrystalline Mo₂C powders were successfully synthesized at 500 °C by reacting molybdenum chloride (MoCl₅) with C (graphite or carbon nanotube) in metallic sodium medium. X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and surface area analyzer (BET method) were used to characterize the samples. Experiments reveal that the carbon source used for the carbide synthesis has a great effect on the particle size and the surface area of the samples. When micro-sized graphite was used as C source the obtained nanocrystalline Mo₂C powder consists of particles of 30∼100 nm, with a surface area of 2.311 m²/g. When carbon nanotubes were used as C source, the as-synthesized Mo₂C sample is composed of particles of 20∼50 nm, with a surface area of 23.458 m²/g, which is an order of magnitude larger than that of the carbide prepared from the graphite.     

Synthesis and gas sensitivities of SnO2 nanorods and hollow microspheres

SnO₂ urchin-like structures composed of nanorods with diameters of 10-15 nm and lengths of 50-70 nm have been hydrothermally synthesized via a H₂O₂-assisted route without any surfactant, using SnCl₂ as raw material. With the addition of methenamine (HMT), SnO₂ hollow microspheres with diameters of 2-3 μm and shell thickness of 60-140 nm were also prepared. The as-obtained products were examined using diverse techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution TEM and photoluminescence spectra. The gas sensitivity experiments have demonstrated that the as-synthesized SnO₂ materials exhibit good sensitivity to alcohol vapors, which may offer potential applications in gas sensors.     

Multi-walled BN nanotubes synthesized by carbon-free method

Pure multi-walled BN nanotubes were synthesized via a carbon-free chemical vapor deposition process using boron and gallium oxide mixture as reaction precursor. Transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate their structure, morphology and defects. The wall deformation, dependent on tube diameter, was observed and explained in terms of strain relaxation of bond rotation. Opposed to carbon nanotubes, bending of BN nanotubes typically results in fracture at their concave side. Ring defect-related mechanism was proposed to interpret the fracture. The ring defects also result in the formation of a nanocone with 300° disclination. The nanocones end up with BN nanotubes exhibiting the small innermost shell ∼0.4 nm in diameter.     

Morphologically controlled synthesis of copper oxides and their catalytic applications in the synthesis of propargylamine and oxidative degradation of methylene blue

Alcohol/nonionic polymeric surfactant assisted, morphologically controlled synthesis is developed for micro-/nanostructured crystalline copper oxide. Materials were characterized by a complementary combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and UV-visible spectroscopy. XRD and FT-IR confirm the formation of a mixture of Cu(OH)₂ and CuO after 0.5 h of hydrothermal treatment and pure CuO after 2 h of hydrothermal treatment. The formation mechanisms were proposed based on the SEM and TEM analysis, which show that both, alcohol/polymeric surfactant and hydrothermal time play an important role in tuning the morphology and structure of CuO. Surface area of metal oxides depends on the alcohols and the nonionic polymeric surfactants used in the synthesis. Surface area of CuO synthesized using methanol was found to be the highest. The catalytic activity of as-synthesized CuO was demonstrated by using three-component coupling reaction in the synthesis of propargylamine and catalytic oxidation of methylene blue in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Among the CuO prepared in this study, the CuO synthesized using methanol exhibited better catalytic activity (propargylamine yield (64.5%)) and the highest rate of methylene blue degradation (13 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹).     

The synthesis of ZnS hollow nanospheres with nanoporous shell

ZnS hollow nanospheres with nanoporous shell were successfully synthesized through the evolvement of ZnO nanospheres which were synthesized by hydrothermal method with poly (sodium-p-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) as surfactant at low temperature. The as-synthesized samples were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV/vis spectrum and N₂ adsorption. The results showed that the shell of as-synthesized ZnS hollow structure was composed of many fine crystallites and had a nanoporous structure with pore diameter about 4 nm demonstrated by N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherm. The sample possessed efficiency of photocatalytic degradation on X-containing (X=Cl, Br, I) organic pollutants.     

Synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes catalyzed by substituted ferrocenes

A range of substituted ferrocenes were used as catalysts for the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). These products were obtained in the temperature range 800-1000 °C, in a reducing atmosphere of 5% H₂ by pyrolysis of (CpR)(CpR′)Fe (R and R′ = H, Me, Et and COMe) in toluene solution. The effect of pyrolysis temperature (800-1000 °C), catalyst concentration (5 and 10 wt.% in toluene) and solution injection rate (0.2 and 0.8 ml/min) on the type and yield of carbonaceous product synthesized was investigated. Carbonaceous products formed include graphite film (mostly at high temperature; 900-1000 °C), carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers. The carbonaceous materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The ferrocene ring substituents influenced both the CNT diameter and the carbon product formed.     

Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles and carbon encapsulated nickel nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes

Nickel nanoparticles were prepared and uniformly supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by reduction route with CNTs as a reducing agent at 600 °C. As-prepared nickel nanoparticles were single crystalline with a face-center-cubic phase and a size distribution ranging from 10 to 50 nm, and they were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These nickel nanoparticles would be coated with graphene layers, when they were exposed to acetylene at 600 °C. The coercivity values of nickel nanoparticles were superior to that of bulk nickel at room temperature.     

Controllable fabrication of platinum nanospheres with a polyoxometalate-assisted process

Pt nanospheres with an average diameter of 60±10 nm have been successfully synthesized at room temperature through a facile polyoxometalate(POM)-assisted process. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) clearly showed that these Pt nanospheres consisted of 2-7 nm Pt nanodots. During the formation of such unique nanostructures, POMs were found to serve as both catalyst and stabilizer. The size of the as-synthesized Pt nanospheres could be controlled solely by adjusting the molar ratio of POMs to H₂PtCl₆. A possible formation mechanism based on POMs-mediated electron transfer from ascorbic acid (AA) to PtCl₆²⁻ and AA-assisted aggregation was tentatively proposed to rationalize the formation of such nanostructures. Importantly, these specific Pt nanospheres exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of methanol, making them promising for applications in direct methanol fuel cells.     

Fabrication of Pt/polypyrrole hybrid hollow microspheres and their application in electrochemical biosensing towards hydrogen peroxide

Pt/polypyrrole (PPy) hybrid hollow microspheres were successfully prepared by wet chemical method via Fe₃O₄ template and evaluated as electrocatalysts for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The as-synthesized products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductive coupled plasma emission spectrum (ICP) and Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR) measurements. The results exhibited that ultra-high-density Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were well deposited on the PPy shell with the mean diameters of around 4.1 nm. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results demonstrated that Pt/PPy hybrid hollow microspheres, as enzyme-less catalysts, exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.0). The composite had a fast response of less than 2 s with linear range of 1.0-8.0 mM and a relatively low detection limit of 1.2 μM (S/N = 3). The sensitivity of the sensor for H₂O₂ was 80.4 mA M⁻¹ cm⁻².     

Selective detection of dopamine in the presence of uric acid using a gold nanoparticles-poly(luminol) hybrid film and multi-walled carbon nanotubes with incorporated β-cyclodextrin modified glassy carbon electrode

Gold nanoparticles-poly(luminol) (Plu-AuNPs) hybrid film and multi-walled carbon nanotubes with incorporated β-cyclodextrin modified glassy carbon electrode (β-CD-MWCNTs/Plu-AuNPs/GCE) was successfully prepared for simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The surface of the modified electrode has been characterized by X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) have been used to investigate the β-CD-MWCNTs/Plu-AuNPs composite film. Gold nanoparticles anchored into poly(luminol) film exhibited catalytic activity for DA. MWCNTs with incorporated β-CD can greatly promote the direct electron transfer. In 0.10 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.0), the DPV response of the β-CD-MWCNTs/Plu-AuNPs/GCE sensor to DA is about 8-fold as compared with the Plu-AuNPs/GCE sensor, and the detection limit for DA is about one order of magnitude lower than the Plu-AuNPs/GCE sensor. The steady-state current response increases linearly with DA concentration from 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 5.6 × 10⁻⁵ M with a low detection limit (S/N = 3) of 1.9 × 10⁻⁷ M. Moreover, the interferences of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) are effectively diminished. The applicability of the prepared electrode has been demonstrated by measuring DA contents in dopamine hydrochloride injection.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of cobalt carbonates using different counter ions: An efficient precursor to nano-sized cobalt oxide (Co3O4)

Synthesis of submicrometer crystalline particles of cobalt carbonate was achieved hydrothermally using different cobalt salts and urea with a molar ratio from 1:3 to 1:20 (cobalt salt:urea) in aqueous solutions at 160 °C for 24-36 h, in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. Nanoparticles of Co₃O₄, with an average size from 30 to 39 nm, were obtained by thermal decomposition of CoCO₃ samples at 500 °C for 3 h in an electrical furnace. The as-synthesized products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis spectra and thermal analysis. Studying the optical properties of the as-prepared cobalt oxide nanoparticles showed the presence of two band gaps, the values of which confirmed the semiconducting properties of the prepared Co₃O₄.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of WO3·1/3H2O nanorods and study of their electrical properties

Crystalline tungsten oxide hydrate (WO₃·1/3H₂O) nanorods have been prepared by a hydrothermal process using Na₂WO₄·2H₂O and 4-phenylbutylamine as a structure-directing agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis techniques have been used to characterize the structure, morphology and composition of the nanorods. The WO₃·1/3H₂O nanorods are up to several hundred nanometers in length, and the widths and thicknesses are 40 and 8 nm, respectively. A study of the electric properties in the temperature range 170–730 °C and frequency range 5–13 MHz is reported. The obtained results show that the activation energies are about 0.07, 0.63 and 2.46 eV for o-WO₃·1/3H₂O, h-WO₃ and m-WO₃, respectively. The as-synthesized materials are promising for chemical and energy-related applications such as catalysts and electrochemical devices, and may be applied in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.