Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of SrMoO4 and SrWO4 nanocrystals

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - SrMoO4 and SrWO4 nanocrystals have been synthesized using Sr(NO3)2 and Na2MeO4 (Me = Mo and W) in ethylene glycol by a microwave irradiation...     

Solvothermal synthesis of CdS nanorods using hydroxyethyl cellulose as a template

CdS nanorods were solvothermally produced from Cd(CH₃COO)₂ and S powder using ethylenediamine (en) as a solvent and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as a template. The phase with hexagonal structure was detected using XRD and SAED, which is in perfect accordance with the results obtained by simulation. SEM, TEM and HRTEM revealed the development of nanorods with a number of atoms arranged in crystal lattices. When the appropriate amount of HEC was used, the longest nanorods, with preferential growth in the [0 0 1] direction, were produced. Raman spectra showed the fundamental and overtone modes at the same wavenumbers of 301 and 599 cm⁻¹, respectively. Their relative intensities at each temperature were strongly influenced by the anisotropic geometry of the products. Photoluminescence caused by electron-hole recombination was detected at 470 nm, and by surface trapping induced emission at 575 nm. The formation mechanism of CdS nanorods was also proposed based on the experimental results.     

Influence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on the morphology of AWO4 (A = Ca, Sr) prepared by cyclic microwave irradiation

AWO₄ (A = Ca, Sr) was prepared from metal salts [Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O or Sr(NO₃)₂], Na₂WO₄·2H₂O and different moles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in water by cyclic microwave irradiation. The structure of AWO₄ was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of nanoparticles in clusters with different morphologies; spheres, peaches with notches, dumb-bells and bundles, influenced by CTAB. Six Raman vibrational peaks of scheelite structure were detected at 908, 835, 793, 399, 332 and 210 cm⁻¹ for CaWO₄ and 917, 833, 795, 372, 336 and 192 cm⁻¹ for SrWO₄, which are assigned as ν₁(A_g), ν₃(B_g), ν₃(E_g), ν₄(B_g), ν₂(A_g) and ν_f.r.(A_g), respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra provided the evidence of W-O stretching vibration in [WO₄]²⁻ tetrahedrons at 793 cm⁻¹ for CaWO₄ and 807 cm⁻¹ for SrWO₄. The peaks of photoluminescence (PL) spectra were at 428-434 nm for CaWO₄, and 447-451 nm for SrWO₄.     

Electrochemical hydrogen evolution over MoO3 nanowires produced by microwave-assisted hydrothermal reaction

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) nanowire with unprecedentedly high aspect ratios (>200) and good crystallinity was prepared via decomposition of (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O under a microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MH) process. The nanowire was orthorhombic MoO₃ with 50 nm in diameter and 10–12 μm in length. The conventional hydrothermal (CH) reaction required higher temperature and longer reaction times to produce one-dimensional MoO₃, yet its quality was lower. In the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction in a H₂SO₄ solution, MoO₃ nanowire from MH process showed much higher electrocatalytic activity than MoO₃ prepared from CH method and commercial bulk MoO₃ particles. The facile vectorial electron transport along the nanowire axis was considered to be responsible for the excellent electrocatalytic activity of the MH–MoO₃ nanowire.