Laser-assisted synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe@Au core-shell nanoparticles

A novel method combining wet chemistry for synthesis of an Fe core, 532 nm laser irradiation of Fe nanoparticles and Au powder in liquid medium for deposition of an Au shell, and sequential magnetic extraction/acid washing for purification has been developed to fabricate oxidation-resistant Fe@Au magnetic core-shell nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have been extensively characterized at various stages during and up to several months after completion of the synthesis by a suite of electron microscopy techniques (HRTEM, HAADF STEM, EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and magnetometry. The surface plasmon resonance of the Fe@Au nanoparticles is red shifted and much broadened as compared with that of pure colloidal nano-gold, which is explained to be predominantly a shell-thickness effect. The Au shell consists of partially fused approximately 3-nm-diameter fcc Au nanoparticles (lattice interplanar distance, d = 2.36 A). The 18-nm-diameter magnetic core is bcc Fe single domain (d = 2.03 A). The nanoparticles are superparamagnetic at room temperature (300 K) with a blocking temperature, T(b), of approximately 170 K. After 4 months of shelf storage in normal laboratory conditions, their mass magnetization per Fe content was measured to be 210 emu/g, approximately 96% of the Fe bulk value.     

原子级壳层厚度Ru@Pt核壳结构纳米粒子的制备与表征

采用连续多元醇法,以RuCl₃·xH₂O和PtCl₂为前驱体,乙二醇为还原剂,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮为稳定剂的反应体系,并通过调节PtCl₂用量和还原温度成功制备了壳层厚度约为1.5个Pt原子层的单分散Ru@Pt核壳结构纳米粒子,利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)等分析方法对其微观结构、粒径分布、晶型结构、物相组成进行了表征。 结果表明,该纳米粒子分布均匀且基本为球形,平均粒径约为3.57 nm,其中内核直径约为2.49 nm,外壳厚度约为0.55 nm,壳层金属Pt具有很好的晶型,Pt原子主要为{111}晶面,内核金属Ru与外壳金属Pt互相产生了电子效应使Pt的衍射峰和Ru、Pt的电子结合能产生了一定偏移,并初步研究了有效控制该核壳结构纳米粒子壳层厚度和增强核与壳两种金属之间电子效应的因素,使其有望在催化等领域发挥潜在的应用价值。     

Ag Nanocomposite Particles: Preparation,Characterization and Application

Summary Herein, we report that different core-shell particles could be successfully used as the carrier systems for the deposition of silver nanoparticles. Firstly, thermosensitive core-shell microgel particles have been used as the carrier system for the deposition of Ag nanoparticles, in which the core consists of poly (styrene) (PS) whereas the shell consists of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) network cross-linked by N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS). Immersed in water the shell of these particles is swollen. Heating the suspension above 32 °C leads to a volume transition within the shell, which is followed by a marked shrinking of the network of the shell. Secondly, “nano-tree” type polymer brush can be used as “nanoreactor” for the generation of silver nanoparticles also. This kind of carrier particles consists of a solid core of PS onto which bottlebrush chains synthesized by the macromonomer poly (ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) are affixed by “grafting from” technique. Thirdly, silver nanoparticles can be in-situ immobilized onto polystyrene (PS) core-polyacrylic acid (PAA) polyelectrolyte brush particles by UV irradiation. Monodisperse Ag nanoparticles with diameter of 8.5 nm, 7.5 nm and 3 nm can be deposited into thermosensitive microgels, “nano-tree” type polymer brushes and polyelectrolyte brush particles, respectively. Moreover, obtained silver nano-composites show different catalytic activity for the catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol depending on the carrier system used for preparation.     

Temperature-responsive magnetite/PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer nanoparticles for controlled drug targeting delivery

In this study, temperature-responsive magnetite/polymer nanoparticles were developed from iron oxide nanoparticles and poly(ethyleneimine)-modified poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymer. The particles were characterized by TEM, XRD, DLS, VSM, FTIR, and TGA. A typical product has an approximately 20 nm magnetite core and an approximately 40 nm hydrodynamic diameter with a narrow size distribution and is superparamagnetic with large saturation magnetization (51.34 emu/g) at room temperature. The most attractive feature of the nanoparticles is their temperature-responsive volume-transition property. DLS results indicated that their average hydrodynamic diameter underwent a sharp decrease from 45 to 25 nm while evaluating the temperature from 20 to 35 degrees C. The temperature-dependent evolution of the C-O stretching band in the FTIR spectra of the aqueous nanoparticles solution revealed that thermo-induced self-assembly of the immobilized block copolymers occurred on the magnetite solid surfaces, which is accompanied by a conformational change from a fully extended state to a highly coiled state of the copolymer. Consequently, the copolymer shell could act as a temperature-controlled "gate" for the transit of guest substance. The uptake and release of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic model drugs were well controlled by switching the transient opening and closing of the polymer shell at different temperatures. A sustained release of about 3 days was achieved in simulated human body conditions. In primary mouse experiments, drug-entrapped magnetic nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility and effective therapy for spinal cord damage. Such intelligent magnetic nanoparticles are attractive candidates for widespread biomedical applications, particularly in controlled drug-targeting delivery.     

Microwave synthesis of core-shell gold/palladium bimetallic nanoparticles

The microwave-assisted polyol reduction method was applied to the synthesis of core-shell gold/palladium bimetallic nanoparticles by the simultaneous reduction of the AuIII and PdII ions. The thickness of the palladium shell was calculated to be approximately 3 nm, and the gold core diameter is 9 nm. The structure and composition of the bimetallic particles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy equipped with a nanoarea energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy attachment, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt-Carbon Core-Shell Microspheres in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide System

The synthesis of cobalt-carbon core-shell microspheres in supercritical carbon dioxide system was investigated. Cobalt-carbon core-shell microspheres with diameter of about 1 μm were prepared at 350 oC for 12 h in a closed vessel containing an appropriate amount of bis(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt powder and dry ice. Characterization by a variety of techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrum and Raman spectroscopy analysis reveals that each cobalt-carbon core-shell microsphere is made up of an amorphous cobalt core with diameter less than 1 μm and an amorphous carbon shell with thickness of about 200 nm. The possible growth mechanism of cobalt-carbon core-shell microspheres is discussed, based on the pyrolysis of bis(cyclopentadienyl)cobalt in supercritical carbon dioxide and the deposition of carbon or carbon clusters with odd electrons on the surface of magnetic cobalt cores due to magnetic attraction. Magnetic measurements show 141.41 emu/g of saturation magnetization of a typical sample, which is lower than the 168 emu/g of the corresponding metal cobalt bulk material. This is attributed to the considerable mass of the carbon shell and amorphous nature of the magnetic core. Control of magnetism in the cobalt-carbon core-shell microspheres was achieved by annealing treatments.     

Synthesis and size-dependent exchange bias in inverted core-shell MnO|Mn3O4 nanoparticles

Core-shell nanoparticles of MnO|Mn3O4 with average particle sizes of 5-60 nm, composed of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) core and a ferrimagnetic (FiM) shell, have been synthesized and their magnetic properties investigated. The core-shell structure has been generated by the passivation of the MnO cores, yielding an inverted AFM-core|FiM-shell system, as opposed to the typical FM-core|AFM-shell. The exchange-coupling between AFM and FiM gives rise to an enhanced coercivity of approximately 8 kOe and a loop shift of approximately 2 kOe at 10 K, i.e., exchange bias. The coercivity and loop shift show a non-monotonic variation with the core diameter. The large coercivity and the loop shift are ascribed to the highly anisotropic Mn3O4 and size effects of the AFM (i.e., uncompensated spins, AFM domains, and size-dependent transition temperature).     

Magnetite nanoparticles with tunable gold or silver shell

Fe3O4 nanoparticles with size approximately 13 nm have been prepared successfully in aqueous micellar medium at approximately 80 degrees C. To make Fe3O4 nanoparticles resistant to surface poisoning a new route is developed for coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles with noble metals such as gold or silver as shell. The shell thickness of the core-shell particles becomes tunable through the adjustment of the ratio of the constituents. Thus, the route yields well-defined core-shell structures of size from 18 to 30 nm with varying proportion of Fe3O4 to the noble metal precursor salts. These magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman and temperature-dependent magnetic studies.     

具有核壳结构磁性复合微球的制备与表征

采用两步法制备了具有核壳结构的Fe3O4/P(MMA/DVB)(core)-P(St/GMA/DVB)(shell)磁性复合微球.首先,用改进的细乳液聚合制备了Fe3O4/P(MMA/DVB)微球;然后,加入总量不同的苯乙烯(St)、甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(GMA)和二乙烯基苯(DVB),通过种子乳液聚合,制备了不同磁含量的核壳结构的磁性复合微球.分别用X-射线衍射(XRD)、高倍透射电镜(HR-TEM)、热重分析(TGA)、振动样品磁力计(VSM)等手段对磁性微球的性能进行了表征.实验结果表明,Fe3O4/P(MMA/DVB)微球的磁含量为84 wt%;通过改变加入壳层单体的量,核壳复合微球的磁含量可控在20 wt%~76 wt%之间.该微球具有超顺磁性,相应的饱和磁化强度为12~50Am2/kg.     

MnO octahedral nanocrystals and MnO@C core-shell composites: synthesis, characterization, and electrocatalytic properties

We present a simple and facile synthesis of MnO octahedral nanocrystals and MnO@C core-shell composite nanoparticles. The synthesis is accomplished by a single-step direct pyrolysis of cetyltrimethylammonium permanganate in specially made Let-lock union cells. The products are characterized by HRSEM, HRTEM, Raman spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The product consists mainly of octahedral MnO nanocrystals and MnO coated with carbon (MnO@C). The core-shell particles are observed only when the core size is smaller than 150 nm. The shape of the nanocrystals can be controlled by varying parameters such as reaction temperature and duration. As the temperature increases from 600 to 800 degrees C, the octahedral MnO crystals observed are without any carbon shell. The effect of time and temperature on the octahedral MnO nanocrystal formation is described. The electrocatalytic activities of the products are studied for oxygen reduction reaction in aqueous basic medium and are compared with bulk MnO. The MnO nanocrystals and core-shell composites exhibit higher activity than that of bulk MnO.     

Core-shell-structured magnetic ternary nanocubes

We report a novel core-shell-structured ternary nanocube of MnZn ferrite synthesized by controlling the reaction temperature and composition in the absence of conventionally used reducing agents. The highly monodispersed core-shell structure consists of an Fe(3)O(4) core and an MnZn Ferrite shell. The observation of a Moire? pattern indicates that the core and the shell are two highly crystalline materials with slightly different lattice constants that are rotated relative to each other by a small angle. The ternary core-shell nanocubes display magnetic properties regulated by a combination of the core-shell composition and exhibit an increased coercivity and field-cooled/zero-field-cooled characteristics drastically different from those of regular MnZn ferrite nanoparticles. The ability to engineer the spatial nanostructures of ternary magnetic nanoparticles in terms of shape and composition offers atomic-level versatility in fine-tuning the nanoscale magnetic properties.     

Magnetic properties of monodispersed Ni/NiO core-shell nanoparticles

We have recently developed a method to fabricate monodispersed Ni/NiO core-shell nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation. In this report, the size-dependent magnetic properties of monodispersed Ni/NiO core-shell nanoparticles were investigated. These nanoparticles were formed in two steps. The first was to fabricate a series of monodispersed Ni nanoparticles of 5 to 20 nm in diameter using a combination of laser ablation and size classification by a low-pressure differential mobility analyzer (DMA). The second step was to oxidize the surfaces of the Ni particles in situ to form core-shell structures. A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer was used to measure the magnetic properties of nanostructured films prepared by depositing the nanoparticles at room temperature. Ferromagnetism was observed in the magnetic hysteresis loop of the nanostructured films composed of core-shell nanoparticles with core diameters smaller than the superparamagnetic limit, which suggests the spin of Ni core was weakly exchange coupled with antiferromagnetic NiO shell. In contrast, smaller nanoparticles with core diameters of 3.0 nm exhibited superparamagnetism. The drastic change in the hysteresis loops between field-deposited and zero-field-deposited samples was attributable to the strong anisotropy that developed during the magnetic-field-assisted nanostructuring process.     

One‐pot synthesis of composite microspheres with core‐shell structure

One‐pot synthesis of thermoresponsive magnetic composite microspheres with a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shell and a Fe₃O₄ core is demonstrated. Temperature sensitivity of PNIPAM was adopted to design the novel synthesis pathway. The as‐prepared composite microspheres have an obvious core‐shell structure with a mean size of approximately 250 nm. The Fe₃O₄ core is approximately 5 nm and the thickness of the PNIPAM shell is approximately 10 nm. The content of Fe₃O₄ in the composite microspheres can be controlled by this method. The composite microspheres experience a swelling and shrinking process in water by adjusting the temperature below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 32 °C. These microspheres also show fine response to an external magnetic field. This work presents a platform to synthesize organic/inorganic composite microspheres in a facile and efficient approach. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2702–2708     

Controlled synthesis and magnetic properties of bimagnetic spinel ferrite CoFe2O4 and MnFe2O4 nanocrystals with core-shell architecture

A combination of hard phase CoFe(2)O(4) and soft phase MnFe(2)O(4) as the bimagnetic nanocrystals in a core-shell architecture has been synthesized, and their magnetic properties have been systematically studied. Both HRTEM and EDS results confirmed the formation of bimagnetic core-shell structured nanocrystals. On the basis of the systematic and comparative studies of the magnetic properties of a mechanical mixture of pure CoFe(2)O(4) and MnFe(2)O(4) nanocrystals, chemically mixed Co(1-x)Mn(x)Fe(2)O(4) nanocrystals, and bimagnetic core-shell CoFe(2)O(4)@MnFe(2)O(4) and MnFe(2)O(4)@CoFe(2)O(4) nanocrystals, the bimagnetic core-shell nanocrystals show very unique magnetic properties, such as the blocking temperature and coercivity. Our results show that the coercivity correlates with the volume fraction of the soft phase as the theoretical hard-soft phase model has suggested. Furthermore, switching the hard phase CoFe(2)O(4) from the core to the shell shows great changes in the coercivity of the nanocrystals. The bimagnetic core-shell nanocrystals evidently demonstrate the rational design capability to separately control the blocking temperature and the coercivity in magnetic nanocrystals by varying the materials, their combination, and the volume ratio between the core and the shell and by switching hard or soft phase materials between the core and shell. Such controls via a bimagnetic core-shell architecture are highly desirable for magnetic nanocrystals in various applications.     

“先核后壳”和“先壳后核”的简便途径制备M@SiO2(M=Ag,Au,Pt)纳米核壳结构及其催化活性

采用简便的“先核后壳”和“先壳后核”途径制备了M@SiO₂ (M=Ag, Au, Pt)核壳结构. 采用“先核后壳”途径时,金属内核可以控制在6 -9 nmm, 粒径分布均匀, SiO₂壳层织构可调. 该途径制备过程简便, 无需高速离心分离, 可有效节约制备成本. 由该途径制得的Au@mSiO₂中纳米Au的热稳定性高, 经550 ℃空气焙烧后仍能保持高的CO氧化性能(T₁₀₀=235 ℃). 由“先壳后核”途径制得的核壳结构内核金属粒子也可以控制在< 10 nmm, 粒径分布均匀, 且SiO₂壳层孔隙率可以预调, 即使在液相中也可有效消除对硝基苯酚反应物分子的扩散限制, 并于室温下将其还原为对氨基苯酚. 两种途径所得的核壳结构均呈高单分散态. 使用含有不同有机官能团的硅源可对介孔SiO₂壳层进行进一步改性, 拓展应用领域, 因而具有很好的潜在应用前景.     

Magnetite-silica nanoparticles with core-shell structure: single-step synthesis,characterization and magnetic behavior

In this study, a specific technique was used to quickly, easily, and single step, synthesize core-shell magnetite-silica nanoparticles by controlling the reaction conditions using the proper surfactant. In the first step, the magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method and silica shell was immediately formed by the sol-gel process. Synthesis was performed at 80?°C with stirring at 12,000?rpm in an alkaline medium. The structural and morphological characteristics of core-shell nanoparticles were examined by XRD, TEM, SEM, and BET analyses. In addition, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was used to evaluate the magnetic characteristics. XRD analysis confirmed the existence of both magnetite and silica phases in the final structure. TEM images showed the presence of nanocomposite particles with core-shell structure of 25?nm diameter. The mean core and shell size were estimated to be about 20 and 2.5?nm, respectively. A study of the magnetic characteristics showed super-paramagnetic behavior with 60?emu/g saturation magnetization (M_s). Due to the high ratio of core size to shell thickness, the magnetic saturation for the synthetized core-shell nanoparticles in this research was significant. In comparison to other multi-step synthesis techniques, the results obtained from this research confirmed the formation of magnetite-silica core-shell structures with the desired magnetic behavior in a quick and single-step process.

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核壳结构磁性镁铝复合氧化物亚微米粒子的制备与表征

首先采用溶剂热法制备粒径均匀分散性良好的Fe3O4亚微米粒子,在对其包覆上一层碳膜进行表面修饰后,采用共沉淀法将硝酸根插层LDHs包覆到磁性粒子的表面,然后500℃焙烧2 h得到磁性镁铝复合氧化物亚微米粒子。这种磁性镁铝复合氧化物亚微米粒子具有以镁铝复合氧化物为壳层,Fe3O4为核的核壳结构,其中壳层厚度为20 nm左右,对其进行二次包覆后壳层厚度可达到50 nm左右,并可以方便的通过重复包覆焙烧过程进行调节,从而实现磁性镁铝复合氧化物亚微米粒子的控制制备。同时,磁性镁铝复合氧化物亚微米粒子具有较强的磁性,其比饱和磁化强度为23.3 emu·g-1,对其进行二次包覆并焙烧后为20.1 emu·g-1。     

Inside-out disruption of silica/gold core-shell nanoparticles by pulsed laser irradiation

Near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser irradiation of metallodielectric core-shell silica-gold (SiO(2)-Au) nanoparticles can induce extreme local heating prior to the rapid dissipation of energy caused by the large surface area/volume ratio of nanometer-scale objects. At low pulse intensities, the dielectric silica core is removed, leaving an incomplete gold shell behind. The gold shells with water inside and out still efficiently absorb NIR light from subsequent pulses, showing that a complete shell is not necessary for absorption. At higher pulse intensities, the gold shell itself is melted and disrupted, leading to smaller, approximately 20-nm gold nanoparticles. Spectroscopic measurements show that this disruption is accompanied by optical hole burning of the peak at 730 nm and formation of a new peak at 530 nm. The silica removal and gold shell disruption confirms significant temperature rise of the core-shall nanoparticle. However, the entire process leads to minimal heating of the bulk solution due to the low net energy input.     

Synthesis of titania/polymer core-shell hybrid microspheres

Monodisperse titania/polymer core-shell microspheres were prepared by a two-stage reaction with titania as core and poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) (PEGDMA) as shell, in which the titania cores were synthesized by a sol-gel method and subsequently grafted with 3-trimethoxysilyl methacrylate as the first-stage reaction to incorporate the vinyl groups on the surface of inorganic core. The PEGDMA shell was then encapsulated over the MPS-modified titania core by distillation precipitation polymerization of ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate in neat acetonitrile during the second-stage polymerization via capture of the radicals of EGDMA with the aid of the reactive vinyl groups on the surface of inorganic core without any stabilizer or surfactant. The shell thickness of the core-shell hybrid microspheres was controlled by the feed of EGDMA monomer during the polymerization. The resultant titania particles and core-shell microspheres were studied by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis.     

磁功能性TiO2光催化剂的制备及特性

采用溶胶-凝胶法以Fe₃O₄为磁核制备了磁功能性光催化剂,以甲基橙为模拟污染物,考察了掺杂Fe比例、催化剂煅烧温度以及煅烧时间对催化剂活性的影响.催化剂的最佳制备条件为:Fe₃O₄掺杂Fe含量为5%,煅烧温度为450 ℃,煅烧时间为2 h.通过TG-DTA、XRD、UV-Vis、TEM对催化剂进行了表征,结果表明:制备的催化剂具有明显的核壳结构,原Fe₃O₄磁核经过高温煅烧被氧化;TiO₂包覆在磁核表面;催化剂的吸收带边发生红移,在可见光区的吸收强度有所增强;催化剂颗粒的平均粒径为20 nm.