Photochemical growth of silver nanoparticles on c(-) and c(+) domains on lead zirconate titanate thin films

The photochemical growth of silver nanoparticles on the negative domains of lead zirconate titanate thin films is reported. A sample of highly [100] orientated lead zirconate titanate, with a ratio of 30:70, that was 65-70 nm thick grown on Pt-coated MgO was poled by use of piezoresponse force microscopy to produce defined regions of surface positive and negative polarization. A comparison between the growth of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the lead zirconate titanate when illuminated with two sources of super band gap UV is given. In both cases the wavelength of illumination leads to growth on the positive domains but only illumination with a Honle H lamp, with a high photon output over 250-200 nm, caused significant growth of silver nanoparticles on the negative domain. The deposition on the negative domain is explained in terms of changed band bending due to the excitation of electrons into the conduction band, the rate of decay to the ground state, and dimensions of the ferroelectric film. The rate of deposition of silver nanoparticles on the negative domains is approximately half that on the positive domains.     

Biomolecular electronics: observation of oriented photocurrents by entrapped platinized chloroplasts

Electrical contact of the electron transport chain of photosynthesis has been achieved by precipitating colloidal platinum onto the surface of thylakoid membranes. This composite metal-biological membrane material was immobilized on filter paper and sandwiched between metal gauze electrodes. Upon irradiation, oriented photocurrents were observed. The direction of the flow of photocurrent was consistent with the vectorial model of photosynthesis, which predicts that the electric potential of the external surface of photosynthetic membranes swings negative with respect to the internal surface. Control experiments indicated that the oriented nature of the observed photocurrents could not be attributed to structural asymmetries associated with electrodes or to light gradients associated with the direction of illumination.     

Optical Sensing by Silica/Titania Thin Films Doped with Oxacarbocyanine Dye

Photocurrent responses of sol-gel films of silica/titania doped with oxacarbocyanine dye were investigated with a sandwich-type photocell constructed with polymer electrolyte membrane and indium-tin-oxide glass electrodes. At an equilibrium and positive bias voltages, a typical photocell exhibited negative and positive current peaks when the visible light illumination was on and off, respectively. The wavelength dependence of the photocurrent responses well matched to the absorption band of the doped dye. This differential photocurrent response was attributed to trapping of carriers photoexcited in the dye molecules at the defect states in the matrix film. At negative bias voltages, on the other hand, the cell exhibited constant, negative photoelectrochemical currents under illumination. These differential and linear photocurrent responses were affected by the SiO₂/TiO₂ matrix structures depending on the Si : Ti ratio.     

Photoelectrochemical oxidation behavior of methanol on highly ordered TiO2 nanotube array electrodes

The highly ordered titanium dioxide nanotube array (HOTDNA) electrodes were prepared in hydrofluoric acid solution by electrochemical anodic oxidation technique on a pure titanium sheet. The HOTDNA electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM microscopy, and UV–vis spectra. It has shown high density, well ordered and uniform titanium dioxide nanotube array film covered on these electrodes and the TiO₂ structure depending on the heating condition, the anatase phase of TiO₂ appeared when heating to 500 °C. The photoelectrochemical characteristics of methanol in 0.5 M Na₂SO₄ on the HOTDNA electrodes were investigated. The cyclic voltammetry, photocurrent-time and open-circuit photopotential response of methanol on the HOTDNA electrode were represented and significant photogenerated current was observed upon illumination in the UV regions with the light of 253.7 nm central wavelength. The effect of variables such as light intensity, applied potential, and methanol concentration on the photoelectrochemical response was investigated. It was found that the photocurrent was greatly influenced by these factors.     

不同波长紫外光照下纳米TiO2薄膜的光致亲水性与循环伏安行为

通过溶胶-凝胶方法分别在ITO和玻璃表面制备了纳米TiO_2薄膜，研究了纳米 TiO_2薄膜在254及365nm的紫外光照射下的循环伏安行为和光致超亲水性。在紫外 光的照射下，TiO_2薄膜电极可表现出两个光电化学过程，纳米TiO_2薄膜的光致超 亲水性转变及两个光电化学过程的速率均取决于紫外光的波长，原因在于纳米 TiO_2薄膜对两种波长的光的吸收率和光子的能量不同。提出了光电化学过程的机 理，认为紫外光照射下纳米TiO_2薄膜的超亲水性变化与产生Ti~(3+)的过程引起的 表面微观结构变化存在的一定的内在联系。     

UV and visible light controllable depletion zone of ZnO-polyaniline p-n junction and its application in a photoresponsive sensor

In this communication, we report that the depletion zone thickness of the p-n junction between an n-type ZnO and a p-type polyaniline could be controlled by UV and visible light illumination. Based on this princile, photoresponsive sensors were constructed by combining polyaniline thin film and ZnO nanorods. Different from pure ZnO nanomaterials whose conductivity increases when they are exposed to UV illumination, the conductivity of the photoresponsive sensor studied in this communication decreased when the UV light was turned on. The surface modification of ZnO could switch the wavelength of the response light from UV to visible light.     

乙腈溶液中银电极的表面增强拉曼光谱研究

利用共焦显微拉曼系统研究了非水体系0.1mol·L^-1LiClO4/CH3CN溶液中,乙腈分子在粗糙银和金电极表面的吸附和解离行为。结果表明非水体系中乙腈可在银、金表面发生还原反应,产物CN^-离子与电极表面作用形成的表面配合物可以较宽的电位区间吸附于电极表面。溶液中的微量水、激光照射以及电极电位均对该反应有较大的影响。通过拉曼谱图的比较,得出乙腈分子解离出的CN^-在金电极表面比在银电极表面有更强的吸附作用。     

银离子交换的沸石修饰电极的循环伏安新特性

银离子交换沸石Y修饰电极(Ag⁺-沸石Y)的循环伏安(CV)行为, 不同于溶液中的银离子在固体银电极表面上的CV行为. Ag⁺-沸石电极中银离子还原电位明显受沸石体内银簇影响. 依据Ag⁺-沸石修饰电极在含有能够与银离子形成难溶盐的电解质中的CV行为, 本文发现了沸石对溶液中阴离子具有尺寸选择效应, 并解释了银离子交换沸石修饰电极的循环伏安反应特性.     

Roughened silver electrodes for use in metal-enhanced fluorescence

Roughened silver electrodes are widely used for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We tested roughened silver electrodes for metal-enhanced fluorescence. Constant current between two silver electrodes in pure water resulted in the growth of fractal-like structures on the cathode. This electrode was coated with a monolayer of human serum albumin (HSA) protein that had been labeled with a fluorescent dye, indocyanine green (ICG). The fluorescence intensity of ICG-HSA on the roughened electrode increased by approximately 50-fold relative to the unroughened electrode, which was essentially non-fluorescent and increased typically two-fold as compared to the silver anode. No fractal-like structures were observed on the anode. Lifetime measurements showed that at least part of the increased intensity was due to an increased radiative decay rate of ICG. In our opinion, the use of in situ generated roughened silver electrodes will find multifarious applications in analytical chemistry, such as in fluorescence based assays, in an analogous manner to the now widespread use of SERS. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of roughened silver electrodes for metal-enhanced fluorescence.     

DYNAMIC CAPILLAROSCOPY: A MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNIQUE FOR ASSESSING PHOTODYNAMIC EFFECTS in vivo

Abstract A noninvasive method for visualizing the microvasculature in the mouse tail is described, consisting of a custom-built microscope with through-lens illumination. The microscope is fitted with a television camera and images can be recorded on videotape and displayed on a television monitor. Blood vessels are imaged as columns of red blood cells, in which flow is clearly observed. Administration of photosensitizers and illumination with the standard light source produces no observable photodynamic effect on blood flow. The combination of photosensitizer and a more intense light source (either broadband light from a filtered mercury arc or red light from a laser) causes photodynamic cessation of flow within a few minutes. The magnitude of the effect is dependent on the dose and nature of the photosensitizer, the delay after photosensitization and the match between the laser light and the absorption spectra of the photosensitizers in the red region. We conclude that the technique yields results consistent with the known photodynamic effects of the photosensitizers in tumors and propose its use as an initial screening method in YWO , as a means of conducting pharmacokinetic experiments and as an assay of prolonged cutaneous photosensitivity.     

On the Possibility of Evanescent Wave Excitation Distal from a Solid-Liquid Interface Using Light Quenching

Abstract— Evanescent wave illumination with total internal reflection is often used to provide excitation near a quartz-water interface. We now show that evanescent illumination at one wavelength and incident angle, coupled with light quenching at a second wavelength and incident angle, can be used for selective excitation of fluorophores located up to 5000 Å into the aqueous phase. The displacement of the fluorophore population from the solid-liquid interface depends on the angles of incidence of the excitation and quenching beams and the optical power of the quenching beam. Light quenching with an evanescent wave was demonstrated to be experimentally possible using Pyridinez and a light-quenching wavelength of 736 nm. The use of combined evanescent wave excitation and evanescent wave quenching could provide selective excitation of fluorophores in the cytoplasmic region of cells and may provide improved response times for optical sensors based on evanescent excitation.     

分形等离激元黑金的热电子催化性能

借鉴电镀工业中过电流“烧焦”现象, 在过电流沉积条件下一步制备出等离激元黑金. 扫描电子显微镜、 透射电子显微镜、 X射线衍射和紫外-可见-近红外吸收光谱等表征结果显示, 该黑金是具有三维分形结构的多晶纳米金, 可以在 400~1800 nm宽波段范围内吸收光. 电催化甲醇结果显示, 黑金在宽波长光照下可以将甲醇的电催化效率提高 15.2%, 其主要贡献来源于等离激元生成的热电子, 而一小部分来自环境热. 在不同的单色光照条件下, 黑金的催化效率差别不大, 表明其对光能的利用没有明显的波长选择性.     

Printed silver ohmic contacts for high-mobility organic thin-film transistors

Oleic acid-stabilized silver nanoparticles prepared by a facile synthesis afforded highly conductive elements upon proper annealing. Regioregular polythiophene-based thin-film transistors (OTFTs) using source/drain electrodes prepared from these silver nanoparticles provided excellent field-effect characteristics, despite a significant difference between the work function of silver and the HOMO of polythiophene semiconductor. This was attributable to conductive doping of the semiconductor interface by residual oleic acid or its thermally transformed derivative from the silver electrodes, thus enabling ohmic contact formation. This is in sharp contrast to the OTFTs with silver electrodes fabricated from both vacuum deposition and oleylamine-stabilized silver nanoparticles, which exhibited markedly lower mobility and current on/off ratio, a consequence of energetic mismatch of the electrode/semiconductor pairs.     

The response of halide ion-selective electrodes to redox systems : A comparison between silver/silver halide electrodes and silver sulphide- based halide ion-selective electrodes

Silver/silver chloride and bromide electrodes, prepared by anodizing ordinary silver electrodes, and the corresponding ion-selective electrodes based on silver sulphide, were tested for their susceptibility towards redox systems. It proved that the latter type of electrode responded significantly to strong oxidants. In contrast, the silver/silver halide types were highly resistant to redox interference provided that the silver halide layer was free from open pores. This could be achieved by generation of sufficiently thick layers and by selection of suitable current densities during electrodeposition (<20 mA cm^-2). The interrelation between the conditions of silver chloride film generation and redox resistance of the resulting electrodes is described in detail.     

Asymmetric response in a line of optically driven metallic nanospheres

We describe the dipole-dipole interactions between a linear array of optically driven silver metallic nanospheres (MNSs). These model calculations incorporate the full electric field generated by an oscillating dipole and predict several interesting effects due to the retardation of the field. The distribution of the power associated with MNSs along the array shows a strong variation on a scale smaller than the wavelength of the driving light. For a given geometry, there is a small range of frequencies where the relative power in the last MNS compared to the first dramatically changes, suggesting a simple device for wavelength discrimination in this frequency range. Moreover, small changes in the driving frequency can completely change the direction of the scattered light when only a single nanosphere is driven.     

Harmonic Analysis of Pulsed Photovoltaic Response of Titanium Dioxide Films under Local Illumination

A change in the photoelectrochemical behavior of a semiconductor–electrolyte system after transition from overall to local illumination of the electrode surface is studied. The proposed model accounts for charge interactions between illuminated and dark electrode portions and describes the frequency spectrum of photopotential for an electrode locally illuminated by a periodic sequence of light pulses a few nanoseconds in length. As shown with polycrystalline thin-film TiO₂electrodes, local values of concentrations of ionized donors and flat-band potentials of semiconductor electrodes may be determined with a harmonic analysis of frequency spectra of photovoltaic responses. The possibility of using the proposed approach in photoelectrochemical microscopy is discussed.     

Bottom-up and top-down approach for periodic microstructures on thin oxide films by controlled photo-activated chemical processes

Micropatterned oxide films were fabricated by controlling the photo-induced processes, such as buckling driven wrinkle formation and photomigration, in the photo monomer-oxide precursor hybrid films. The photo-induced process depended on the wavelength of the illuminated light, that is to say, the penetration depth of the UV light for polymerization; a uniform illumination of 254 nm light from the incoherent black light induces the surface buckling which resulted in the self-organized formation of a long-range ordered surface wrinkle structure (bottom-up process). On the other hand, 325 nm or 365 nm illumination enables us to fabricate a microstructure by the conventional photolithography technique, such as the mask method or holographic illumination (top-down process). The simultaneous illumination of the black light (uniform, 254 nm) and the He–Cd laser (holographic, 325 nm) resulted in the formation of a 2D micropattern in which the holographic gratings are formed by the holographic illumination together with the array of dots by surface buckling. This result indicates that the present microfabrication offers an integration of the top-down and bottom-up approach to realize the simultaneous fabrication of multi-scale and complex microstructured thin oxide films for photonic applications.     

Preparation of silver nanoparticles with controlled particle size

Silver colloids show different colors due to light absorption and scattering in the visible region based on plasmon resonance. The resonance wavelength depends on particle size and shape. Here we report chemical reduction methods for preparation of silver nanoparticles exhibiting multicolor in aqueous solutions. Depending on chemical conditions the obtained nanoparticles are different regarding size and morphology.In order to investigate the relationship between size, stability and color of silver colloids we obtained silver nanoparticles in aqueous solutions using different reducing agents. The effect of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on stabilization of obtained silver colloids was investigated. We have also studied the effect of silver precursor and its concentration on the formation of stable silver colloids.UV-VIS spectrum for silver colloids contains a strong plasmon band near 410 nm, which confirms silver ions reduction to Ag° in the aqueous phase. The formation of metal silver was also confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The diameter size of silver nanoparticles was in the range from 5 nm to 100 nm     

Transparent electrodes fabricated via the self-assembly of silver nanowires using a bubble template

To shore up the demand of transparent electrodes for wide applications such as organic light emitting diodes and solar cells, transparent electrodes are required as an alternative for indium tin oxide electrodes. Herein the self-assembly method with a bubble template paves the way for cost-effective fabrication of transparent electrodes with high conductivity and transparency using self-assembly of silver nanowires (AgNWs) in a bubble template. AgNWs were first dispersed in water that was bubbled with a surfactant and a thickening agent. Furthermore, these AgNWs were assembled by lining along the bubble ridges. When the bubbles containing the AgNWs were sandwiched between two glass substrates, the bubble ridges including the AgNWs formed continuous polygonal structures. Mesh structures were formed on both glass substrates after air-drying. The mesh structures evolved into mesh transparent electrodes following heat-treatment. The AgNW mesh structure exhibited a low sheet resistance of 6.2 Ω/square with a transparency of 84% after heat treatment at 200 °C for 20 min. The performance is higher than that of transparent electrodes with random networks of AgNWs. Furthermore, the conductivity and transparency of the mesh transparent electrodes can be adjusted by changing the amount of the AgNW suspension and the space between the two glass substrates.