Fabrication of uniform porous alumina materials by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering

Fabrication of porous materials with uniform pore size distribution remains a challenge. In this paper, a kind of uniform porous alumina material was fabricated on a template of polystyrene microspheres by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Surface of samples was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the phase of porous materials was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The pore size distribution of samples was tested by mercury intrusion method.     

IDENTIFICATION OF MEMBRANE PROTEINS IMAGED BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY USING A TEMPLATE MATCHING ALGORITHM

The atomic force microscope allows to image biological samples in their native environment. But the identification and the topography of individual randomly distributed membrane proteins is still a challenge. We used membranes of isolated vacuoles of barley mesophyll cells. Images at low resolution indicate that vacuoles spontaneously attach, rupture and finally adsorb completely as planar membrane to mica. Height profiles indicate that the membrane at the peripheral boundary exposes the extravacuolar surface to the scanning tip. At molecular resolution a template matching correlation algorithm was used to identify the most abundant membrane protein, the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase by the characteristic extravacuolar head of the transport molecule. The data indicate the possibility to analyse single randomly distributed membrane proteins in their native environment with the knowledge of a suitable template.     

The key factors in fabrication of high-quality ordered macroporous copper film

The template-directed fabrication of highly-ordered porous film is of significant importance in implementation of the photonic band gap structure. The paper reports a simple and effective method to improve the electrodeposition of metal porous film by utilizing highly-ordered polystyrene spheres (PSs) template. By surface-modification method, the hydrophobic property of the PSs template surfaces was changed into hydrophilic one. It was demonstrated that the surface modification process enhanced the permeability of the electrolyte solution in the nanometer-sized voids of the colloidal template. The homogeneously deposited copper film with the highly-ordered voids in size of less than 500 nm was successfully obtained. In addition, it was found that large defects, such as microcracks in the template, strongly influenced the macroporous films quality. An obvious preferential growth in the cracked area was observed.     

离子交换法制备廉价而高效的可见光驱动CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3微球光催化剂

Ag2CO3是一种典型的银基半导体,可在可见光照射下降解各种有机染料,但制备成本高,光腐蚀严重,稳定性差,难以循环利用等,因而限制了它的实际应用.针对这些问题,目前多数的改进措施是构建异质结,有效的分离光生电子与空穴来提高Ag2CO3的光催化性能.比如典型的异质结光催化剂有TiO2/Ag2CO3,Ag2CO3/ZnO,Ag2O/Ag2CO3和AgX/Ag2CO3等.也有在表面化学沉积,光化学还原Ag等贵金属形成等离子体等方式提高其光催化性能,但是很少通过特殊形貌控制以提高Ag2CO3的光催化性能.最近的研究表明,由于多尺度微球结构催化剂具有高效的光捕能力,同时具有比表面积大、易沉降,良好的物质传输能力和表面的渗透性,因而在液相光催化反应中具有明显的优势.因此,我们期望制备出一个多尺度微球结构Ag2CO3光催化剂.CaMg(CO3)2是一种具有微球结构的半导体,它与Ag2CO3有相同的阴离子结构,但是两者在水溶液中的溶解度相差较大,利用这个特性理论上可以将两个不同的半导体结合在一起,得到一种新型的复合微球.本文以CaMg(CO3)2微球为硬模板,通过简单的离子交换成功制备了粒径约为10μm的CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3微球.利用X射线衍射、N2物理吸附、扫描电镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱和紫外-可见漫反射吸收光谱、光电流等手段对在不同反应时间与温度下制得的CaMg(CO3)2与Ag2CO3的复合物进行了表征.结果表明,在40°C下Ag+与Ca2+、Mg2+离子交换4 h后,得到了一种多尺度CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3复合微球.此时,微球中Ag2CO3的含量约为2.56%.结果表明,这种具有多尺度结构的复合微球能够增强可见光的吸收.电化学阻抗测试和光电流测试表明,CaMg(CO3)2核的存在可以降低光生载流子的迁移阻力,进而促进光生电子与空穴的分离.在光降解酸性橙II的测试中,核壳结构的CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3复合微球表现出了更高的催化活性,而且具有更好的循环使用性能.同时,相对于纯Ag2CO3光催化剂来说,CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3复合微球制备的成本大幅度降低.ESR测试证明了·OH为CaMg(CO3)2@Ag2CO3复合微球光催化过程中的主要活性物质.     

圆盘状a-Co(OH)2的控制合成及其电化学性能

采用AAO模板及后处理方法合成了圆盘状a-Co(OH)2并研究了其电化学电容性能.在该合成方法中,先采用阳极氧化铝模板结合交流电沉积的方法获得钴纳米线,而后将其在碱液中通过溶解氧氧化生成终端产物.用红外光谱(FT-IR),X射线衍射(XRD)和场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)表征了产物的结构和形貌;用循环伏安、恒电流充放电测试方法对其电化学性能进行了测试.此外,对圆盘状Co(OH)2的形成机理进行了初步探讨.结果表明,用此方法合成的Co(OH)2具有圆盘状形貌,属a相态,且表现出较好的电容特性.