Spontaneous CdTe --> alloy --> CdS transition of stabilizer-depleted CdTe nanoparticles induced by EDTA

CdTe nanoparticles stabilized by l-cysteine are chemically transformed into CdS nanoparticles of the same diameter via an intermediate CdTeS alloy without any auxiliary source of sulfur. The reaction is induced by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt dehydrate (EDTA), which was demonstrated experimentally to act as a catalyst by partially removing thiol stabilizers from the nanoparticle surface. It is hypothesized that addition of EDTA facilitates Te(2-) release, and oxidation of Te(2-) drives the nanoparticle transition process. Unlike many reports on reactions catalyzed by nanocolloids, this is likely to be the first observation of a catalytic reaction in which nanoparticles function as a substrate rather than a catalyst. It opens new pathways for the synthesis of novel nanoscale II-VI and other semiconductors and represents an interesting case of chemical processes in nanocolloids with reactivity increased by depletion of the surface layer of thiol stabilizers. This includes but is not limited to accurate control over the particle composition and crystallization rate. The slow rate of the CdTe --> alloy --> CdS transition is important for minimizing defects in the crystal lattice and results in a substantial increase of the quantum yield of photoluminescence over the course of the transition.     

水热模板法合成碲化镍纳米棒

研究了一种简单的碲化镍纳米棒的合成方法．在合成过程中,以碲纳米棒为反应模板,使之与新鲜生成的纳米镍颗粒反应生成碲化镍．利用X射线粉末衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜对产物进行了表征,研究了反应物中Ni和Te的摩尔比及反应温度对产物的影响,讨论了由Te纳米棒向NiTe纳米棒转化的机理．     

Photoinduced cathodic deposition of CdTe nanoparticles on polycrystalline gold substrate

A combination of photocathodic stripping and precipitation was used to prepare CdTe nanoparticles (size range: 30–60 nm) that were immobilized on a polycrystalline Au substrate. Thus visible light irradiation of a Te modified Au surface generated Te²⁻ species in situ followed by interfacial reaction with added Cd²⁺ ions in 0.1 M Na₂SO₄ electrolyte. The resultant CdTe compound semiconductor deposited as nanosized particles uniformly dispersed on the Au substrate surface. This approach to CdTe nanoparticle deposition was monitored by a combination of electrochemical methods (voltammetry, chronoamperometry) and quartz crystal microgravimetry in the “dark” and under illumination. The synthesized CdTe nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses and laser Raman spectroscopy.     

Morphology Control of Bi2S3 Nanostructures and the Formation Mechanism

Bismuthinite (Bi₂S₃) nanostructures were prepared by a hydrothermal method with sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA‐Na₂). The morphology of Bi₂S₃ nanostructures was changed from a nanorod to a nanoplate by presence of the EDTA‐Na₂. The altered morphology was caused by the capping effect of EDTA‐Na₂ with Bi³⁺ ions, which induces the suboptimal growth direction due to partially blocking the preferential orientation direction. When the EDTA‐Na₂/Bi³⁺ molar ratio=1, the growth of Bi₂S₃ nanostructures was not allowed due to the chelating effect of EDTA‐Na₂. The obtained Bi₂S₃ nanorods, stacked nanorods, nanoplates and nanoparticles were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern. A possible formation mechanism of these morphologies was proposed. The successful synthesis of various morphologies of nanostructured Bi₂S₃ may open up new possibilities for thermoelectric, electronic and optoelectronic uses of nanodevices based on Bi₂S₃ nanostructure.     

Size-controlled synthesis and growth mechanism of monodisperse tellurium nanorods by a surfactant-assisted method

This article describes a surfactant-assisted approach to the size-controlled synthesis of uniform nanorods of trigonal tellurium (t-Te). These nanorods were grown from a colloidal dispersion of amorphous Te (a-Te) and t-Te nanoparticles at room temperature, which was first formed through the reduction of (NH4)2TeS4 by Na2SO3 in aqueous solution at 80 degrees C. Nuclei formed in the reduction process had a strong tendency to grow along the [001] direction due to the inherently anisotropic structure of t-Te. The formation of Te nanorods could be ascribed to the confined growth through the surfactant adsorbing on the surfaces of the growing Te particles. By employing various surfactants in the synthesis system, Te nanorods with well-controlled diameters and lengths could be reproducibly produced by this method. Both the diameters and lengths of nanorods decreased with the increase of the alkyl length and the polarity of the surfactants. Te nanorods could also be obtained in mixed surfactants, where the different surfactants were used to selectively control the growth rates of different crystal planes. We also observed that the as-synthesized nanorods with uniform size could be self-assembled into large-area smecticlike arrays.     

Preparation and Optical Properties of CdTe/CdO-nH2O Core/shell Nano-composites in Aqueous Solution

"The deposition of CdO?nH2O on CdTe nanoparticles was studied in an aqueous phase. The CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared in aqueous solution through the reaction between Cd2+ and NaHTe in the presence of thioglycolic acid as a stabilizer. The molar ratio of the Cd2+ to Te2- in the precursory solution played an important role in the photoluminescence of the ultimate CdTe NCs. The strongest photoluminescence was obtained under 4.0 of Cd2+/Te2- at pH?8.2. With the optimum dosage of Cd(II) hydrous oxide deposited on the CdTe NCs, the photoluminescence was enhanced greatly. The photoluminescence of these nanocomposites was kept constant in the pH range of 8.0-10.0, but dramatically decreased with an obvious blue-shifted peak while the pH was below 8.0. In addition, the photochemical oxidation of CdTe NCs with cadmium hydrous oxide deposition was markedly inhibited."     

Synthesis of CdTe nanocrystals using Te nanorods as the Te source and the formation of microtubes with red fluorescence

Here, we report an alternative route to the preparation of highly luminescent CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) using Te nanorods instead of freshly prepared NaHTe as the Te source via a one-pot route under hydrothermal conditions. Furthermore, microtubes with red fluorescence were generated via simply aging the above CdTe NC suspension under ambient conditions.     

CdTe electrodeposition on InP(100) via electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE): studies using UHV-EC

The II-VI compound semiconductor CdTe was electrodeposited on InP(100) surfaces using electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE). CdTe was deposited on a Te-modified InP(100) surface using this atomic layer by atomic layer methodology. The deposit started with formation of an atomic layer of Te on the InP(100) surface, as Cd was observed not to form an underpotential deposition (UPD) layer on InP(100), although it was found to UPD on Te atomic layers. On the In-terminated 'clean' InP(100) surface, Te was deposited at -0.80 V from a 0.1 mM solution of TeO2, resulting in formation of a Te atomic layer and some small amount of bulk Te. The excess bulk Te was then removed by reduction in blank solution at -0.90 V, leaving a Te atomic layer. Given the presences of the Te atomic layer, it was then possible to form an atomic layer of Cd by UPD at -0.58 V to complete the formation of a CdTe monolayer by EC-ALE. That cycle was then repeated to demonstrate the applicability of the cycle to the formation of CdTe nanofilms. Auger spectra recorded after the first three cycles of CdTe deposition on InP(100) were consistent with the layer-by-layer CdTe growth. It is interesting to note that Cd did not form a UPD deposit on the In-terminated InP(100) surface and only formed Cd clusters at an overpotential. This issue is probably related to the inability of the Cd and In to form a stable surface compound.     

Silica Coating of Water-Soluble CdTe/CdS Core-Shell Nanocrystals by Microemulsion Method

"Using Te powder as a tellurium source and Na2S as a sulfur source, core-shell CdTe/CdS NPs were synthesized at 50 oC. UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to probe the effect of CdS passivation on the CdTe quantum dots. As the thickness of CdS shell increases, there is a red-shift in the optical absorption spectra, as well as the PL spectra. The broadening absorption peaks and PL spectra indicate that the size distributions of CdTe/CdS NPs widen increasingly with the increase of CdS coverage. The PL spectra also show that the fluorescence intensity of CdTe QDs will increase when the particles are covered with CdS shell with ratio of S/Te less than 1.0, otherwise it will decrease if the ratio of S/Te is larger than 1.0. Furthermore, the (CdTe/CdS)@SiO2 particles were prepared using a water-in-oil microemulsion method at room temperature in which hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate leads to the formation of monodispersed silica nanospheres. The obtained (CdTe/CdS)@SiO2 particles show bright photoluminescence with their fluorescence intensity being enhanced 18.5% compared with that of CdTe NPs. TEM imaging shows that the diameter of these composite particles is 50 nm. These nanoparticles are suitable for biomarker applications since they are much smaller than cellular dimensions."     

Synthesis of alpha-MoTe2 nanorods via annealing Te-seeded amorphous MoTe2 particles

Semiconductor alpha-MoTe2 nanorods have been synthesized by annealing Te-seeded particles of an amorphous MoTe2 intermediate. This intermediate is prepared by a solution reaction between Mo(CO)6 and elemental Te in diphenylmethane. The as-synthesized products were characterized by structural, compositional, and morphological techniques of X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, selected area energy dispersive spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results of the annealing process are MoTe2 nanorods with diameters of 50-200 nm and lengths ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 microm. Here, the rodlike structure of MoTe2 is reported for the first time, and added to the list as one kind of new morphology of MoTe2 nanomaterials. A mechanism for the formation of the nanorods is proposed. The sandwich-layered structure of Te-Mo-Te and the similarity in the structure between hexagonal alpha-MoTe2 and hexagonal Te are responsible for the formation of nanorods of MoTe2.     

Influence of electrodeposition conditions on the properties of CdTe films

The results of the influence of electrodeposition conditions on the structural, compositional, optical, and photoelectrochemical properties of CdTe thin films deposited in one-step electrochemical method are presented. The CdTe films were prepared electrochemically from aqueous acidic solution with low ratios of Cd²⁺ ions to Te(IV) ions concentration. Instead of commonly used TeO₂, water-soluble Na₂TeO₃ was used as a source of tellurium ions. The cathodic deposition of CdTe was performed at different constant potentials from solutions containing different cadmium and tellurium ions concentration. As-deposited CdTe thin films were studied by different analytical techniques. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra exhibited CdTe formation on the electrode with some amount of tellurium oxides and cadmium oxides. The best quality CdTe deposits, free of TeO₂, were formed in bath containing excess of Cd²⁺ ions and at the potential of ?0.65 V vs. saturated calomel electrode, slightly more positive than E _eq of Cd/Cd²⁺ system. Structural X-ray diffraction studies revealed polycrystallinity of deposits with the highest content of the (111)-oriented cubic (111) form. Optical band gap energy values were found in the range from 1.36 to 1.6 eV for CdTe films prepared at various synthesis conditions. The preliminary photoelectrochemical studies have shown that the variation of the deposition potential as well as bath composition leads to the formation of p- or n-type CdTe films. As-deposited CdTe films were not stable in polysulfide solution under illumination.     

The reaction kinetics of Cu with the CdTe(111)-B surface: formation of metastable Cu(x)Te (x approximately 2)

In the present study, elemental Cu is deposited on the clean CdTe(111)-B surface and annealed in vacuum. Surface-composition maps generated by scanning Auger microcopy provide evidence that a reaction occurs between Cu and the CdTe(111)-B substrate that results in the formation of a metastable copper telluride phase Cu(x)Te (x approximately 2) at the surface. In situ thermal-desorption mass spectrometry measurements show that elemental Cd is released during the reaction and desorbs from the surface. Desorption of Te from the substrate is suppressed during the reaction. Analysis of Cd desorption traces demonstrates that the Cu + CdTe(111)-B reaction proceeds via zero-order kinetics, with an activation energy of 180 +/- 5 kJ mol(-1).     

Photophysical Properties of Au‐CdTe Hybrid Nanostructures of Varying Sizes and Shapes

We design well‐defined metal‐semiconductor nanostructures using thiol‐functionalized CdTe quantum dots (QDs)/quantum rods (QRs) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein‐conjugated Au nanoparticles (NPs)/nanorods (NRs) in aqueous solution. The main focus of this article is to address the impacts of size and shape on the photophysical properties, including radiative and nonradiative decay processes and energy transfers, of Au‐CdTe hybrid nanostructures. The red shifting of the plasmonic band and the strong photoluminescence (PL) quenching reveal a strong interaction between plasmons and excitons in these Au‐CdTe hybrid nanostructures. The PL quenching of CdTe QDs varies from 40 to 86 % by changing the size and shape of the Au NPs. The radiative as well as the nonradiative decay rates of the CdTe QDs/QRs are found to be affected in the presence of both Au NPs and NRs. A significant change in the nonradiative decay rate from 4.72×10⁶ to 3.92×10¹⁰ s^?1 is obtained for Au NR‐conjugated CdTe QDs. It is seen that the sizes and shapes of the Au NPs have a pronounced effect on the distance‐dependent energy transfer. Such metal‐semiconductor hybrid nanostructures should have great potentials for nonlinear optical properties, photovoltaic devices, and chemical sensors.     

Effect of Cd/Te ratio on the formation of CdTe magic-sized quantum dots during aggregation

In this study, the aggregation dynamics of magic-sized CdTe quantum dots is investigated. The experiments show that the growth kinetics of the quantum dots is very sensitive to the Cd/Te ratio. The crossover from tellurium-rich to cadmium-rich conditions produces a very different aggregation pattern, which can be explained by the lack of formation of magic-sized nanoparticles during the reaction conditions. A simple simulation that includes both monomer-induced growth and aggregation growth is presented to reproduce the experimentally observed aggregation patterns. The simulation results strongly suggest that the experimental aggregation pattern can be reproduced if initially a double magic-sized distribution is assumed. The numerical data clearly show that the aggregation is enhanced by the dipole-dipole interaction. Simulations also suggest that the neck formation of the CdTe quantum dot aggregates is unlikely under the experimental conditions. The absence of neck formation is in agreement with the expectations during high-temperature synthesis.     

具有光谱可调、高量子产率和稳定性的水溶性CdTe/Cd(OH)2核壳结构纳米粒子的可控水相合成

建立了一种简便的、以易得的无机盐为反应前体的水相法制备水溶性、高量子产率以及良好稳定性的CdTe/Cd(OH)2核壳结构量子点。本方法可以通过控制Cd(OH)2 壳层结构的厚度,使不同粒径量子点的荧光发射光谱由蓝绿色渐变到橙红色。利用透射电镜、X射线粉末衍射光谱、荧光光谱以及紫外可见光谱对该CdTe/Cd(OH)2核壳结构量子点进行了表征。CdTe/Cd(OH)2核壳结构量子点所具备的良好的水溶性可望应用于生物标记。本方法简便、反应条件温和并且容易操作,为无机金属化物包覆量子点提供了一种简便的途径。     

Biosynthesis and structural characteristics of selenium nanoparticles by Pseudomonas alcaliphila

In this paper, we report that selenium (Se) nanoparticles were first biosynthesized by Pseudomonas alcaliphila with a simple and eco-friendly biological method. The structural characteristics of Se nanoparticles were examined. The results showed that spherical particles appeared with diameters ranging from 50 to 500 nm during incubation and Se nanorods were present after incubating in an aqueous reaction solution for 24 h. However, the formation of Se nanorods was interrupted when 5% (w/v) poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) was added in the aqueous reaction solution, obtaining stable spherical Se nanoparticles with a diameter of about 200 nm.     

Spectral,Optical, and Photocatalytic Characteristics of Quantum-Sized Particles of CdTe

Methods were developed for the synthesis of quantum-sized particles of CdTe, stabilized in aqueous solutions of thioglycolic acid, using H₂Te or NaHTe produced in situ by electrochemical reduction of tellurium. The spectral and optical characteristics of the synthesized CdTe nanoparticles were studied. It was found that they have photocatalytic activity in the reduction of methylviologen with sodium sulfite.     

Stable Water‐dispersed CdTe Nanocrystals Dependent on Stoichiometric Ratio of Cd to Te Precursor

The improved properties of CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized by hydrothermal method were introduced. The experimental results indicated that the NCs properties could be dramatically influenced by means of changing Cd‐to‐Te molar ratio (the molar ratio of CdCl₂ and NaHTe in the precursor) of the MPA‐capped CdTe NCs. With the increase of the ratio from 2:1 to 10:1, the formation time of near‐infrared‐emitting CdTe NCs was shortened. In particular, high Cd‐to‐Te molar ratio brought about MPA‐capped CdTe NCs of superior radical oxidation‐resistance and photostability. As a result, the optimum ratio was found to be 8:1 or 10:1 in the study in order to efficiently attain stable, water‐dispersed CdTe NCs.     

Preparation and Characterization of CdTe Nanoparticles in Zirconia Films Prepared by the Sol Gel Method

Two methods for the synthesis of CdTe nanoparticles in zirconia sol-gel films are demonstrated. The nanoparticles were obtained by chemical reduction of Te(IV) using reducing agent (hydrazine) or tin chloride. Particle sizes ranging from 6 to 20 nm in diameter could be prepared by varying the experimetal parameters. The size and crystalline structure of the particles were characterized by optical absorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The film morphology was characterized by scanning force microscopy.The film obtained by SnCl₂ method is smooth and homogeneous. The dense structure of CdTe nanoparticles of a few nm in diameter is revealed. The films prepared with hydrazine are porous as a result of evolution of the decomposition gaseous products during the reduction.Advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are discussed.     

Synthesis and formation of hierarchical mesoporous silica network in acidic aqueous solutions of sodium silicate and cationic surfactant

Synthesis and formation of hierarchical mesoporous silica network in acidic aqueous solutions of commercial sodium silicate and cationic surfactant were studied by SEM, TEM, XRD and nitrogen adsorption-desorption methods. The formation process occurs through several steps, involving (1) formation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles; (2) aggregation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles into blocks; (3) growth of silica nanorods in closely-packed arrays by merging of silica nanoparticles; (4) separation of the nanorods to form 3D silica network; and (4) shrinking of the mesoporous silica network. The as-prepared 3D silica network exhibits bimodal morphology constituting mesoporous and macroporous phases.