All‐in‐One Cellulose Nanocrystals for 3D Printing of Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with >2000 photoactive groups on each can act as highly efficient initiators for radical polymerizations, cross‐linkers, as well as covalently embedded nanofillers for nanocomposite hydrogels. This is achieved by a simple and reliable method for surface modification of CNCs with a photoactive bis(acyl)phosphane oxide derivative. Shape‐persistent and free‐standing 3D structured objects were printed with a mono‐functional methacrylate, showing a superior swelling capacity and improved mechanical properties.     

Precisely Tailoring Upconversion Dynamics via Energy Migration in Core–Shell Nanostructures

Upconversion emission dynamics have long been believed to be determined by the activator and its interaction with neighboring sensitizers. Herein this assumption is, however, shown to be invalid for nanostructures. We demonstrate that excitation energy migration greatly affects upconversion emission dynamics. “Dopant ions’ spatial separation” nanostructures are designed as model systems and the intimate link between the random nature of energy migration and upconversion emission time behavior is unraveled by theoretical modelling and confirmed spectroscopically. Based on this new fundamental insight, we have successfully realized fine control of upconversion emission time behavior (either rise or decay process) by tuning the energy migration paths in various specifically designed nanostructures. This result is significant for applications of this type of materials in super resolution spectroscopy, high‐density data storage, anti‐counterfeiting, and biological imaging.     

Revealing the Formation Mechanism of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Produced via a Slowed‐Down Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis

We developed a microwave‐assisted slowed‐down synthesis of CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystals, which retards the reaction and allows us to gather useful insights into the formation mechanism of these nanoparticles, by examining the intermediate stages of their growth. The trends in the decay of the emission intensity of CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals under light exposure are well correlated with their stability against decomposition in TEM under electron beam. The results show the change of the crystal structure of CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals from a deficient and easier to be destroyed lattice to a well crystallized one. Conversely the shift in the ease of degradation sheds light on the formation mechanism, indicating first the formation of a bromoplumbate ionic scaffold, with Cs‐ion infilling lagging a little behind. Increasing the cation to halide ratio towards the stoichiometric level may account for the improved radiative recombination rates observed in the longer reaction time materials.     

NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4 Core/Shell Nanocrystals with High Upconversion Luminescence Quantum Yield

Upconversion core/shell nanocrystals with different mean sizes ranging from 15 to 45 nm were prepared via a modified synthesis procedure based on anhydrous rare‐earth acetates. All particles consist of a core of NaYF₄:Yb,Er, doped with 18 % Yb³⁺ and 2 % Er³⁺, and an inert shell of NaYF₄, with the shell thickness being equal to the radius of the core particle. Absolute measurements of the photoluminescence quantum yield at a series of different excitation power densities show that the quantum yield of 45 nm core/shell particles is already very close to the quantum yield of microcrystalline upconversion phosphor powder. Smaller core/shell particles prepared by the same method show only a moderate decrease in quantum yield. The quantum yield of 15 nm core/shell particles, for instance, is reduced by a factor of three compared to the bulk upconversion phosphor at high power densities (100 W cm^?2) and by approximately a factor of 10 at low power densities (1 W cm^?2).     

锰离子对镥基纳米晶体的荧光调控与增强

通过调控Mn²⁺的掺杂浓度,在镥基纳米晶体成功地实现了六方、四方混合相到纯四方相的相位转变,并详细讨论了其相变机理. 时域和频域光谱的分析表明,立方相Na₅Lu₉F₃₂：40% Mn²⁺,20% Yb³⁺,2% Ln³⁺（Ln=Er³⁺,Ho³⁺）纳米晶体内的准纯红色荧光发射主要由Mn²⁺和Ln³⁺之间的两步能量转移引起. Mn²⁺掺杂后引起了发光离子附近局域对称性的降低,使得电偶极跃迁的辐射速率明显增加,进而导致了上转换、下转换荧光的极大增强. 该研究结果在生物荧光成像、太阳能电池效率的提高方面具备潜在的、广阔的应用前景. 关键词： 镥基纳米晶体 电偶极跃迁 两步能量转移 局域对称性     

Thermal neutron equivalent dose measurements with nanostructured zirconia

This paper reports the experimental results concerning the thermoluminescent measurements of thermal neutron using nanostructured zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) powder prepared by the sol–gel method. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were used for morphological and structural characterization of the compound. Thermal annealing processes for the precipitates were studied. It was observed that the crystalline structure and the crystallinity of the powders depend on the annealing temperature. For temperatures higher than 1100 °C, the material presents the monoclinic phase with average nanocrystallite sizes ranging from 8–10 nm up to ～40 nm. These zirconium oxide materials developed in our laboratory were used in this investigation. Within the experimental uncertainties, these measurements were compared with those obtained using the well-known gamma rays sensitive lithium fluoride (LiF:Mg,Cu,P), also developed in our laboratory.     

Image forces on edge dislocations: a revisit of the fundamental concept with special regard to nanocrystals

Two conditions under which image forces become significant are when a dislocation is close to a surface (or interface) or when the dislocation is in a nanocrystal. This investigation pertains to the calculation of image forces under these circumstances. A simple edge dislocation is simulated using finite element method (FEM) by feeding-in the appropriate stress-free strains in idealised domains, corresponding to the introduction of an extra half-plane of atoms. Following basic validation of the new model, the energy of the system as a function of the position of the simulated dislocation is plotted and the gradient of the curve gives the image force. The reduction in energy of the system arises from two aspects: firstly, due to the position of the dislocation in the domain and, secondly, due to deformations to the domain (/surfaces). The second aspect becomes important when the dislocation is positioned near a free-surface or in nanocrystals and can be calculated using the current methodology without constructing fictitious images. It is to be noted that domain deformations have been ignored in the standard theories for the calculation of image forces and, hence, they give erroneous results (magnitude and/or direction) whenever image forces play an important role. An important point to be noted is that, under certain circumstances, where domain deformations occur in the presence of an edge dislocation, the ‘image' can be negative (attractive), zero or even positive (repulsive). The current model is extended to calculate image forces based on the usual concept of an ‘image dislocation’.     

On-site repulsion as the source of pairing in carbon nanotubes and intercalated graphite

We show that different non-conventional superconductors have one fundamental feature in common: pair eigenstates of the Hamiltonian are repulsion-free, the W = 0 pairs. In extended Hubbard models, pairing can occur for reasonable parameter values. For (N, N) nanotubes the binding energy of the pair depends strongly on the filling and decreases towards a reduced but nonzero value for the graphite sheet N → ∞. Received 13 July 2002 Published online 29 November 2002     

NiO-SiO2 Sol-Gel Nanocomposite Films for Optical Gas Sensor

Recently nanocomposites with sensoring function are becoming a new area of interest in the field of optical gas sensor. In fact, the optical transmittance of nano-particles or thin films has been reported to be changed by atmosphere gases. In particular it was found that NiO, Co₃O₄ and Mn₃O₄ thin films showed reversible decrease in the Vis-NIR absorption due to CO.Aim of this work is the synthesis and the characterization of SiO₂ sol-gel glass films doped with NiO nanocrystals.Films of composition (100 – X)SiO₂-XNiO with X = 10, 20, 40, were obtained by mixing a matrix solution of Si(OC₂H₅)₄ (TEOS) and CH₃Si(OC₂H₅)₃ (MTES) as SiO₂ precursors, with a doping solution containing NiCl₂ as precursor for NiO particles.3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTES), bearing either an ammine group capable of coordinating the Ni ions and hydrolysable siloxane groups for anchoring the metal complex moiety to the silicate matrix, was used as bifunctional ligand.Transmission electron microscopy micrographs showed a uniform distribution of round shaped nanoparticles in film heated at 500°C with a mean diameter of 2.5 nm.The film composition evaluated from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry was in good agreement with the nominal one. As expected the density of the films heated at 1000°C is much higher than the density of the film heated at 500°C due to a residual porosity. Fourier transform infrared spectra also confirmed the presence of residual porosity in the films heated at 500°C.