Experimental study on preparation of LaMO3 (M = Fe, Co, Ni) nanocrystals and their catalytic activity

The perovskite-type oxides LaMO₃ (M = Fe, Co, Ni) were prepared by a glycine combustion method using La (NO₃)₃·6H₂O and Fe (NO₃)₃·9H₂O, Co (NO₃)₂·6H₂O, Ni (NO₃)₂·6H₂O as the raw materials, respectively, and C₂H₅NO₂ as gelating agent. The products were characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM and BET. The catalytic activity of LaMO₃ (M = Fe, Co, Ni) nanocrystals on thermal decomposition of NH₄CIO₄ (AP) were carried out by DTA and TG. The burning rate of the propellant modified by obtained LaCoO₃ was measured by strand burner method. The experimental results showed that the obtained products can play a catalytic role in the thermal decomposition of AP and combustion of AP-based propellant. The order of the catalytic performance of obtained products on AP thermal decomposition is LaCoO₃ > LaNiO₃ ≈ LaFeO₃. Adding 2% of LaCoO₃ nanocrystals to AP decreases the decomposition temperature by 134 °C and increases the heat of decomposition by 0.8 kJ g⁻¹. Compared with basic propellant, the burning rate of propellant modified by 1% LaCoO₃ nanocrystals increases around 8%.     

Synthesis of oleylamine capped copper nanocrystals via thermal reduction of a new precursor

The present investigation reports the novel synthesis of copper nanocrystals using thermal reduction, and their physicochemical characterization. The copper nanocrystal powder has been prepared using [bis(2-hydroxyacetophenato)copper(II)] as a precursor. The effect of oleylamine and triphenylphosphine on the particle morphology has been investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis has demonstrated that the copper nanocrystals have an average diameter of about 3 nm. The as-prepared copper nanocrystals were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, UV–Vis and FTIR.     

Flash microwave synthesis and sintering of nanosized La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.93Ru0.07o3-δ for fuel cell application

Perovskite-oxide nanocrystals of La_0.75Sr_0.25Cr_0.93Ru_0.07O_3-δ with a mean size around 10 nm were prepared by microwave flash synthesis. This reaction was performed in alcoholic solution using metallic salts, sodium ethoxide and microwave autoclave. The obtained powder was characterised after purification by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), BET adsorption technique, photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that integrated perovskite-type phase and uniform particle size were obtained in the microwave treated samples. At last the synthesised powder was directly used in a sintering process. A porous solid, in accordance with the expected applications, was then obtained at low sintering temperature (1000 °C) without use of pore forming agent.     

Mechanism for the formation of tin oxide nanoparticles and nanowires inside the mesopores of SBA-15

The formation of polycrystalline tin oxide nanoparticles (NP) and nanowires was investigated using nanocasting approach included solid-liquid strategy for insertion of SnCl₂ precursor and SBA-15 silica as a hard template. HR-TEM and XRD revealed that during the thermal treatment in air 5 nm tin oxide NP with well defined Cassiterite structure were formed inside the SBA-15 matrix mesopores at 250 °C. After air calcination at 700 °C the NP assembled inside the SBA-15 mesopores as polycrystalline nanorods with different orientation of atomic layers in jointed nanocrystals. It was found that the structure silanols of silica matrix play a vital role in creating the tin oxide NP at low temperature. The pure tin chloride heated in air at 250 °C did not react with oxygen to yield tin oxide. Tin oxide NP were also formed during the thermal treatment of the tin chloride loaded SBA-15 in helium atmosphere at 250 °C. Hence, it is well evident that silanols present in the silica matrix not only increase the wetting of tin chloride over the surface of SBA-15 favoring its penetration to the matrix pores, but also react with hydrated tin chloride according to the proposed scheme to give tin oxide inside the mesopores. It was confirmed by XRD, N₂-adsorption, TGA-DSC and FTIR spectra. This phenomenon was further corroborated by detecting the inhibition of SnO₂ NP formation at 250 °C after inserting the tin precursor to SBA-15 with reduced silanols concentration partially grafted with tin chloride.     

Low temperature synthesis of Mn3O4 polyhedral nanocrystals and magnetic study

Manganese oxide (hausmannite) polyhedral nanocrystals were prepared by a microwave-assisted solution-based method using Mn(CH₃COO)₂ and (CH₂)₆N₄ at 80 °C. The as-prepared Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectrum. Mn₃O₄ polyhedral nanocrystals prepared by microwave heating at 80 °C for 60 min were of cubic and rhombohedral shapes with the edge lengths in the range of 15-40 nm. Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals grew following the Ostwald ripening mechanism with increasing reaction time. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction confirm that the as-obtained polyhedral nanocrystals were single-crystalline. The magnetic behavior of Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals was studied. Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals show an obvious ferromagnetic behavior at low temperatures. The magnetic behavior of Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals was sensitive to crystal size. Ferromagnetic onset temperatures (T_c) of samples 1 and 3 are 40.6 and 41.1 K, respectively, lower than that observed for bulk Mn₃O₄ (42 K).     

Lead determination in glasses by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been used to determine the lead content of different types of lead silicate glasses commercially designed as sonorous glass (which contain ∼ 10 wt.% PbO); crystal glass (with at least 24 wt.% PbO) and superior crystal glass (with at least 30 wt.% PbO). Seven different types of glass samples were selected, including historic-original, model and commercially available. The selected samples were artificially weathered under neutral, acid and alkaline attack. Analysis by LIBS was carried out in vacuum under excitation at 266 nm and results were compared with those obtained by conventional techniques used for glass characterization. Composition of the bulk glasses was analyzed by XRF (X-ray fluorescence) and the corroded surfaces were characterized by SEM/EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis). A linear correlation was obtained between the intensity of selected Pb lines in the LIB spectra and the PbO content. The effect of corrosion could be characterized by comparing successive LIB spectra recorded on the same area; acid attack resulted in a decrease of PbO, CaO and Na₂O content in the surface with respect to the bulk of the sample, while minor changes in the composition were noticed under alkaline attack. These results show LIBS as a useful technique to classify the different types of lead glasses by their lead content and to determine and asses the degree and type of corrosion.     

Fluorescence for the ultrasensitive detection of peptides with functionalized nano-ZnS

The fluorescence emitted by the functionalized ZnS nanocrystal at 440 nm could be efficiently enhanced or quenched when various peptides were added. The mechanism of the fluorescence enchancement and quenching of ZnS nanocrystals was discussed. The binding constant and numbers of binding sites was obtained from the Scatchard plot. The change of fluorescence intensity was in proportion to the concentration of peptides. The limits of detection were in range of 0.011-0.028 μg mL⁻¹. Application results to synthetic samples showed simplicity, rapidity, high sensitivity and satisfactory reproducibility of the presented method. Measurements of real samples also give satisfactory results which were in good agreement with those obtained using high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and liquid chromatograph-mass spectrograph (LC-MS) methods.     

Investigation of photoelectrical properties and relaxation dynamics in photoexcited CdSe nanocrystals in thin film form

Electrical and photoelectrical properties of cubic CdSe nanocrystals in thin film form (including the relaxation dynamics of photocarriers) are investigated. Photoelectrical properties of the obtained films are controlled by chemical (varying the reagent concentration in the reaction system) and physical means (controlling the crystal dimensions). In the case of thin films with optimal photoelectrical properties, the calculated band gap energy and ionization energies of impurity levels (on the basis of experimentally obtained temperature dependence of dark electrical resistance) at 0 K are 1.85, 0.74 and 0.43 eV, correspondingly. The calculated optical band gap energy (on the basis of spectral dependence of photoconductivity) at room temperature of 1.75 eV is in excellent agreement with the value of 1.77 eV which is obtained on the basis of electronic absorption spectrum in the framework of parabolic approximation for dispersion relation. Upon thermal treatment of chemically deposited thin films of cubic CdSe quantum dots, as a result of processes of coalescence and crystal growth, the electronic contact between nanocrystals increases and the confinement effects irreversibly disappear. Relaxation of non-equilibrium charge carriers is practically carried out according to the linear mechanism. The calculated relaxation time of photoexcited charge carriers is 0.4 ms.     

Novel pseudo-morphotactic synthesis and characterization of tungsten nitride nanoplates

A novel pseudo-morphotactic transformation route was developed to synthesize polycrystalline β-W₂N nanoplates by thermally treating tungstate-based inorganic-organic hybrid nanobelts with a lamellar microstructure in an NH₃ flow. The tungstate-based hybrid nanobelts were formed in a water-in-oil-microemulsion-like “commercial H₂WO₄ powders/n-octylamine/heptane” reaction system. The as-obtained hybrid nanobelts were thermally treated in an NH₃ atmosphere at 650-800 °C for 2 h to form cubic β-W₂N nanoplates. XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR and TG-DTA were used to characterize the precursors and their final products. The polycrystalline β-W₂N nanoplates derived from hybrid nanobelts, with side lengths of several hundred nanometers, consist of small nanocrystals with an average grain size of 3.2 nm. The formation of β-W₂N nanoplates involved two steps: decomposing tungstate-based hybrid nanobelts into WO_y and W species and then nitridizing the active W-containing species to β-W₂N nanocrystals in an NH₃ flow. The platelike morphology of the β-W₂N nanocrystals was inherited from the precursor of tungstate-based inorganic-organic hybrid nanobelts.     

Photoluminescent BaMoO4 nanopowders prepared by complex polymerization method (CPM)

The BaMoO₄ nanopowders were prepared by the Complex Polymerization Method (CPM). The structure properties of the BaMoO₄ powders were characterized by FTIR transmittance spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, photoluminescence spectra (PL) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM). The XRD, FTIR and Raman data showed that BaMoO₄ at 300 °C was disordered. At 400 °C and higher temperature, BaMoO₄ crystalline scheelite-type phases could be identified, without the presence of additional phases, according to the XRD, FTIR and Raman data. The calculated average crystallite sizes, calculated by XRD, around 40 nm, showed the tendency to increase with the temperature. The crystallite sizes, obtained by HR-SEM, were around of 40-50 nm. The sample that presented the highest intensity of the red emission band was the one heat treated at 400 °C for 2 h, and the sample that displayed the highest intensity of the green emission band was the one heat treated at 700 °C for 2 h. The CPM was shown to be a low cost route for the production of BaMoO₄ nanopowders, with the advantages of lower temperature, smaller time and reduced cost. The optical properties observed for BaMoO₄ nanopowders suggested that this material is a highly promising candidate for photoluminescent applications.     

Chemical synthesis of mesoporous CuO from a single precursor: Structural, optical and electrical properties

We report a simple method for growing photoluminescent mesoporous CuO nanoparticles by a chemical route, using the single precursor technique. The final products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Hall measurements. Structural analysis reveals that the average pore diameter of the as-prepared CuO is about 38.8 Å and it comes with an average surface area of 66.63 m²/g. N₂-sorption analysis shows that the resulting isotherm as type IV; which is the characteristic of mesoporous materials. The average crystal diameter, as derived from the XRD data analysis is found to be about 20 nm. FESEM measurement reveals that the material is composed of cubic nanoparticles. The UV-vis spectrum of the material shows significant amount of blue-shift in the band gap energy (E_g), due to the quantum confinement effect exerted by the nanocrystals. The Raman study of the CuO nanostructures also indicates the high crystalline nature of the material. From the positive sign of Hall coefficient, the p-type conduction nature of the deposited film is established. The film was found to show high magnetoresistance, which is in the order of 10⁵ Ω.     

CdTe nanocrystals sensitized chemiluminescence and the analytical application

It was found that the mixing of CdTe semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with luminol in the presence of KMnO₄ can induce a great sensitized effect on chemiluminescence (CL) emission. When the concentration of luminol, KMnO₄ and NaOH were fixed at 1 μM, 1 μM and 0.05 M, respectively, the most excellent performance can be obtained for the CdTe NCs sensitized CL. By means of CL and photoluminescence spectra, we suppose the enhanced CL signals resulted from the accelerated luminol CL induced by the oxidized species of CdTe NCs. Based on the finding, using thioglycolic acid-capped CdTe NCs as label and immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a model analyte, a CL immunoassay protocol for IgG content detection was developed. The strong inhibition effect of phenol compounds on luminol-KMnO₄-CdTe NCs CL system was also observed. All these findings demonstrated the possibility of semiconductor nanocrystals induced chemiluminescence to be utilized for more practical applications.     

Preparation of magnetite-loaded silica microspheres for solid-phase extraction of genomic DNA from soy-based foodstuffs

Solid-phase extraction has been widely employed for the preparation of DNA templates for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analytical methods. Among the variety of adsorbents studied, magnetically responsive silica particles are particularly attractive due to their potential to simplify, expedite, and automate the extraction process. Here we report a facile method for the preparation of such magnetic particles, which entails impregnation of porous silica microspheres with iron salts, followed by calcination and reduction treatments. The samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). XRD data show that magnetite nanocrystals of about 27.2 nm are produced within the pore channels of the silica support after reduction. SEM images show that the as-synthesized particles exhibit spherical shape and uniform particle size of about 3 μm as determined by the silica support. Nitrogen sorption data confirm that the magnetite-loaded silica particles possess typical mesopore structure with BET surface area of about 183 m²/g. VSM data show that the particles display paramagnetic behavior with saturation magnetization of 11.37 emu/g. The magnetic silica microspheres coated with silica shells were tested as adsorbents for rapid extraction of genomic DNA from soybean-derived products. The purified DNA templates were amplified by PCR for screening of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The preliminary results confirm that the DNA extraction protocols using magnetite-loaded silica microspheres are capable of producing DNA templates which are inhibitor-free and ready for downstream analysis.     

Study of mineralogical speciation of arsenic in soils using X ray microfluorescence and scanning electronic microscopy

In this paper we studied the As content in natural contaminated soils, classified as Dystric Leptosol, Chromic Luvisol, Eutric Cambisol and Mollic Leptosol. In soil samples, sieved (<2 mm), total As was determined by XRF and chemical speciation by sequential extraction. As-bearing minerals were concentrated from fine sand fraction of soil (200-20 μm) using heavy liquid. In this fraction, mineralogical speciation was studied by X-ray microfluorescence, XRD with Göbbel mirror and SEM-BEI-EDX. Total As contents ranging from 61.00 to 131.00 mg kg⁻¹. The results of the sequential extraction showed that As was, mainly, in the residual fraction (52.51-98.76 mg kg⁻¹) and in the fraction bound to iron oxyhydroxides (0-36.5 mg kg⁻¹). Mapping of As with X-ray microfluorescence show strongly relationship between Fe and As. Iron (III) oxyhydroxides (FeOHs) (lepidocrocite and goethite), scorodite, angelellite, schultenite and dussertite were identified by XRD analysis as most likely mineral phases. The contents of As, Fe, Pb and Ba obtained with EDX-microprobe, confirmed the results of XRD. The results of sequential extraction and X-ray microfluorescence indicate that As is strongly bound to the soils because the identified As-bearing mineral phases are very stable at the pH conditions of studied soils. Consequently, a low mobility of As can be assumed in these soils.     

Photoactivation by visible light of CdTe quantum dots for inline generation of reactive oxygen species in an automated multipumping flow system

Quantum dots (QD) are semiconductor nanocrystals able to generate free radical species upon exposure to an electromagnetic radiation, usually in the ultraviolet wavelength range. In this work, CdTe QD were used as highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) generators for the control of pharmaceutical formulations containing epinephrine. The developed approach was based on the chemiluminometric monitoring of the quenching effect of epinephrine on the oxidation of luminol by the produced ROS. Due to the relatively low energy band-gap of this chalcogenide a high power visible light emitting diode (LED) lamp was used as photoirradiation element and assembled in a laboratory-made photocatalytic unit. Owing to the very short lifetime of ROS and to ensure both reproducible generation and time-controlled reaction implementation and development, all reactional processes were implemented inline by using an automated multipumping micro-flow system. A linear working range for epinephrine concentration of up to 2.28 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ (r = 0.9953; n = 5) was verified. The determination rate was about 79 determinations per hour and the detection limit was about 8.69 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. The results obtained in the analysis of epinephrine pharmaceutical formulations by using the proposed methodology were in good agreement with those furnished by the reference procedure, with relative deviations lower than 4.80%.     

Controlled synthesis of monodispersed AgGaS2 3D nanoflowers and the shape evolution from nanoflowers to colloids

Monodispersed AgGaS₂ three-dimensional (3D) nanoflowers have been successfully synthesized in a “soft-chemical” system with the mixture of 1-octyl alcohol and cyclohexane as reaction medium and oleylamine as surfactant. The crystal phase, morphology and chemical composition of the as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM (HTEM), respectively. Results reveal that the as-synthesized AgGaS₂ nanoflowers are in tetragonal structure with 3D flower-like shape. Controlled experiments demonstrated that the shape transformation of AgGaS₂ nanocrystals from 3D nanoflowers (50 nm) to nanoparticles (10-20 nm) could be readily realized by tuning the reaction parameters, e.g., the ratio of octanol to cyclohexane, the length of carbon chain of fatty alcohol, the concentration of oleylamine, etc. The UV-vis and PL spectra of the obtained AgGaS₂ nanoflowers and colloids were researched. In addition, the photoelectron energy conversion (SPV) of AgGaS₂ nanoflowers was further researched by the surface photovoltage spectra.     

Aptamer based strategy for cytosensing and evaluation of HER-3 on the surface of MCF-7 cells by using the signal amplification of nucleic acid-functionalized nanocrystals

The electrochemical detection of cell lines of MCF-7 (human breast cancer) has been reported, using magnetic beads for the separation tool and high-affinity DNA aptamers for signal recognition. The high specificity was obtained by using the magnetic beads and aptamers, and the good sensitivity was realized with the signal amplification of DNA capped CdS or PbS nanocrystals. The ASV (anodic stripping voltammetry) technology was employed for the detection of cadmic cation and lead ions, for electrochemical assay of the amount of the target cells and biomarkers on the membrane of target cells, respectively. This electrochemical method could respond to as low as 100 cells mL⁻¹ of cancer cells with a linear calibration range from 1.0 × 10² to 1.0 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹, showing very high sensitivity. Moreover, the amounts of HER-3 which were overexpressed on MCF-7 cells were calculated correspond to be 3.56 × 10⁴ anti-HER-3 antibody molecules. In addition, the assay was able to differentiate between different types of target and control cells based on the aptamers and magnetic beads used in the assay, indicating the wide applicability of the assay for early and accurate diagnose of cancers.     

Uniform Ln (Eu, Tb) doped NaLa(WO4)2 nanocrystals: Synthesis, characterization, and optical properties

Uniform shuttle-like Ln³⁺ (Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺) doped NaLa(WO₄)₂ nanocrystals have been solvothermally synthesized, and the size of the nanocrystals could be easily controlled by adjusting the volume ratio of ethylene glycol (EG) to water. Doped with 5 mol% Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions, the NaLa(WO₄)₂ nanocrystals showed strong red and green emissions with lifetimes of 0.8 and 1.40 ms, respectively. A high quenching concentration of 15 mol% was observed in Eu³⁺-doped NaLa(WO₄)₂ nanocrystals and 35 mol% in Tb³⁺-doped NaLa(WO₄)₂ nanocrystals. The emission intensity measurements of Eu³⁺-doped NaLa(WO₄)₂ with different sizes indicated that the emission intensity of shuttles with length of 300 nm in average was stronger than that of shuttles with length of 900 nm in average, but was weaker than that of needles with length of 4 and 9 μm in average.     

Enhanced gas sensing by assembling Pd nanoparticles onto the surface of SnO2 nanowires

SnO₂ nanowires with an average 0.6 μm in length and about 25 nm in diameter were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The sensors were fabricated using SnO₂ nanowires assembled with Pd nanocrystals. The sensing properties of the sensors such as selectivity, response-recovery time and stability were tested at 290 °C. After assembling Pd nanocrystals onto the surface of SnO₂ nanowires, the gas sensing properties of the sensors toward H₂S were improved. The sensors based on Pd nanoparticle@SnO₂ nanowires exhibit high stability owing to stable single crystal structure. The mechanism of promoting sensing properties with Pd nanoparticles is discussed.     

两种不同Pb源对PbSe纳米晶生长的影响

采用有机相合成法, 分别以PbO和醋酸铅[Pb(Ac)₂]作为铅源, 研究了在不同反应温度和反应时间下, 不同铅源对PbSe纳米晶生长的影响. 实验结果表明, 以PbO作为铅源, 油酸(OA)作为配体时, 在不同的反应温度下得到了球形PbSe纳米晶和截角八面体PbSe纳米晶; 选择Pb(Ac)₂作为铅源时, 在不同的温度下得到了PbSe纳米花和PbSe纳米星. 选择不同铅源得到的PbSe纳米晶形貌完全不同, 这主要是由于醋酸根的引入产生了不同的空间位阻, 引起纳米晶导向吸附并形成纳米花. 而随着反应温度的升高和反应时间的延长, 这些不同形貌的PbSe纳米晶最终会演变成纳米立方块, 这主要是由PbSe的晶体特性决定的.