Preparation and characterization of metal-chitosan nanocomposites

Various metal-chitosan nanocomposites were synthesized, including silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd) in aqueous solutions. Metal nanoparticles were formed by reduction of corresponding metal salts with NaBH4 in the presence of chitosan. And chitosan molecules adsorbing onto the surface of as-prepared metal nanoparticles formed the corresponding metal-chitosan nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and UV-vis spectra of the nanocomposites revealed the presence of metal nanoparticles. Comparison of all the resulting particles size, it shows that silver nanoparticles are much larger than others (Au, Pt and Pd). In addition, the difference in particles size leads to develop different morphologies in the films cast from prepared metal-chitosan nanocomposites. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) images show a batonet-like structure for Ag-chitosan nanocomposites film, while for the films cast from other metal (Au, Pt, and Pd)-chitosan nanocomposites, some branched-like structures with a few differences among them were observed under POM observation.     

Electrodeposition of mesoporous semimetal and magnetic metal films from lyotropic liquid crystalline phases

Mesoporous semimetal bismuth film and magnetic metal nickel and cobalt thin films have been electrodeposited from hexagonal or lamellar structured lyotropic liquid crystalline phases with polyoxyethylene surfactant. The liquid crystalline templates are characterized by low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and polarized-light optical microscopy (POM). The metal films are characterized by low-angle and wide-angle XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic measurements on the mesoporous nickel and cobalt films are shown to have higher coercivity (Hc) than the nonporous polycrystalline films.     

钛酸盐纳米管薄膜的合成、结构与性质

在水热条件下, 控制反应温度和氢氧化钠的浓度, 分别采用去离子水和盐酸进行洗涤处理, 在钛金属基底表面合成出含钠元素和不含钠元素的两种钛酸盐纳米管薄膜(TiNTW和TiNTA), 并利用X射线衍射分析、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和能量色散X射线光谱等对其结构、组成和性质进行了表征. 结果表明, TiNTW和TiNTA均由宽约8 nm、长约1 μm的纳米管组成, 但TiNTA表现出较好的光催化活性和储氢性能, 而热稳定性弱于TiNTW, 二者在性质上的显著区别归因于2种钛酸盐纳米管薄膜的晶体结构和元素组成的不同.     

Self-assembled, nanostructured polypyrrole films grown in a high-gravity environment

A simple, novel method of synthesizing self-assembled, nanostructured conducting polymer films has been developed. Applying an increased centrifugal force on the electrodes during the electrochemical deposition process yields high surface area, micro- or nanostructured polymer films. Scanning electron microscopy showed that as the applied g-force increased, the polymers progressed from having smooth, "cauliflower" morphologies, to intermediate microstructured surfaces, to finally dense nanostructured surfaces with pore sizes as small as 50 nm. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that films grown at higher centrifugal accelerations (higher than 500g) exhibited less degradation after electrochemical cycling and more capacitive behavior.     

Morphological study of the organization behavior of rod-coil copolymers and their blends in thin solid films

A detailed study of the self-assembly ability of triblock coil-rod-coil copolymers containing a rigid di(styryl)-anthracene segment covalently linked to oxadiazole-based blocks and their binary blends with oxadiazole-based homopolymers is presented here. The self-organized microdomains seem to pack into a fascinating ordered hexagonal structure obtained at a critical concentration without any significant influence of the sample preparation method, based on evidence obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence microscopy studies. The compatibilization efficiency of these coil-rod-coil copolymers in polymer blends composed of an electron-accepting polyoxadiazole and a luminescent polyanthracene-based pair was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The common feature of all observed morphologies is the compatibilizing function of the rod-coil molecule, which intercalates between the incompatible domains to prevent the formation of well-defined phase separated nanostructured surfaces.     

Morphology‐controlled Electrodeposition of Copper Nanospheres onto FTO for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Using CuSO₄ as the copper source, nanostructured copper with four different morphologies was obtained by electrodeposition method on FTO substrates. The as‐synthesized Cu/FTO samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Raman, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of electrodeposition potential and electrodeposition time on the Cu/FTO samples and the photocatalytic performance were investigated systematically. The results showed that the Cu/FTO samples were well‐crystallized and the morphologies could be changed from nanoslices to nanodendrites structure with the negative shift of the depositing potential. The electrodeposition potential and time have a significant effect on the amount of H₂ evolution. The obtained Cu nanospheres which were prepared at the potential of −0.65 V for 600 s showed the best photocatalytic behavior. The mechanisms for the photocatalytic activities were also discussed.     

Effect of the Atmosphere on the Products of Arc Plasma Method

Plasma techniques have been used to synthesis of metal, metal compounds, and surface modification. In that processing, atmosphere is more important to the compositions and properties of nanoparticles and films. We found that the atmosphere has not only effected the compositions, but also plays a significant role on the morphologies of the products. By changing atmosphere based on different requirement, we obtained spherical Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles, mixture of hexangular Mn₃O₄ nanosheets and Mn+3O(OH) nanorods, and Mn₆N_2.58 nanoparticles coated with graphite layer. The compositions, structure and morphologies of the products were determined by x‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron diffraction (ED). Finally, we preliminarily discussed the reason of the effect of the atmosphere to the final products of arc plasma method.     

Imaging of crystal morphology and molecular simulations of surface energies in pentacene thin films

We have investigated the crystal growth of the organic semiconductor pentacene by complementing molecular simulations of surface energies with experimental images of pentacene films. Pentacene thin films having variations in thickness and grain size were produced by vacuum sublimation. Large (approximately 20 microm) faceted crystals grew on top of the underlying polycrystalline thin film. The films were characterized using optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Single crystals most commonly grew in a truncated diamond shape with the largest crystal face, (001), growing parallel to the substrate. Crystal morphologies and surface energies were calculated using force field-based molecular simulations. The (001) surface was found to have the lowest energy, at 76 mJ/m(2), which was consistent with experimental observations of crystal face size. It was demonstrated that the morphology of the large faceted crystals approached the equilibrium growth shape of pentacene. From contact angle measurements, the critical surface tension of textured pentacene thin films in air was determined to be 34 mJ/m(2).     

电沉积ZnO纳米棒阵列及共形结构杂化太阳能电池

采用电沉积法制备出ZnO致密纳米颗粒膜和不同尺寸的纳米棒阵列。通过在ZnO上旋涂p型聚合物聚3-己基噻酚(P3HT)与n型富勒烯衍生物[6,6]-苯基-C61丁酸甲酯(PCBM)的混合物,并蒸镀金属Ag,制备出不同结构的杂化太阳能电池。通过扫描电镜、X射线衍射、光致发光和模拟太阳光光电性能测试,对ZnO的生长条件、晶体形貌及缺陷与太阳能电池性能之间的关系进行了系统研究。结果表明,ZnO的形貌和晶体缺陷的分布对杂化太阳能电池有重要影响,避免共混聚合物与ZnO缺陷聚集区的直接接触可有效消除电流泄漏。在电池结构方面,与ZnO纳米阵列块状结构杂化太阳能电池相比,共形结构的杂化太阳能电池可有效缩短空穴到金属电极的传输距离,增大聚合物与金属电极的接触面积,光电转换效率可提升64%~101%。     

Designed fabrication of ordered porous au/ag nanostructured films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

This article reports the designed preparation of two different kinds of novel porous metal nanostructured films, namely, an ordered macroporous Au/Ag nanostructured film and an ordered hollow Au/Ag nanostructured film. Different from previous reports, the presently proposed method can be conveniently used to control film structures by simply varying the experimental conditions. The morphology of these films has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their performance as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has been evaluated by using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a probe molecule. We show that such porous nanostructured films consisting of larger interconnected aggregates are highly desirable as SERS substrates in terms of high Raman intensity enhancement, excellent stability, and reproducibility. The interconnected nanostructured aggregate, long-range ordering porosity, and nanoscale roughness are important factors responsible for this large SERS enhancement ability.     

传感器用镓掺杂氧化锌纳米盘/纳米花状结构催化剂的制备及表面表征

采用简便的旋涂过程和一步水热法在压电基片上制备了Ga掺杂的ZnO纳米薄膜(GZO)。在水热处理过程中,通过添加不同的聚合物可形成纳米盘和纳米花状形貌的薄膜。采用场发射扫描电镜(Fe-SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和Raman光谱表征了样品的形貌、微结构和组成。 XRD和FE-SEM结果证明,在AlN/Si压电基片上形成的纳米盘、纳米棒和纳米花状GZO均为纤维锌矿相。采用浸渍法进一步在所制GZO样品上固定了绿色的荧光蛋白质(GFP)。运用原子力显微镜和荧光光谱分析了GFP与GZO表面结合的性质,考察了其用于传感器和生物成像技术的可行性。痕量GFP的固定使该材料产生荧光响应,表明其用于紫外光传感器时具有较好活性。     

Assembly of metal nanoparticle-carbon nanotube composite materials at the liquid/liquid interface

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-mediated self-assembly of metal (Au and Ag) nanoparticles at the liquid/liquid interface in the form of a stable nanocomposite film is reported. The metallic luster results from the electronic coupling of nanoparticles, suggesting the formation of closely packed nanoparticle thin films. The interfacial film could be transferred to mica substrates and carbon-coated transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids. The transferred films were very stable for a prolonged time. The samples were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). SEM and TEM results show that the films formed at the liquid/liquid interface are indeed composite materials consisting of CNTs and nanoparticles. XPS measurements further indicate the presence of the interaction between nanoparticles and CNTs.     

Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured tellurium films

Direct templating of materials via lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases of non-ionic surfactants provides an elegant and highly versatile route to the production of a wide range of nanostructured materials with well-defined mesoporous architectures of extended spatial periodicities. This technique has now been applied in the electrochemical synthesis of adherent nanostructured tellurium films. This represents an important step towards the synthesis of II–IV semiconductor compounds such as cadmium telluride. Low angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of the resulting tellurium films indicate the presence of a system of uniform cylindrical pores organized in an hexagonal array.     

Pd-Ag合金纳米线的可见光辅助简易合成及其对乙醇的电催化氧化

以硝酸钯和硝酸银为金属前驱体,乙醇和柠檬酸钠作为还原剂,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮作为稳定剂和导向剂,以普通市售白炽灯作为光源,采用简易可见光辅助液相法合成了Pd-Ag合金纳米线。通过FESEM、TEM、HRTEM、PXRD和UV-Vis等技术对样品的形貌、晶体结构和光学性质进行了表征,并通过循环伏安法和计时电流法研究了Pd-Ag合金纳米线修饰玻碳电极对乙醇的电催化氧化。与相同条件下制备的纳米钯材料相比,Pd-Ag合金纳米线具有更好的电催化活性、抗中毒性和稳定性。     

Pd-Ag合金纳米线的可见光辅助简易合成及其对乙醇的电催化氧化

以硝酸钯和硝酸银为金属前驱体,乙醇和柠檬酸钠作为还原剂,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮作为稳定剂和导向剂,以普通市售白炽灯作为光源,采用简易可见光辅助液相法合成了Pd-Ag合金纳米线。通过FESEM、TEM、HRTEM、PXRD和UV-Vis等技术对样品的形貌、晶体结构和光学性质进行了表征,并通过循环伏安法和计时电流法研究了Pd-Ag合金纳米线修饰玻碳电极对乙醇的电催化氧化。与相同条件下制备的纳米钯材料相比,Pd-Ag合金纳米线具有更好的电催化活性、抗中毒性和稳定性。     

Shape-controlled synthesis of 3D and 1D structures of CdS in a binary solution with L-cysteine's assistance

A facile L-cysteine-assisted route was designed for the selectively controlled synthesis of 1D and novel, interesting 3D CdS spherical nanostructures constructed from CdS nanorods (or nanopolypods) in a binary solution. By controlling reaction conditions such as the molar ratio between Cd(OAc)2 and L-cysteine and the volume ratio of the mixed solvents, the synthesis of various 3D architectural structures and 1D wirelike structures in large quantities can be controlled. This is the first reported case of the direct growth of novel 3D self-assemblies of CdS nanorods (or nanopolypods). The morphology, structure, and phase composition of the as-prepared CdS products were examined by using various techniques (X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution TEM, and Raman spectroscopy). On the basis of the results from TEM studies and our analysis, we speculate that in the present synthesis the L-cysteine dominates nucleation growth and the ethylenediamine (en)-dominated, oriented-assembly process. Interestingly, the products obtained show a gradient evolution in color from light-yellow to dark-yellow, which implies that their intrinsic optical properties change, possibly due to variations in their special morphologies and structures. This facile solution-phase L-cysteine-assisted method could be extended for the controlled preparation of other metal chalcogenides nanostructures with complex morphologies.     

交流电沉积法制备金属氧化物纳米材料及形貌控制

以不同种类的金属丝为电极,采用交流电沉积的方法在液相水溶液中制备了多种金属氧化物纳米材料,并对其形貌进行了控制.由XRD和TEM分析结果表明,在相同的NaCl电解质水溶液中,不同的金属电极对应的不同金属氧化物纳米产物具有明显不同的形貌.     

Growth of layered basic zinc acetate in methanolic solutions and its pyrolytic transformation into porous zinc oxide films

Photo-induced reduction of gold and platinum metal salt solutions was carried out using viologen graft copolymerized on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and viologen-containing poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF-PVBV) microporous membranes. The effects of the UV irradiation time and concentration of the metal salt solutions on the metal ion reduction process and the resultant metal deposition on the polymeric substrates were investigated. The metal-polymer composites were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The amount of metal uptake, the state of the metal, and the size of the metal particles were found to be strongly dependent on the UV irradiation time and the type and concentration of the metal salt solution. The microporous structure and the high viologen content of the PVDF-PVBV membrane constitute an effective matrix for metal ion reduction and preparation of metal nanoparticles.     

Investigation of polymer-protected noble metal nanoparticles by transmission electron microscopy: control of particle morphology and shape

 Noble metal nanoparticles were prepared by the in situ reduction of the respective metal salt precursors in the presence of various protective polymers. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used to determine the particle shapes and morphologies. These are strongly influenced by the reduction methods and conditions chosen, but the choice of the protective polymer is equally important for controlling the particle morphologies and for the stabilization of the colloids. A whole spectrum of nanoparticle morphologies and shapes was obtained, ranging from nanoagglomerates which are nevertheless well-defined and well-stabilized to nanosized single crystals with triangular shape. Received: 2 February 1998 Accepted: 29 May 1998     

Film formation of polymeric emulsions: Structure set-up and the pinhole effect characterized by microscopic techniques

Drying of emulsions of special polymeric core-shell latexes results in structured films and coatings with advantageous material properties. Here, we focus on so-called “container particles”, consisting of a low viscosity core with a low glass transition (poly(2-ethylhexyl methacrylate), PEtHMA), covered by a thin shell of a cross-linked rubber (poly(n-butyl acrylate), PBA). These particles can be regarded as model emulsions of reactive polymeric oils with a very high colloidal stability. The film formation of these latexes was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the tapping mode as well as by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that the films stay nanostructured after the drying process, i. e. they exhibit both a controlled topography as well as a network superstructure originating from the characteristics of the original dispersions.

TEM allows to detect the whereabouts of the polar stabilizer. Both continous surfactant films as well as inverted micelles are found. A geometrically induced demixing phenomenon is found which enriches the polar components and might be the molecular reason for the so-called pinhole-effect, the failure of water-born coatings in contact with water.