Theoretical prediction of the host–guest interactions between novel photoresponsive nanorings and C60: A strategy for facile encapsulation and release of fullerene

A series of photoresponsive‐group‐containing nanorings hosts with 12～14 Å in diameter is designed by introducing different number of azo groups as the structural composition units. And the host–guest interactions between fullerene C₆₀ and those nanoring hosts were investigated theoretically at M06‐2X/6‐31G(d)//M06‐L/MIDI! and wB97X‐D/6‐31G(d) levels. Analysis on geometrical characteristics and host–guest binding energies revealed that the designed nanoring molecule (labeled as 7 ) which is composed by seven azo groups and seven phenyls is the most feasible host for encapsulation of C₆₀ guest among all candidates. Moreover, inferring from the simulated UV‐vis‐NIR spectroscopy, the C₆₀ guest could be facilely released from the cavity of the host 7 via configuration transformation between trans‐form and cis‐form of the host under the 563 nm photoirradiation. Additionally, the frontier orbital features, weak interaction regions, infrared, and NMR spectra of the C₆₀@7 host–guest complex have also been investigated theoretically. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

并苯纳米环[6]CA及其衍生物的电子结构和光物理性质的密度泛函理论研究

采用密度泛函理论PBE0方法在6-31G(d, p) 基组水平上对比研究并六苯纳米环[6]CA及BN取代纳米环[6]CA-BN的几何结构及电子性质. 同时探讨锂离子掺杂对不同体系的芳香性、前线分子轨道、电子吸收光谱及传输性质的影响. 通过电离势、亲合势及重组能的计算, 预测纳米环体系得失电子的能力及传输性能. 结果表明:[6]CA的能隙很小, BN取代后, 能隙明显增大; 锂离子掺杂到两种纳米环中, 在不明显改变前线分子轨道分布的前提下, 几乎同步降低了最高占据轨道、 最低未占据轨道能级, 锂离子掺杂使载流子传输性能得到很大改善; 电子吸收光谱拟合发现, BN取代使吸收光谱很大程度蓝移, 吸收强度明显减小; 而锂离子掺杂对光谱的强度及吸收范围没有明显影响. 关键词： 碳纳米环 硼氮纳米环 锂离子掺杂 密度泛函理论     

Synthesis of TiO2 nanorings and nanorods on TCO substrate by potentiostatic anodization of titanium powder

Various TiO₂ nanostructures, such as nanorings, nanorods were synthesized via potentiostatic anodization of titanium powder under different conditions. The morphology of the obtained TiO₂ nanostructures can be easily tuned by varying applied voltage. The crystal structure, compositional information and morphological structures were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM). XRD and XPS analysis confirmed the anodization products were TiO₂. A possible formation mechanism was suggested on the basis of the shape evolution of TiO₂ nanostructures observed by FESEM. The results revealed that the applied voltage played an important role in the formation of various nanostructures. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The role of dipolar interactions for the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic nanoring

We investigate numerically the effects of the dipolar interactions on magnetic properties in small ferromagnetic nanorings using a Monte Carlo technique. Our simulated results show that the strength of dipolar interaction in the magnetic nanoring has an important influence on the magnetization reversal processes and further the coercivity and the remanence. As the dipolar interaction increases, the transition of magnetization reversal processes from the onion-rotation state to the vortex state can occur, which results in an increase in coercivity and a decrease in remanence. On the other hand, it is found that the coercivity and the remanence depend more strongly on the strength of dipolar coupling for the relatively small size nanoring than for the large size nanoring in width. This can be attributed to the stable vortex state without core in smaller width nanoring in contrast to the metastable vortex state with core in larger width nanoring, induced by strong dipolar interactions. Additionally, the temperature dependence of coercivity and remanence in magnetic nanoring is also studied at a fixed dipolar interaction.     

Theoretical insights into the host–guest interactions between [6]cycloparaphenyleneacetylene and its anthracene‐containing derivative and fullerene C70

The host–guest complexes formed with [6]cycloparaphenyleneacetylene ([6]CPPA) and its anthracene‐containing derivative ([6]CPPAs) hosts and fullerene C₇₀ guest were explored by density functional calculations. Besides two previously reported configurations in which C₇₀ guest is standing or lying in the cavity of the host, we found a new kind of configuration in which C₇₀ guest is half‐lying in the cavity of the host. More interestingly, the calculated results revealed that the fine‐tuning deformations occur readily during the formations of the complexes, suggesting that both [6]CPPA and [6]CPPAs are highly elastic host molecules. The large host–guest binding energies indicate that both two host molecules, [6]CPPA and [6]CPPAs, have excellent encapsulation ability for C₇₀ guest, and the [6]CPPAs even has much better encapsulation ability for C₇₀ than [6]CPPA. Furthermore, the host–guest interactions regions were detected and visualized in real space based on the electron density and reduced density gradient. Additionally, ¹H NMR spectra of those three different kinds of configurations mentioned earlier have been calculated with gage‐independent atomic orbital method, which may be helpful for further experimental characterizations in future. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of plasmonic bowtie nanoring array with high sensitivity and reproducibility for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

A metallic bowtie nanoring array is designed to gain high sensitive and reproducible substrate for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), the electric field enhancement factors (EFs) and the electric field distribution of the bowtie and bowtie nanoring array are numerically investigated by means of the finite‐difference time domain (FDTD) method. After the optimization of the particle size and the array period, the maximum electromagnetic field EF approaches 153, and the corresponding SERS electromagnetic enhancement factor (EMEF) reaches 5.4 × 10⁸. This highly sensitive and reproducible substrate can be a good candidate for SERS applications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

金纳米环双体尺寸和耦合效应对表面等离子体共振特性的影响

采用离散偶极子近似方法系统地研究了金纳米环双体的消光光谱及其电场分布. 计算结果表明, 金纳米环双体在耦合作用下的共振消光峰对应着不同振动模式, 改变金纳米环双体的排列方式、 间距和尺寸大小, 其表面等离子体共振消光峰发生红移或蓝移. 因此可以通过对金纳米环双体结构参数和排列方式的设定, 调节其表面等离子体共振消光峰的位置. 电场分布表明, 水平排列的金纳米环双体较单个金纳米环产生更强的局部表面增强电场. 适当的小间距, 较大的内外半径的金纳米环水平阵列更适合做表面增强拉曼散射的衬底, 在生物分子检测等领域具有潜在的应用.     

缺陷铁纳米环体系的磁特性研究

采用Monte Carlo方法与快速傅里叶变换微磁学方法相结合的方式,模拟含不同缺陷的铁纳米环的磁滞回线、组态、剩磁等磁特性.研究发现:缺陷的大小与位置明显影响系统的磁化过程.当缺陷较小时,系统存在双稳态特征,此性质与无缺陷系统类似;当缺陷增大时,系统过渡状态增加,双稳态特征不再明显.进一步的研究发现,缺陷系统的剩磁随缺陷半径D的增大而增大.上述结果与非对称纳米环系统的磁特性类似,并可以通过零场状态下的系统自旋组态的变化加以解释.当系统圆心与缺陷中心的间距Y增加时,剩磁与Y的关系是非线性的:剩磁先随Y的增大而增大,后随Y的增大而减小.模拟结果可用零场状态下不同Y值的组态变化进行详细解释.上述研究结果表明,缺陷可以明显影响铁纳米环的磁特性.     

以SDS-PEG团簇为软模板在温和条件下合成金纳米环

介绍一种由十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)与聚乙二醇(PEG 20000)组成的团簇为软模板, 在室温、常压、无硬模板及无外加还原剂条件下自还原HAuCl₄合成金纳米环的新方法. TEM显示合成的金纳米环的直径为(500±50) nm; UV-vis光谱显示在800 nm以上区域有强吸收带, 证明有大的各向异性的纳米结构生成. 电子衍射(ED)显示合成的金纳米环为金单晶结构; XRD显示金纳米环的(200)与(111)衍射峰的强度比(I₍₂₀₀₎/I₍₁₁₁₎)为0.11, 比反应初始阶段的0.31降低0.2左右, 表明金纳米结构主要为(111)晶面取向. TEM和SEM跟踪显示, 金纳米环的生长经历了从金纳米球到纳米片再到纳米环的变化过程, 控制反应时间可以得到预期的金纳米结构.     

Topological structure effect on far-infrared spectra in a GaAs/InAs nanoring

On the basis of the growth mechanism of a GaAs/InAs nanoring,we propose a fine model which reflects the confinement details of real nanoring.Through calculations of the two-electron energy and far-infrared(FIR) spectra,we find that the ring topological structure and electron-electron interaction have great influence on the FIR spectra.The two unknown transition peaks in the experiment are determined theoretically.The theoretical results are in good agreement with the experiments.