A potential flower-like coating consisting of calcium-phosphate nanosheets on titanium surface

A potential calcium-phosphate fl ower-like nanocoating were coated onto the titanium surface in an easy approach. It has high surface area, low cytotoxicity as well as promising cell affi nity, which makes it a potential alternative modifi cation method for titanium surface.     

Recent advances in ZnO nanostructures and thin films for biosensor applications: Review

Biosensors have shown great potential for health care and environmental monitoring. The performance of biosensors depends on their components, among which the matrix material, i.e., the layer between the recognition layer of biomolecule and transducer, plays a crucial role in defining the stability, sensitivity and shelf-life of a biosensor. Recently, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and thin films have attracted much interest as materials for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, high isoelectric point, electrochemical activity, high electron mobility, ease of synthesis by diverse methods and high surface-to-volume ratio. ZnO nanostructures have shown the binding of biomolecules in desired orientations with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes ZnO nanostructures suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review highlights recent advances in various approaches towards synthesis of ZnO nanostructures and thin films and their applications in biosensor technology.     

Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Co3O4 Nanoflowers

Co3O4 nanoflowers were prepared through a sequential process of a hydrothermal reaction and heat treatment. The as-synthesized products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and infrared spectrum. These nanoflowers consist of numerous Co3O4 nanofibers, which have diameters of 20-40 nm, and lengths ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm. They have pore structures and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of ?34.61 m2/g. The temperature dependence curves of magnetization in zero-field-cooled conditions and field-cooled indicate mainly antiferromagnetism and weak ferromagnetism of Co3O4 nanoflowers at blocking temperature of ?34 K respectively.     

Monodispersed 3D MnWO4–TiO2 composite nanoflowers photocatalysts for environmental remediation

Pollutants from textile industries into water-bodies have caused huge environmental hazards. The semiconductor mediated photocatalytic purification of polluted water is a promising environmental remediation technology. In the present study MnWO₄–TiO₂ composite nanoflowers endowed with efficient photocatalytic activity have been successfully synthesized by facile hydrothermal approach. XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX spectroscopy and UV-DRS were used to characterize the as-synthesized samples. The average size of composite nanoflower is ∼2 μm while the nanorods constructing the nanoflowers had the average diameters of 90 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the MnWO₄–TiO₂ nanoflowers for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in visible light was much higher than of pristine TiO₂ nanorods and MnWO₄ nanoflowers respectively. The superior photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the formation of a MnWO₄–TiO₂ heterojunction in the MnWO₄–TiO₂ nanoflowers.     

Controlled synthesis of monodispersed AgGaS2 3D nanoflowers and the shape evolution from nanoflowers to colloids

Monodispersed AgGaS₂ three-dimensional (3D) nanoflowers have been successfully synthesized in a “soft-chemical” system with the mixture of 1-octyl alcohol and cyclohexane as reaction medium and oleylamine as surfactant. The crystal phase, morphology and chemical composition of the as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM (HTEM), respectively. Results reveal that the as-synthesized AgGaS₂ nanoflowers are in tetragonal structure with 3D flower-like shape. Controlled experiments demonstrated that the shape transformation of AgGaS₂ nanocrystals from 3D nanoflowers (50 nm) to nanoparticles (10-20 nm) could be readily realized by tuning the reaction parameters, e.g., the ratio of octanol to cyclohexane, the length of carbon chain of fatty alcohol, the concentration of oleylamine, etc. The UV-vis and PL spectra of the obtained AgGaS₂ nanoflowers and colloids were researched. In addition, the photoelectron energy conversion (SPV) of AgGaS₂ nanoflowers was further researched by the surface photovoltage spectra.     

Co3O4纳米花的合成及其磁性

通过水热和热处理的方法，制备了产物Co3O4纳米花. 用X射线粉末衍射、场发射扫锚电镜、透射电镜和红外光谱等手段对产物进行了表征. 结果表明，产物纳米花是由大量的Co3O4纳米须组成，纳 米须的直径为20?40 nm，长度为100?500 nm，具有纳米孔结构，比表面积约为34.61 m2/g. 磁性测量表明，在零场冷却条件下，产物主要表现为反铁磁性；在加场冷却条件下，闭锁温度约为34K时，产物主要表现为铁磁性．     

Influence of polycrystalline MoS2 nanoflowers on mouse breast cancer cell proliferation via molten salt sintering

In this paper, polycrystalline molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoflowers were prepared by mixing ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate [(NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O] and potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) at 300 °C for 2 h via molten salt sintering method. Under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), MoS₂ showed popcorn-like shape, which surface distribution defects were easy to be further modified. MoS₂ as a nano-enzyme was used to inhibit the proliferation of mouse breast cancer cells (4 T1), which had 69.8 % inhibitory effect on 4 T1 cell proliferation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis showed that MoS₂ could produce a large number of stable hydroxyl radicals (–OH). The disulfide bond in MoS₂ was highly sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS). High ROS level leads to the death of cancer cells under oxidative stress and inhibits the proliferation of 4 T1. This work demonstrates that MoS₂ is a potential anticancer drug or carrier for cancer treatment.     

Sonochemical synthesis and characterization of Co3O4 nanocrystals in the presence of the ionic liquid [EMIM][BF4]

For the first time, a sonochemical process has been used to synthesis cobalt oxide Co₃O₄ nanoflowers and nanorods morphology in the presence of the ionic liquid 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM][BF₄] as reaction media and morphology template. Different sonication time periods and different molar ratios of the ionic liquid (IL) were used to investigate their effects on the structural, optical, chemical and magnetic properties of the produced Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. During synthesis process brown powder contains cobalt hydroxide Co(OH)₂ and cobalt oxyhydroxide (Cobalt hydroxide oxide) CoO(OH) was formed, after calcination in air for 4 h at 400 °C a black powder of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles was produced. The produced Co₃O₄ nanoparticles properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). To explain the formation mechanism of Co₃O₄ NPs some investigations were carried on the brown powder before calcination.     

White light emission from sonochemically synthesized rare earth doped ceria nanophosphors

Undoped CeO₂, and single and triple doped CeO₂:M (where M=Dy³⁺, Tb³⁺and Eu³⁺) nanophosphors were synthesized through a simple sonochemical process and characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), EDS and photoluminescence (PL) spectrophotometry. The TEM micrographs show that resultant nanoparticles have flower-like shape. The doped samples showed multicolor emission on single wavelength excitation. Energy transfer was observed from host to the dopant ions. Characteristic blue emission from Dy³⁺ ions, green from Tb³⁺ ions and red from Eu³⁺ ions were observed. The CIE coordinates of the triple doped Ce_0.86Dy_0.005Tb_0.055Eu_0.08O₂ nanoflowers lie in the white light region of the chromaticity diagram and show promise as good phosphor materials for new lighting devices.     

Accelerating Ethanol Complete Electrooxidation via Introducing Ethylene as the Precursor for the C−C Bond Splitting

The crucial issue restricting the application of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) is the incomplete and sluggish electrooxidation of ethanol due to the chemically stable C−C bond thereof. Herein, a unique ethylene-mediated pathway with a 100 % C1-selectivity for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is proposed for the first time based on a well-structured Pt/Al₂O₃@TiAl catalyst with cascade active sites. The electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) analysis disclose that ethanol is primarily dehydrated on the surface of Al₂O₃@TiAl and the derived ethylene is further oxidized completely on nanostructured Pt. X-ray absorption and density functional theory (DFT) studies disclose the Al component doped in Pt nanocrystals can promote the EOR kinetics by lowering the reaction energy barriers and eliminating the poisonous species. Strikingly, Pt/Al₂O₃@TiAl exhibits a specific activity of 3.83 mA cm⁻²_Pt, 7.4 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C and superior long-term durability.