Synthesis and optical properties of poly (vinyl acetate)/bismuth oxide nanorods

Poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc) loaded bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) nanorods were successfully prepared at ambient pressure. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the final product. It was found that Bi₂O₃ nanorods were formed and the diameter of the rods was confined to about 8 nm. The diameter and length of formed rods were found to increase by increasing the bismuth oxide concentration in the PVAc matrix. The optical properties of the nanocomposite films were characterized from the analysis of the experimentally recorded transmittance and reflectance data in the spectral wavelength range of 300–800 nm. The values of some important parameters of the studied films are determined such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), optical absorption coefficient (α), and band energy gap (E_g). According to the analysis of dispersion curves, it has been found that the dispersion data obeyed the single oscillator of the Wemple–DiDomenico model, from which the dispersion parameters and high‐frequency dielectric constant were determined. In such work, from the transmission spectra, the dielectric constant (ε_∞) and the third‐order optical nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were determined. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gold nanorods: Synthesis and optical properties

The main results of studying the synthesis, growth mechanisms, and optical properties of gold nanorods published in the last 5–8 years are briefly reviewed. Hydrosols of gold nanorods with variable axial ratios are synthesized in the micellar solution of ionic surfactants by sead-mediated growth procedure using the stage of particle separation in the glycerol concentration gradient. Results of synthesis in systems containing one surfactant, albeit with different Ag/Au molar ratios and different amounts of gold seeding particles, agree with the published data. It is shown that, in the case of the mixture of two surfactants, the Ag/Au ratio is an efficient controlling parameter of the synthesis of nanorods with large axial ratios. The extinction and differential light scattering, spectra dynamic light scattering, and the depolarization of laser light scattering at 90° are used for the optical control of synthesis. Three fractions are observed in separated samples. One of these fractions is characterized by the only short wavelength plasmon resonance at 570 nm corresponding, in agreement with the published data, to cubic particles. Measurements of the extinction spectra of nanorods in water-glycerol mixtures reveal higher sensitivity of the longitudinal plasmon resonance to the dielectric environment relative to the transverse resonance. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the relative shift of plasmon resonance is proportional to the relative increment of refractive index of the surrounding medium. To calculate optical properties of nanorods, we employed a model of cylinders with semispherical ends (s-cylinders) corresponding to the shape of real particles and admitting the exact solution by the T-matrix method with a computational burden that is an order of magnitude lower than that used in the discrete dipole method. The set of dependences of the longitudinal resonance wavelength on the axial ratio of different-thickness particles complies with our data and published measurements. Theoretical and experimental values of depolarization ratio I _VH/I _VV for nanorods and nanospheres with different sizes prepared with both citrate (15–46 nm) and original thiocyanate (90 nm) reduction of HAuCl₄ are compared. It is shown that the depolarization parameter of light scattered by a nanorod suspension can exceed the theoretical limit (1/3) for common dielectric particles. The measured 10%-depolarization ratio for 90-nm spheres was far beyond the set of “size-depolarization” measurements for 15–46-nm-dia particles prepared by the citrate method and is indicative of the improved spherical morphology of 90-nm particles. This assumption was confirmed by TEM data, which also revealed both the presence of a noticeable amount of nanorods with a large axial ratio and “nanowires” of about the same thickness. A new analytic calibration for determining the diameter of spherical particles (5–100 nm) by the spectral position of the sol extinction maximum is proposed.     

Synthesis and optical properties of V2O5 nanorods

A two-step method was proposed in synthesizing V2O5 nanorods on planar substrates, i.e., depositing a V2O3 thin film at approximately 220 degrees C (by heating a pure sheet of vanadium in a rough vacuum) and then heating it in air at approximately 400 degrees C. The V2O5 nanorods produced by this technique are single crystalline and could emit intense visible light at room temperature, possibly due to some defects such as oxygen vacancies which got involved during growth. This study provides a simple and low-substrate-temperature route in fabricating V2O5 nanorods on planar substrates, which might be also applicable to other metal oxides.     

Synthesis of W18O49 nanorod via ammonium tungsten oxide and its interesting optical properties

W(18)O(49) nanorods were synthesized by pyrolyzing (NH(4))(x)WO(3+x/2) nanorods precursors, which were prepared by a hydrothermal reaction using sulfate as a structure-directing agent, in a reductive atmosphere of H(2)(5 vol %)/N(2) at 500 °C for 1 h. W(18)O(49) nanorods showed high transmittance in the visible region as well as excellent shielding properties of NIR lights. A simulated experiment revealed that excellent heat insulating performance can be realized by applying a 70% visible light transparent W(18)O(49) coating on a quartz glass. Meanwhile, the W(18)O(49) nanorods also showed strong absorption of NIR light and instantaneous conversion of photoenergy to heat. In a word, W(18)O(49) nanorods hold interesting optical properties and are a promising material in a wide range of applications.     

Synthesis and characterization of colloidal ternary ZnCdSe semiconductor nanorods

For the synthesis of colloidal ternary ZnCdSe nanorods, CdSe nanorods were first prepared under a mixture of tetradecylphosphonic acid/trioctylphosphine oxide surfactants at 250 degrees C, and then ZnSe shell layer was grown onto CdSe nanorods at 180 degrees C, forming CdSeZnSe core/shell nanorods. Green-yellow emitting ternary ZnCdSe nanorods were obtained by a subsequent alloying process at 270 degrees C for 1-3 h through the diffusion of Zn ions into CdSe nanorods. The photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) of ZnCdSe nanorods was 5%-10%, which is higher than that from pristine CdSe nanorods (0.6%). The QY of these alloy nanorods depends on the alloying time and is discussed in terms of compositional disorders and defects produced by the alloying process. The Raman and time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies were used to understand the detailed alloying process from CdSeZnSe core/shell to ZnCdSe alloy nanorods.     

Synthesis, optical properties, and growth mechanism of blue-emitting CdSe nanorods

Blue-emitting, cubic phase CdSe nanorods with an approximate diameter of 2.5 nm and lengths up to 12 nm have been synthesized at low temperature (100 degrees C) in a single surfactant using a single-source molecular precursor. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements indicate that the nanorods are formed from self-assembly of isotropic nanoclusters. Anisotropic growth in a single surfactant appears to be favored when growth occurs below the thermal decomposition temperature of the single-source precursor.     

Synthesis and optical properties of small Au nanorods using a seedless growth technique

Gold nanoparticles have shown potential in photothermal cancer therapy and optoelectronic technology. In both applications, a call for small size nanorods is warranted. In the present work, a one-pot seedless synthetic technique has been developed to prepare relatively small monodisperse gold nanorods with average dimensions (length × width) of 18 × 4.5 nm, 25 × 5 nm, 15 × 4.5 nm, and 10 × 2.5 nm. In this method, the pH was found to play a crucial role in the monodispersity of the nanorods when the NaBH(4) concentration of the growth solution was adjusted to control the reduction rate of the gold ions. At the optimized pH and NaBH(4) concentrations, smaller gold nanorods were produced by adjusting the CTAB concentration in the growth solution. In addition, the concentration of silver ions in the growth solution was found to be pivotal in controlling the aspect ratio of the nanorods. The extinction coefficient values for the small gold nanorods synthesized with three different aspect ratios were estimated using the absorption spectra, size distributions, and the atomic spectroscopic analysis data. The previously accepted relationships between the extinction coefficient or the longitudinal band wavelength values and the nanorods' aspect ratios found for the large nanorods do not extend to the small size domain reported in the present work. The failure of extending these relationships over larger sizes is a result of the interaction of light with the large rods giving an extinction band which results mostly from scattering processes while the extinction of the small nanorods results from absorption processes.     

Effect of calcination temperature on the surface morphology and crystallinity of tungsten (VI) oxide nanorods prepared using colloidal gas aphrons method

The effect of calcination temperature on the surface morphology and crystallinity of tungsten (VI) oxide, WO₃ nanorods prepared using colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) as template was studied. The synthesized WO₃ nanorods were calcined in a furnace for 4 h at four different temperatures, i.e., 400, 500, 600 and 700 °C. The morphology of the calcined WO₃ nanorods have been characterized by both transmission electron microscope (TEM) and variable pressure scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The results showed that the calcination temperature influenced the shape and size of the WO₃ nanorods produced. It is also found that the calcination at various temperature do not effect the composition and the purity of the WO₃ nanorods. In order to characterize the crystalinity of WO₃, X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been used. It shows that all the calcined WO₃ produced are in crystalline form compared to the as-prepared WO₃ nanorods, which is in amorphous form.     

Preparation and optical properties of worm-like gold nanorods

A type of worm-like nanorods was successfully synthesized through conventional gold nanorods reacting with Na2S2O3 or Na2S. The generated worm-like gold nanorods comprise shrunk nanorod cores and enwrapped shells. Therefore, a gold-gold sulfide core-shell structure is formed in the process, distinguishing from their original counterparts. The formation of the gold chalcogenide layers was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Experimental results showed that the thickness of the gold chalcogenide layers is controllable. Since the increase of shell thickness and decrease of gold nanorod core take place simultaneously, it allows one to tune the plasmon resonance of nanorods. Proper adjustment of reaction time, temperature, additives and other experimental conditions will produce worm-like gold nanorods demonstrating desired longitudinal plasmon wavelength (LPW) with narrow size distributions, only limited by properties of starting original gold nanorods. The approach presented herein is capable of selectively changing LPW of the gold nanorods. Additionally, the formed worm-like nanorods possess higher sensitive property in localized surface plasmon resonance than the original nanorods. Their special properties were characterized by spectroscopic methods such as Vis-NIR, fluorescence and resonance light scattering. These features imply that the gold nanorods have potential applications in biomolecular recognition study and biosensor fabrications.     

DLVO interactions of tungsten oxide and cobalt oxide surfaces measured with the colloidal probe technique

We have investigated the DLVO surface forces of oxidized tungsten and cobalt surfaces using the atomic force microscope (AFM) colloidal probe technique. It was shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrokinetic measurements that this model system is representative of industrial tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt powders used in the production of hard metals. We found that the attractive van der Waals forces are well described by Hamaker constants, calculated from optical data for WO(3) and CoOOH. The repulsive electrostatic double layer forces between WO(3) surfaces increase with increasing pH due to an increasingly negative surface potential. This surface potential decreases with increasing ionic strength at pH 7.5. The electrostatic interaction between WO(3) and CoOOH is attractive at pH 10, suggesting a positively charged CoOOH surface.     

Synthesis and properties of colloidal heteronanocrystals

Colloidal heteronanocrystals (HNCs) can be regarded as solution-grown inorganic-organic hybrid nanomaterials, since they consist of inorganic nanoparticles that are coated with a layer of organic ligand molecules. The hybrid nature of these nanostructures provides great flexibility in engineering their physical and chemical properties. The inorganic particles are heterostructured, i.e. they comprise two (or more) different materials joined together, what gives them remarkable and unique properties that can be controlled by the composition, size and shape of each component of the HNC. The interaction between the inorganic component and the organic ligand molecules allows the size and shape of the HNCs to be controlled and gives rise to novel properties. Moreover, the organic surfactant layer opens up the possibility of surface chemistry manipulation, making it possible to tailor a number of properties. These features have turned colloidal HNCs into promising materials for a number of applications, spurring a growing interest on the investigation of their preparation and properties. This critical review provides an overview of recent developments in this rapidly expanding field, with emphasis on semiconductor HNCs (e.g., quantum dots and quantum rods). In addition to defining the state of the art and highlighting the key issues in the field, this review addresses the fundamental physical and chemical principles needed to understand the properties and preparation of colloidal HNCs (283 references).     

Flower-like tungsten oxide particles: Synthesis, characterization and dimethyl methylphosphonate sensing properties

Flower-like WO₃ particles with high specific surface area were synthesized via a template/surfactant-free way. Scanning and transmission microscopies and X-ray diffraction were applied to investigate the formation mechanism of the morphology. Gas sensing characterization showed an enhanced sensitivity (70 Hz/ppm) to dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) as compared with previously reported WO₃ nanoflakes (38 Hz/ppm) at a DMMP concentration of 4 ppm. Cross-sensitivity results revealed that flower-like WO₃ still showed sound sensitivity in presence of interfering agents, which benefited from its intrinsic high sensitivity. The mechanism of DMMP adsorption on the flower-like WO₃ particle was studied by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy.     

Phase transformation and optical properties of Cu-doped ZnS nanorods

ZnS nanorods doped with 0-15 mol% of Cu have been prepared by simple solvothermal process. With gradual increase in the Cu concentration, phase transformation of the doped ZnS nanorods from wurtzite to cubic was observed. Twins and stacking faults were developed due to atomic rearrangement in the heavily doped ZnS nanorods during phase transformation. UV-vis-NIR absorbance spectroscopy ruled out the presence of any impure Cu-S phase. The doped ZnS nanorods showed luminescence over a wide range from UV to near IR with peaks at 370, 492-498, 565 and 730 nm. The UV region peak is due to the near-band-edge transition, whereas, the green peak can be related to emission from elementary sulfur species on the surfaces of the nanorods. The orange emission at 565 nm may be linked to the recombination of electrons at deep defect levels and the Cu(t₂) states present near the valence band of ZnS. The near IR emission possibly originated from transitions due to deep-level defects.     

Thermodynamic properties of rubidium niobium tungsten oxide

In the present work temperature dependence of heat capacity of rubidium niobium tungsten oxide has been measured first in the range from 7 to 395 K and then between 390 and 650 K, respectively, by precision adiabatic vacuum and dynamic calorimetry. The experimental data were used to calculate standard thermodynamic functions, namely the heat capacity ^ (T), C_{\text{p}}^{\text{o}} (T), enthalpy H^\texto (T) - H^\texto (0) H^{\text{o}} ({\rm T}) - H^{\text{o}} (0) , entropy S^\texto (T) - S^\texto ( 0 ) S^{\text{o}} (T) - S^{\text{o}} \left( 0 \right) , and Gibbs function G^\texto (T) - H^\texto (0) G^{{^{\text{o}} }} ({\rm T}) - H^{{^{\text{o}} }} (0) , for the range from T→0 to 650 K. The high-temperature X-ray diffraction and the differential scanning calorimetry were used for the determination of temperature and decomposition products of RbNbWO₆.     

One-dimensional CoPt nanorods and their anomalous IR optical properties

One-dimensional (1D) CoPt nanorods were synthesized by a galvanic displacement reaction. The morphology of the nanomaterials was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed the coexistence of Co and Pt in the 1D nanorods. Studies of cyclic voltammetry (CV) demonstrated that the 1D CoPt nanorods exhibit a better electrocatalytic property for CO oxidation than that of bulk Pt electrode does. In situ electrochemical FTIRS illustrated, for the first time, that the 1D CoPt nanorods display abnormal infrared effects (AIREs), which was previously revealed mainly on 2D film nanomaterials.     

Synthesis and characterization of chemically grown electrochromic tungsten oxide

Tungsten oxide thin films, which are cathodic coloration materials that are used in electrochromic devices, were prepared by a chemical growth method and their electrochromic properties were investigated. The thin films of WO₃ were deposited onto electrically conducting substrates: fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass (FTO) with sheet resistance of about 10 Ω/cm. Transparent, uniform and strongly adherent thin film samples of WO₃ were studied for their structural, morphological, optical and electrochromic properties. The XRD data confirmed the monoclinic crystal structure of WO₃ thin films. The direct band gap Eg for the films was found to be 2.95 eV which is good for electrochromic device application. The electrochromism of WO₃ thin film was evaluated in 0.5 M LiClO₄/propylene carbonate for Li⁺ intercalation. Electrochromic properties of WO₃ thin films were studied with the help of Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Chronoamperometry (CA) and Chronocoulometry (CC) techniques.     

Soft template synthesis of ZnO nanorods and their optical properties

A simple solution route was developed to fabricate monodisperse wurtzite ZnO nanorods. The as-prepared samples were 5 ??m in length and 70?C100 nm in diameter. The crystallinity, morphology, and structure of the rod-like ZnO microcrystals were examined. The crystal phases and the microstructure of the nanorods were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Room- and low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra were employed to investigate the surface states of the samples. The deep-level emission band was barely observable at both room and cryogenic temperatures.     

氧化钨纳米棒团簇的制备及电催化性能

以氯化钨为前驱体,通过溶剂热法制备了WO₃和W₁₈O₄₉并将其应用在染料敏化太阳能电池(dye-sensitized solar cells,DSSCs)和电解水析氢反应(hydrogen evolution reaction,HER)中。通过X射线衍射仪(XRD)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对WO₃和W₁₈O₄₉的结构和形貌进行表征。结果表明：WO₃和W₁₈O₄₉均为单斜相,其形貌表现为定向排列的纳米棒组成的团簇。X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和电子顺磁共振(EPR)表明W₁₈O₄₉中含有丰富的氧空位。基于氧空位优异的电化学特性,W₁₈O₄₉对电极组装的DSSC获得了7.41%的光电能量转换效率(power conversion efficiency,PCE),高于WO     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of hexagonally packed ZnO nanorods

Large-scale uniform aligned ZnO nanorods with a hexagonal tip were successfully synthesized via a facile process at low temperature of (～140 °C) without using any additives and substrate. The process is based on a simple reaction of zinc powder and de-ionized water. The results reveal that the as-prepared ZnO products have an average length of 10 μm and a diameter in the range of 50–260 nm, possessing a single crystal wurtzite structure. The structure and morphology of the ZnO products are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). The possible formation mechanism of nanorods is proposed in brief. The optical properties of grown products were characterized by room-temperature. The magnetic property was tested with a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature and revealed a high hysteresis loop indicating a strong ferromagnetic nature of as synthesized ZnO nanorods. The yield producing nanorods with this method includes ease, flexibility, fast being low cost and ineffective on environment free.