Optical bistability in plasmonic nanoparticles: Effect of size,shape and embedding medium

We theoretically investigate the optical bistability, which one input signal allows two possible outputs, from single spherical/cylindrical nanoparticles and also nanoshells in the frame work of quasi-static formalism. It is shown that the bistability behavior greatly depends on several parameters such as the nanoparticle size, material and the surrounding dielectric environment. We demonstrated the width of the bistability region and also the bistable threshold depends on the geometrical parameters, and can be tuned by adjusting the size of nanoparticle, the shell thickness and the dielectric constant of the embedding medium. It is also shown that the optical bistable behavior depends strongly on the shape of plasmonic nanoparticles and nanoshells. However, these dependences of optical bistability of spherical/cylindrical nanoparticles and nanoshells on changing of their geometrical parameters can be used for realize optical switching and sensing purposes.     

Fabrication and characterization of silver/titanium dioxide composite nanoparticles in ethylene glycol with alkaline solution through sonochemical process

This paper aims to study fabrication and characterization of silver/titanium oxide composite nanoparticle through sonochemical process in the presence of ethylene glycol with alkaline solution. By using ultrasonic irradiation of a mixture of silver nitrate, the dispersed TiO₂ nanoparticle in ethylene glycol associated with aqueous solution of sodium oxide yields Ag/TiO₂ composite nanoparticle with shell/core-type geometry. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the Ag/TiO₂ composites showed additional diffraction peaks corresponding to the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of silver crystallization phase, apart from the signals from the cores of TiO₂. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of Ag/TiO₂ composites, which average particle size is roughly 80 nm, reveal that the titanium oxide coated by Ag nanoparticle with a grain size of about 2–5 nm. Additionally, the formation of silver nanoparticles on TiO₂ was monitored by ultraviolet visible light spectrophotometer (UV–Vis). As measured the optical absorption spectra of as-synthesized Ag nanoparticle varying with time, the mechanism of surface formatting silver shell on the cores of TiO₂ could be explored by autocatalytic reaction; the conversion of Ag particle from silver ion is 98% for the reaction time of 1000 s; and the activity energy of synthesizing Ag nanoparticles on TiO₂ is 40 kJ/mol at temperature ranging from 5 to 25 °C. Hopefully, this preliminary investigation could be used for mass production of composite nanoparticles assisted by ultrasonic chemistry in the future.     

Modification of the Electrode Surface by Ag Nanoparticles Decorated Nano Diamond‐graphite for Voltammetric Determination of Ceftizoxime

A modified glassy carbon electrode with a film of nano diamond? graphite nano mixture decorated with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs? NDG/GCE) was constructed and used for sensitive voltammetric determination of ceftizoxime (CFX). Morphology of AgNPs? NDG/GCE has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Experimental variables such as deposited amount of the modifier suspension, pH of the supporting electrolyte and accumulation potential and time were optimized by monitoring of CV and LSV responses of CFX. The results illustrate that AgNPs? NDG/GCE exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic effect in the electro‐oxidation of CFX that leads to a considerable improvement in the corresponding anodic peak current. This also allows the development of a highly sensitive voltammetric sensor for the determination of CFX in pharmaceutical and clinical samples. Under the optimum conditions, the modified electrode showed a linear response to the concentration of CFX in the range of 0.02–7 µM with detection limit of 6 nM. The prepared modified electrode has some remarkable electrochemical properties such as simple preparation, high sensitivity, excellent repeatability and reproducibility and long‐term stability.     

细乳液聚合制备接枝纳米粒子及其在聚合物基体中的空间分布调控

采用细乳液聚合制备了不同接枝链长度和密度的聚苯乙烯接枝二氧化硅纳米复合粒子(Si O2-PS).利用傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、示差扫描量热(DSC)、热失重(TGA)与凝胶渗透色谱仪(GPC)考察了Si O2-PS粒子接枝结构特征.采用TEM研究了接枝链聚合度(N)和接枝密度(σ)对Si O2-PS填充PS体系纳米粒子空间分布的影响规律.结果显示,N基本不变,σ越高,纳米粒子越易均匀分散;而接枝链过长易使长链相互缠结,起到反浸润作用,粒子聚集,不利于均匀分散.纳米粒子热力学稳定分散状态仅与N、σ有关,与粒径无关.通过调控N和σ可得到特定的纳米粒子分散形貌.对比考察了Si O2-PS填充聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)体系结果,揭示了接枝链与基体分子链相容性对纳米粒子空间分布的贡献.     

聚吡咯及其复合热电材料研究进展

聚吡咯(PPy)以其环境稳定性好、低毒、可调的导电性等优点,在热电材料研究方面日益受到人们的关注。采用纳米结构导电聚合物或将有机导电聚合物材料与高导电性的碳纳米粒子进行复合制备聚合物/碳纳米粒子复合材料,可以有效地改善其热电性能。本文结合该领域近年来的研究进展,重点讨论了PPy及其复合热电材料的研究结果,对一维纳米结构PPy的制备也进行了论述。     

Enhanced electrochemiluminescence of luminol at the gold nanoparticle/carbon nanotube/electropolymerised molecular imprinting composite membrane interface for selective recognition of triazophos

This paper reports a surface molecular self-assembly strategy for imprinting triazophos in the electropolymerised poly(aminthiophenol) (PATP) membranes at the surface of gold nanoparticle (AuNP)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composites modified glassy (GC) electrode for electrochemiluminescent (ECL) detection of pesticide triazophos. The electrochemical and ECL behaviours of luminol at the imprinted PATP/AuNP/CNT/GC electrode were investigated before and after the rebinding of triazophos. It was also found that the ECL intensity was strikingly enhanced by the adsorbed triazophos molecules in the imprinted PATP/AuNP/CNT composite membranes, which was about 5.2-fold as compared with the blank ECL intensity. On this basis, the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-ECL sensor is established for high sensitive and selective detection of triazophos residues in vegetable samples. The resulting MIP-ECL sensor shows wide linear ranges from 3.1 × 10^?8 to 3.1 × 10^?5 g L^?1 with lower detection limit of 3.1 × 10^?9 g L^?1 for triazophos. Moreover, the MIP-ECL sensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, speed, specificity, stability and can become a promising technique for organophosphate pesticide detection.     

Chemically and thermally stable,emissive carbon dots as viable alternatives to semiconductor quantum dots for emissive nematic liquid crystal–nanoparticle mixtures with lower threshold voltage

Dispersions of chemically and thermally robust carbon dots (2.5 ± 0.5 nm in core diameter) were prepared and investigated by polarised optical microscopy, electro-optic measurements including dynamic tests and numerical simulations as well as fluorescence confocal microscopy. The carbon dots were prepared by a straightforward thermal decomposition method from citric acid and hexadecylamine, and they show typical excitation wavelength-dependent photoluminescence behaviour. All dispersions, ranging from 0.5 to 5.0 wt.%, showed lower values for isotropic–nematic phase transition temperature and broader isotropic–nematic biphasic temperature intervals with increasing carbon dot content in comparison to the neat material. Doping of the nematic host with the carbon dots resulted in lower values for the apparent threshold voltage and the elastic constants, but higher values for the rotational viscosity. At 2.5 wt.% and higher, carbon dots residing at the confining interfaces in planar cells induce an increasing initial pre-tilt of up to 8° at lower temperatures. Fluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed this, where the luminescence of the carbon dots permitted visualisation of the distribution of the carbon dots in the bulk with a noticeable, in some cases even pattern-like, segregation to the confining interfaces.     

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles; study of the effect of physicochemical parameters and application as nanosensor in the colorimetric detection of Hg2+ in water

This research demonstrates the ability of biogenic synthesised silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to sensitively and selectively detect the presence of mercury (Hg²⁺) in water. To achieve this, the following study investigated the synthesis of AgNPs using plant extract from basil and characterised the synthesised AgNPs using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffractometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We studied the effect of various factors, such as broth concentration, precursor concentration, temperature, contact time and pH, on the synthesis of the nanoparticles. The synthesised AgNPs were then used in the colorimetric detection of Hg²⁺ in water. The as-prepared AgNPs showed high selectivity to detect Hg²⁺ alone compared to other cations and high sensitivity at different concentration of Hg²⁺. The limit of detection for Hg²⁺ was 6.25 × 10^–8 mol/L (12 µg/L) indicating that these biogenic synthesised AgNPs represent a highly sensitive Hg²⁺ detection tool.     

Polyglycerol‐Based Copper Chelators for the Transport and Release of Copper Ions in Biological Environments

Here, the synthesis and characterization of three improved nanosystems is presented based on amino functionalized hyperbranched polyglycerol (hPG; M_w = 16.8 kDa) as potential copper(ii ) chelators. The ligands, N‐methyl‐N‐picolylglycine amide, 2,6‐pyridine dicarboxylic acid monoamide, and cyclam tetraacetic acid (TETA) monoamide, are covalently attached to the polymer with amide bonds. In this paper, the Cu(ii ) loading capacity, the stability of the Cu(ii )‐loaded carriers at different pHs, with competing ligands and in human serum, as well as the transport of Cu(ii ) in biological systems are investigated. For the first time, a different cytotoxicity of functionalized polymer nanoparticles with and without Cu(ii ) is observed. The cyclam‐based carrier combines the highest loading capacity (29 Cu ions/nanoparticle), best stability with respect to pH and EDTA (45% remaining Cu after 24 h), lowest cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ > 100 × 10^?6m (unloaded), 1500 × 10^?6m Cu(ii ); Cu:carrier 29:1), and the highest stability in human serum.

     

Investigation of the electrochemical and electrocatalytic behavior of positively charged gold nanoparticle and L-cysteine film on an Au electrode

Positively charged gold nanoparticle (positively charged nano-Au), which was prepared, characterized by ξ-potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used in combination with l-cysteine to fabricate a modified electrode for electrocatalytic reaction of biomolecules. Compared with electrodes modified by negatively charged gold nanoparticle/l-cysteine, or l-cysteine alone, the electrode modified by the positively charged gold nanoparticle/l-cysteine exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior toward the oxidation of biomolecules such as ascorbic acid, dopamine and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the proposed mechanism for electrocatalytic response of positively charged gold nanoparticle was discussed. The immunosensor showed a specific to ascorbic acid in the range 5.1 × 10⁻⁷-6.7 × 10⁻⁴ M and a low detection limit of 1.5 × 10⁻⁷ M. The experimental results demonstrate that positively charged gold nanoparticle have more efficient electrocatalytic reaction than negatively charged gold nanoparticle, which opens up new approach for fabricating sensor.