Microwave assisted one pot synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles in Triton X-100 aqueous micellar medium using tryptophan as reducing agent

The present work reports an environmentally benign process for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles via microwave-assisted heating method, using a basic amino acid l-Tryptophan as reducing agent. The synthesis was carried out in the presence of a nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100) aqueous micellar system. Influence of various reaction parameters such as microwave irradiation time and concentrations of precursor ion were analyzed. The effect of pH on the plasmonic properties and stability of synthesized AuNPs were studied in detail. The various size distributions of gold nanostructures obtained were characterized and analyzed by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), TEM and DLS analysis. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) measurements were carried out to identify the interaction sites responsible for capping and efficient stabilization by the amino acid as well as the surfactant. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were stable for more than 6 months at ambient conditions.     

One step alkaline synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles using dextrin as capping agent

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used in sensing methods as tracers and transducers. The most common AuNP synthesis techniques utilize citrate under acidic reaction conditions. The synthesis described in this article generates glyco-AuNPs under mild alkaline conditions providing a “greener” alternative to Brust and Turkevich methodologies. This biologically compatible one-step technique uses dextrin as a capping agent and sodium carbonate as the reducing agent for chloroauric acid. The generated particles were relatively mono-dispersed and water soluble with a range of controllable mean diameters from 5.9 to 16.8 ± 1.6 nm. The produced AuNPs were stable in water for more than 6 months stored at room temperature (21 °C) in generation solution without protection from light. This article shows the effect of temperature, pH, and dextrin concentration on the synthesis procedure and AuNP diameter. These factors were found to control the reaction speed. The produced glyco-AuNPs were successfully functionalized with DNA oligonucleotides, and the functionalization efficiency was similar to citrate-generated AuNPs. The alkaline synthesis allows future exploration of simultaneous synthesis and functionalization procedures, which could significantly reduce the time of current ligand exchange methodologies.     

A facile one-pot synthesis of highly luminescent CdS nanoparticles using thioglycerol as capping agent

Absence of emission concentration quenching accompanied by high emission efficiency in a solid state is highly challenging though very attractive, for example, for fabrication of solid state light emitters or fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs). Here, formation of FONs based on novel p-phenylenediacetonitrile derivatives by re-precipitation method in aqueous solutions is demonstrated. The exceptionality of the derivatives employed is manifested by nitrile groups-induced steric hindrance effects inhibiting concentration quenching of emission. Consisting of different size and polarity end-groups, phenyl groups in one compound and hexyl-carbazolyl in another, the derivatives were examined and compared in regard to nanoparticle formation morphology, size tunability, spectral signatures, and fluorescence turn-on efficiency. The variation of solvent/non-solvent ratio allowed to achieve tuning of the FON sizes from 55?nm up to 360?nm and resulted in maximal fluorescence on/off ratio of 38. Spectrally resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed somewhat different molecule arrangement in different FONs suggesting dominant amorphous-like phase, which was confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering measurements. The FONs were verified to be stable against degradation or conglomeration into larger clusters at least over a couple of months thus implying their feasibility for practical applications. Finally, potential application of the fluorescent p-phenylenediacetonitrile nanoparticles for organic vapor sensing via fluorescence on/off switching was demonstrated.     

One-pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles using tetradentate porphyrins

In this study, the meso-tetra (p-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin and meso-tetra (m-hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin were coated on to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) via thioacetate anchors which easily dissociate to form S–Au bonds. 4-tert-butyl phenyl thioacetate-AuNPs were prepared and used as a monodentate passivant to control the size of the tetradentate porphyrin-AuNPs. The porphyrin-coated AuNPs were characterized by UV–Vis, TEM, XRD, and XPS analyses. The tetradentate porphyrin-AuNPs size is within a range of 5–15 nm in diameter with exotic shapes. The plausible network formation for AuNP@p-TPP-SAc and the capping structure of the AuNP@m-TPP-SAc have been suggested.     

Photocatalytic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using polysilane initiator

This study shows that the exposure to visible light of the poly[diphenylsilane-co-methyl(H)silane] solution together with a silver salt, initiates a photocatalytic process which leads to the formation of metal nanoparticles. This phenomenon is a consequence of close-range interactions between the methylhydrosilyls’ σ-conjugated segments and the metal ions at the salt surface. Due to the weak charge transfer complexes thin films casted from solution show a specific morphology with microdomains of various dimensions and shapes in relation with the stage of the process. The polymethylhydrosilane copolymer stabilizes the synthesized nanoparticles in a similar manner as the conventional surfactants do. The polymer chemical structure is not affected during the photocatalytic process and the optical and electronic properties of polysilanes are well preserved.     

Optimization of the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of lutein disuccinate using uniform design

The ultrasound-assisted synthesis of lutein disuccinate from all-trans lutein (AL) and succinic anhydride (SA) was investigated in this study. Triethylamine was used as the catalyst. Based on the single-factor experiments, a 7-level-3-factor uniform design and response surface analysis were further employed to evaluate the effects of the selected variables including molar ratio of SA/AL, reaction time and ultrasonic power on the yield of lutein disuccinate. The results indicated that the data were adequately fitted into a second-order polynomial model; the molar ratio of SA/AL significantly affected the synthesis of lutein disuccinate, whereas reaction time and ultrasonic power did not. Based on ridge max analysis, the optimum condition for lutein disuccinate synthesis was predicted to be the molar ratio of SA/AL 265.3:1, ultrasonic power 300 W and reaction time 131.6 min with the lutein disuccinate yield of 80.53 ± 0.18%, which give a 43.8% increase compared with the traditional method, and also significantly shorten the reaction time.     

Layered lithium-rich oxide nanoparticles: low-temperature synthesis in mixed molten salt and excellent performance as cathode of lithium-ion battery

Layered lithium-rich oxide, 0.5Li₂MnO₃·0.5LiMn_1/3Ni_1/3Co_1/3O₂, is synthesized in a mixed molten salt of KCl and LiCl under 750 °C. Its morphology and structure are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherm, and its performances as cathode of lithium-ion battery are investigated by charge–discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, with a comparison of the samples synthesized via solid-state reaction. It is found that the resulting product consists of uniform nanoparticles, 50 nm in average, which possesses a well crystallite layered structure although its synthesis temperature is low and thus exhibits excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. The resulting product delivers an initial discharge capacity of 268 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C and has a capacity retention of 82% after 100 cycles at 1 C, compared to the 243 mAh g^?1 and 73% for the sample synthesized by solid-state reaction under 900 °C.     

飞秒激光直写生物凝胶模板原位合成纳米粒子

为了制备具有可控复杂形状和特定化学性质的聚合物微结构,提出了一种飞秒激光直写生物凝胶模板原位合成纳米粒子的方法。首先,采用飞秒激光直写技术加工带有COOH基团的复杂三维结构的生物凝胶模板,用氢氧化钠处理使COOH基团离子化为COO^-基团;然后,用金属盐溶液处理,使金属离子与COO^-基团螯合,形成纳米粒子结晶核。通过多次循环盐溶液处理步骤,控制模板中纳米粒子的粒径与含量。实验结果表明：所制备的生物凝胶模板具有亚100 nm分辨率和10 μm量级尺寸,纳米粒子含量高达9%。该法简单高效,具有很好的应用前景。     

Depth-profiling the composition of bimetallic nanoparticles using medium energy ion scattering

The near monolayer depth resolution of medium energy ion scattering is utilized to develop a probe of the depth dependent composition of bimetallic nanoparticles supported on planar oxide supports. The approach fits spectra of scattered ion intensity versus ion energy at well-defined scattering angles taking into account the asymmetric line shape in such spectra and also the depth dependent loss processes encountered by incident ions as they pass through the bimetallic particles.     

Synthesis and characterization of various phases of cobalt oxide nanoparticles using inorganic precursor

Controllable and uniform doping of nanowires (NWs) is the ultimate challenge prior to their effective application. Si NWs amorphize and bend toward the impinging ions under ion irradiation as a result of viscous flow. We demonstrate that thermal annealing induces a full recovery of the crystalline phase corresponding to the unbending of the NWs. The competition between Solid Phase Epitaxy and Random Nucleation and Growth at the nanoscale is the key parameter controlling the recovery.     

Microstructure study of direct laser fabricated Ti alloys using powder and wire

A compositionally graded material has been fabricated using direct laser fabrication (DFL). Two types of feedstock were fed simultaneously into the laser focal point, a burn resistant (BurTi) alloy Ti-25V-15Cr-2Al-0.2C powder and a Ti-6Al-4V wire. The local composition of the alloy was changed by altering the ratio of powder to wire by varying the feed rate of the powder whilst maintaining a fixed feed rate of wire-feed. For the range of compositions between about 20% and 100% BurTi only the beta phase was observed and the composition and lattice parameter varied monotonically. The grain size was found to be much finer in these functionally graded samples than in laser fabricated Ti64. Some samples were made using the wire-feed alone, where it was found that the microstructure is different from that found when using powder feed alone. The results are discussed in terms of the power requirements for laser fabrication of powder and wire samples.     

Low temperature synthesis of ITO nanoparticles using polyol process

A low temperature synthesis technique to prepare indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles by the polyol process is proposed. On examining the phase formation of ITO nanoparticles in polyols and alcohols such as ethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, and 1-heptanol, it was found that ITO nanoparticles could be synthesized directly without any post--annealing treatments at 175 °C in 1-heptanol. The morphology of the particles is influenced by the type of polyol. The composition of Sn in the ITO system could be easily controlled by simply varying the In/Sn precursor ratio in 1-heptanol. The low temperature synthesis method has enabled the formation of highly crystalline ITO nanoparticles with diameters less than 25 nm even at annealing temperatures as high as 700 °C.     

Computation of direct intensity and medium intensity by using the discrete ordinates method

On the basis of the discrete ordinate scheme with (an) infinitely small weight(s), an easy-to-use and comprehensive method, named multi-rays method, is developed to calculate total, direct and medium intensities in arbitrarily specified directions. In doing this, for each of the specified directions, three identical discrete directions with infinitely small weights are employed to represent the three intensities. The new method is verified with two standard test problems, and is used to compute the intensities in two anisotropically scattering problems.     

Green synthesis of palladium nanoparticles using broth of Cinnamomum camphora leaf

The development of dependable, environmentally benign processes for the synthesis of nanoscale materials is an important aspect of nanotechnology. In the present study, we report one-pot biogenic fabrication of palladium nanoparticles by a simple procedure using broth of Cinnamomum camphora leaf without extra surfactant, capping agent, and/or template. The mean size of palladium nanoparticles, ranging from 3.2 to 6.0 nm, could be facilely controlled by merely varying the initial concentration of the palladium ions. The polyols components and the heterocyclic components were believed to be responsible for the reduction of palladium ions and the stabilization of palladium nanoparticles, respectively.     

Synthesis of industrial diamonds using FeNi alloy powder as catalyst

Synthesis of diamond single crystals in Fe80Ni20 C system was carried out in a cubic anvil high-pressure and high-temperature apparatus. This paper reports that the surface morphology and inclusion distribution of the grown diamonds had been observed. It finds that the inclusions in cubic and octahedral diamonds radiated along certain crystal orientation, while the inclusion distribution in cubo-octahedral diamond seemed independent of crystal orientation. By using scanning electron microscope, the surface morphology of the three shapes of diamonds was observed. The results of Mossbauer spectrum indicated that there were iron-inclusions FeaC and Fe-Ni alloy in the diamonds. According to the Fe-C phase diagram, FeaC should have formed during the quenching process. Nickel might have an inhibitory effect on the formation of Fe3C.     

Formation of CdS nanoparticles using starch as capping agent

CdS nanoparticles have been synthesized using starch as capping agent in aqueous solution. The morphology and crystalline structure of such samples were measured by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The average grain size of the nanoparticles determined by these techniques was of the order of 5 nm. Photoluminescence of CdS nanoparticles shows a strong emission peak below to the band gap bulk semiconductor attributed to center trap states, also the broadening peak was interpreted in terms of electron-phonon interaction.     

Diffusion-controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles: nano-liposomes as mass transfer barrier

Lipid vesicles and other types of amphiphilic materials are of great interest in the size-controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles. In this study, we prepared nano-sized liposomes encapsulating tetrachloroauric acid for the facile synthesis of gold nanoparticles with controlled size over a range of 2–5 nm at room temperature. The semi-permeable character of the lipid membrane to the varying concentrations of reducing agent—sodium borohydride-regulated the particle formation kinetics. Diffusion of the reducing agent through the liposomal membrane in a controlled manner resulted in ultrasmall nanoparticles of a narrow size distribution with less aggregation as compared to the solution-based preparation method.     

The sonochemical synthesis and characterization of mesoporous chiral titania using a chiral inorganic precursor

The paper presents a successful sonochemical attempt to synthesize mesoporous chiral titania using a chiral inorganic precursor and dodecylamine, as the surfactant template. The resulting porous structure was characterized by nitrogen sorption experiments, transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle XRD. The enantioselectivity of this mesoporous titania after the extraction of the amine was examined by selective adsorption of enantiomers and racemic aqueous solution of camphor. The selective adsorption was measured by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy.     

Room-temperature synthesis of gold nanoparticles and nanoplates using Shewanella algae cell extract

Biosynthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles and gold nanoplates was achieved at room temperature and pH 2.8 when cell extract from the metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella algae was used as both a reducing and shape-controlling agent. Cell extract, prepared by sonicating a suspension of S. algae cells, was capable of reducing 1 mol/m³ aqueous AuCl₄ ⁻ ions into elemental gold within 10 min when H₂ gas was provided as an electron donor. The time interval lapsed since the beginning of the bioreductive reaction was found to be an important factor in controlling the morphology of biogenic gold nanoparticles. After 1 h, there was a large population of well-dispersed, spherical gold nanoparticles with a mean size of 9.6 nm. Gold nanoplates with an edge length of 100 nm appeared after 6 h, and 60% of the total nanoparticle population was due to gold nanoplates with an edge length of 100–200 nm after 24 h. The yield of gold nanoplates prepared with S. algae extract was four times higher than that prepared with resting cells of S. algae. The resulting biogenic gold nanoparticle suspensions showed a large variation in color, ranging from pale pink to purple due to changes in nanoparticle morphology.     

Solvent effect in sonochemical synthesis of metal-alloy nanoparticles for use as electrocatalysts

Nanomaterials are now widely used in the fabrication of electrodes and electrocatalysts. Herein, we report a sonochemical study of the synthesis of molybdenum and palladium alloy nanomaterials supported on functionalized carbon material in various solvents: hexadecane, ethanol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) and Ionic liquids (ILs). The objective was to identify simple and more environmentally friendly design and fabrication methods for nanomaterial synthesis that are suitable as electrocatalysts in electrochemical applications. The particles size and distribution of nanomaterials were compared on two different carbons as supports: activated carbon and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The results show that carbon materials functionalized with ILs in ethanol/deionized water mixture solvent produced smaller particles sizes (3.00 ± 0.05 nm) with uniform distribution while in PEG 400, functionalized materials produced 4.00 ± 1 nm sized particles with uneven distribution (range). In hexadecane solvents with Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as capping ligands, large particle sizes (14.00 ± 1 nm) were produced with wide particle size distribution. The metal alloy nanoparticles produced in ILs without any external reducing agent have potential to exhibit a higher catalytic activity due to smaller particle size and uniform distribution.