Synthesis of mesoporous hollow silica nanospheres using polymeric micelles as template and their application as a drug-delivery carrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan, Manickam; Zenibana, Haruna; Nandi, Mahasweta; Bhaumik, Asim; Nakashima, Kenichi

2013-10-07

Mesoporous hollow silica nanospheres with uniform particle sizes of 31-33 nm have been successfully synthesized by cocondensation of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and alkyltrimethoxysilanes [RSi(OR)3], where the latter also acts as a porogen. ABC triblock copolymer micelles of poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PVP-PEO) with a core-shell-corona architecture have been employed as a soft template at pH 4. The cationic shell block with 2-vinyl pyridine groups facilitates the condensation of silica precursors under the sol-gel reaction conditions. Phenyltrimethoxysilane, octyltriethoxysilane, and octadecyltriethoxysilanes were used as porogens for generating mesopores in the shell matrix of hollow silica and the octadecyl precursor produced the largest mesopore among the different porogens, of dimension ca. 4.1 nm. The mesoporous hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SXRD), thermal (TG/DTA) and nitrogen sorption analyses, infra-red (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C-CP MAS NMR and (29)Si MAS NMR) spectroscopies, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mesoporous hollow silica nanospheres have been investigated for drug-delivery application by an in vitro method using ibuprofen as a model drug. The hollow silica nanospheres exhibited higher storage capacity than the well-known mesoporous silica MCM-41. Propylamine functionalized hollow particles show a more sustained release pattern than their unfunctionalized counterparts, suggesting a huge potential of hollow silica nanospheres in the controlled delivery of small drug molecules.

Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of core/shell mesoporous silica nanospheres supporting nanocrystalline titania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cendrowski, K.; Chen, X.; Zielinska, B.; Kalenczuk, R. J.; Rümmeli, M. H.; Büchner, B.; Klingeler, R.; Borowiak-Palen, E.

2011-01-01

The facile bulk synthesis of silica nanospheres makes them an attractive support for the transport of chemical compounds such as nanocrystalline titanium dioxide. In this contribution we present a promising route for the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanospheres (m-SiO 2 ) with diameter in range 200 nm, which are ideal supports for nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). The detailed microscopic and spectroscopic characterizations of core/shell structure (m-SiO 2 /TiO 2 ) were conducted. Moreover, the photocatalytic potential of the nanostructures was investigated via phenol decomposition and hydrogen generation. A clear enhancement of photoactivity in both reactions as compared to commercial TiO 2 -Degussa P25 catalyst is detected.

Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of core/shell mesoporous silica nanospheres supporting nanocrystalline titania

Science.gov (United States)

Cendrowski, K.; Chen, X.; Zielinska, B.; Kalenczuk, R. J.; Rümmeli, M. H.; Büchner, B.; Klingeler, R.; Borowiak-Palen, E.

2011-11-01

The facile bulk synthesis of silica nanospheres makes them an attractive support for the transport of chemical compounds such as nanocrystalline titanium dioxide. In this contribution we present a promising route for the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanospheres (m-SiO2) with diameter in range 200 nm, which are ideal supports for nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2). The detailed microscopic and spectroscopic characterizations of core/shell structure (m-SiO2/TiO2) were conducted. Moreover, the photocatalytic potential of the nanostructures was investigated via phenol decomposition and hydrogen generation. A clear enhancement of photoactivity in both reactions as compared to commercial TiO2-Degussa P25 catalyst is detected.

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Cha, Dong Kyu; Zhang, Xixiang; Basset, Jean-Marie

2010-01-01

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2010-08-02

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Arrays of Hollow Silica Half-Nanospheres Via the Breath Figure Approach

KAUST Repository

Gao, Yangqin; Hou, Yuanfang; Beaujuge, Pierre

2015-01-01

Breath figures (BFs) are patterns of liquid droplets that usually form upon condensation on a cold surface. Earlier work has shown that BFs can be used to produce continuous films of porous honeycomb-structured patterns on various types of materials, paving the path to a number of important applications such as the manufacturing of highly ordered nano- and micron-sized templates, micro lenses, and superhydrophobic coatings. It is worth noting, however, that few new findings have been reported in this area in recent years, limiting pursuits of novel architectures and key applications. In this report, an alternative method is described by which arrays of hollow silica half-nanospheres can be produced via BF templates. In the present method, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) protocol performed while the BF is formed on a glass substrate yields a nanostructured pattern of silica half-spheres, which size (100-700 nm) and density across the glass surface vary with substrate modification and with the relative rates of water condensation and hydrolysis from silica precursors (a process carried out at room temperature). This method of forming arrays of hollow half-nanospheres via the BF approach may be applicable to various other oxides and a broad range of substrates including large-area flexible plastics. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Arrays of Hollow Silica Half-Nanospheres Via the Breath Figure Approach

KAUST Repository

Gao, Yangqin

2015-04-21

Breath figures (BFs) are patterns of liquid droplets that usually form upon condensation on a cold surface. Earlier work has shown that BFs can be used to produce continuous films of porous honeycomb-structured patterns on various types of materials, paving the path to a number of important applications such as the manufacturing of highly ordered nano- and micron-sized templates, micro lenses, and superhydrophobic coatings. It is worth noting, however, that few new findings have been reported in this area in recent years, limiting pursuits of novel architectures and key applications. In this report, an alternative method is described by which arrays of hollow silica half-nanospheres can be produced via BF templates. In the present method, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) protocol performed while the BF is formed on a glass substrate yields a nanostructured pattern of silica half-spheres, which size (100-700 nm) and density across the glass surface vary with substrate modification and with the relative rates of water condensation and hydrolysis from silica precursors (a process carried out at room temperature). This method of forming arrays of hollow half-nanospheres via the BF approach may be applicable to various other oxides and a broad range of substrates including large-area flexible plastics. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Formation of monodisperse mesoporous silica microparticles via spray-drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldron, Kathryn; Wu, Winston Duo; Wu, Zhangxiong; Liu, Wenjie; Selomulya, Cordelia; Zhao, Dongyuan; Chen, Xiao Dong

2014-03-15

In this work, a protocol to synthesize monodisperse mesoporous silica microparticles via a unique microfluidic jet spray-drying route is reported for the first time. The microparticles demonstrated highly ordered hexagonal mesostructures with surface areas ranging from ~900 up to 1500 m(2)/g and pore volumes from ~0.6 to 0.8 cm(3)/g. The particle size could be easily controlled from ~50 to 100 μm from the same diameter nozzle via changing the initial solute content, or changing the drying temperature. The ratio of the surfactant (CTAB) and silica (TEOS), and the amount of water in the precursor were found to affect the degree of ordering of mesopores by promoting either the self-assembly of the surfactant-silica micelles or the condensation of the silica as two competing processes in evaporation induced self-assembly. The drying rate and the curvature of particles also affected the self-assembly of the mesostructure. The particle mesostructure is not influenced by the inlet drying temperature in the range of 92-160 °C, with even a relatively low temperature of 92 °C producing highly ordered mesoporous microparticles. The spray-drying derived mesoporous silica microparticles, while of larger sizes and more rapidly synthesized, showed a comparable performance with the conventional mesoporous silica MCM-41 in controlled release of a dye, Rhodamine B, indicating that these spray dried microparticles could be used for the immobilisation and controlled release of small molecules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of hydrophilic magnetic nanospheres with high saturation magnetization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Hong; Tong Naihu; Cui Longlan; Lu Ying; Gu Hongchen

2007-01-01

Well-defined silica-magnetite core-shell nanospheres were prepared via a modified sol-gel method. Sphere-like magnetite aggregates were obtained as cores of the final nanospheres by assembling in the presence of Tween 20. Characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed spherical morphology of the nanospheres with controlled silica shell thickness from 9 to 30 nm, depending on the amount of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) used. The nanospheres contained up to 41.7 wt% magnetite with a saturation magnetization of 21.8 emu/g. Up to 35 μg/mg of the model biomolecule streptavidin (SA) could be bound covalently to the hydrophilic silica nanospheres

A novel method for the synthesis of monodisperse gold-coated silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

English, Michael D.; Waclawik, Eric R.

2012-01-01

Monodisperse silica nanoparticles were synthesised by the well-known Stober protocol, then dispersed in acetonitrile (ACN) and subsequently added to a bisacetonitrile gold(I) coordination complex ([Au(MeCN) 2 ] + ) in ACN. The silica hydroxyl groups were deprotonated in the presence of ACN, generating a formal negative charge on the siloxy groups. This allowed the [Au(MeCN) 2 ] + complex to undergo ligand exchange with the silica nanoparticles and form a surface coordination complex with reduction to metallic gold (Au 0 ) proceeding by an inner sphere mechanism. The residual [Au(MeCN) 2 ] + complex was allowed to react with water, disproportionating into Au 0 and Au(III), respectively, with the Au 0 adding to the reduced gold already bound on the silica surface. The so-formed metallic gold seed surface was found to be suitable for the conventional reduction of Au(III) to Au 0 by ascorbic acid (ASC). This process generated a thin and uniform gold coating on the silica nanoparticles. The silica NPs batches synthesised were in a size range from 45 to 460 nm. Of these silica NP batches, the size range from 400 to 480 nm were used for the gold-coating experiments.

Enhanced Performance of Mg0.1Zn0.9O UV Photodetectors Using Photoelectrochemical Treatment and Silica Nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Ying Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Mg0.1Zn0.9O films were grown using atomic layer deposition (ALD system and applied to metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet photodetectors (MSM-UPDs as an active layer. To suppress the dangling bonds on the Mg0.1Zn0.9O surface, the photoelectrochemical (PEC treatment was used to passivate the Mg0.1Zn0.9O surface, which could reduce the dark current of the MSM-UPDs about one order. Beside, to increase more incident light into the Mg0.1Zn0.9O active layer of the MSM-UPDs, the 500-nm-diameter silica nanospheres were spin-coated on the Mg0.1Zn0.9O active layer to improve the antireflection capability at the wavelength of 340 nm. The reflectivity of the Mg0.1Zn0.9O films with silica nanospheres antireflection layer decreased about 7.0% in comparison with the Mg0.1Zn0.9O films without silica nanospheres. The photocurrent and UV-visible ratio of the passivated Mg0.1Zn0.9O MSM-UPDs with antireflection layer were enhanced to 5.85 μA and 1.44×104, respectively, at the bias voltage of 5 V. Moreover, the noise equivalent power and the specific detectivity of the passivated Mg0.1Zn0.9O MSM-UPDs with antireflection layer were decreased to 2.60×10-13 W and increased to 1.21×1012 cmHz1/2W−1, respectively, at the bias voltage of 5 V. According to the above mentions, the PEC treatment and silica nanospheres antireflection layer could effectively enhance the performance of Mg0.1Zn0.9O MSM-UPDs.

Hybrid thin films derived from UV-curable acrylate-modified waterborne polyurethane and monodispersed colloidal silica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. H. Yang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Hybrid thin films containing nano-sized inorganic domains were synthesized from UV-curable acrylate-modified waterborne polyurethane (WPU-AC and monodispersed colloidal silica with coupling agent. The coupling agent, 3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate (MSMA, was bonded onto colloidal silica first, and then mixed with WPU-AC to form a precursor solution. This precursor was spin coated, dried and UV-cured to generate the hybrid films. The silica content in the hybrid thin films was varied from 0 to 30 wt%. Experimental results showed the aggregation of silica particles in the hybrid films. Thus, the silica domain in the hybrid films was varied from 30 to 50 nm by the different ratios of MSMAsilica to WPU-AC. The prepared hybrid films from the crosslinked WPU-AC/MSMA-silica showed much better thermal stability and mechanical properties than pure WPU-AC.

Periodically Arranged Arrays of Dendritic Pt Nanospheres Using Cage-Type Mesoporous Silica as a Hard Template.

Science.gov (United States)

Kani, Kenya; Malgras, Victor; Jiang, Bo; Hossain, Md Shahriar A; Alshehri, Saad M; Ahamad, Tansir; Salunkhe, Rahul R; Huang, Zhenguo; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2018-01-04

Dendritic Pt nanospheres of 20 nm diameter are synthesized by using a highly concentrated surfactant assembly within the large-sized cage-type mesopores of mesoporous silica (LP-FDU-12). After diluting the surfactant solution with ethanol, the lower viscosity leads to an improved penetration inside the mesopores. After Pt deposition followed by template removal, the arrangement of the Pt nanospheres is a replication from that of the mesopores in the original LP-FDU-12 template. Although it is well known that ordered LLCs can form on flat substrates, the confined space inside the mesopores hinders surfactant self-organization. Therefore, the Pt nanospheres possess a dendritic porous structure over the entire area. The distortion observed in some nanospheres is attributed to the close proximity existing between neighboring cage-type mesopores. This new type of nanoporous metal with a hierarchical architecture holds potential to enhance substance diffusivity/accessibility for further improvement of catalytic activity. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of monodisperse silica microspheres and modification with diazoresin for mixed-mode ultra high performance liquid chromatography separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Hailin; Yu, Bing; Tian, Chao; Zhang, Shuai; Yuan, Hua

2017-11-01

Monodisperse silica particles with average diameters of 1.9-2.9 μm were synthesized by a modified Stöber method, in which tetraethyl orthosilicate was continuously supplied to the reaction mixture containing KCl electrolyte, water, ethanol, and ammonia. The obtained silica particles were modified by self-assembly with positively charged photosensitive diazoresin on the surface. After treatment with ultraviolet light, the ionic bonding between silica and diazoresin was converted into covalent bonding through a unique photochemistry reaction of diazoresin. Depending on the chemical structure of diazoresin and mobile phase composition, the diazoresin-modified silica stationary phase showed different separation mechanisms, including reversed phase and hydrophilic interactions. Therefore, a variety of baseline separation of benzene analogues and organic acids was achieved by using the diazoresin-modified silica particles as packing materials in ultra high performance liquid chromatography. According to the π-π interactional difference between carbon rings of fullerenes and benzene rings of diazoresin, C 60 and C 70 were also well separated by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Because it has a small size, the ∼2.5 μm monodisperse diazoresin-modified silica stationary phase shows ultra-high efficiency compared with the commercial C 18 -silica high-performance liquid chromatography stationary phase with average diameters of ∼5 μm. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Controlling the synthesis conditions for silica nanosphere from semi-burned rice straw

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hessien, M.M.; Rashad, M.M.; Zaky, R.R.; Abdel-Aal, E.A.; El-Barawy, K.A.

2009-01-01

Silica nanoparticles have been prepared through dissolution-precipitation process from rice straw ash (RSA) for different electronic applications. The dissolution of silica from RSA was carried out using alkali leaching process by sodium hydroxide. The precipitation of silica from the produced sodium silicate solution was carried out using sulphuric acid at pH 7. The factors affecting the precipitation process of the sodium silicate solution of dissociated RSA; such as; sodium silicate concentration, sulfuric acid concentration and addition of anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) on the particle size of the precipitated silica were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), specific surface area S BET and transmission electron microscope (TEM) have been used for the characterization of the produced nano-silica. The results showed that the optimum conditions of the dissolution efficiency of the silica of about 99% was achieved at 100 deg. C for 4 h, and NaOH/SiO 2 molar ratio three. The particle size of the precipitated silica gel was decreased with increasing Na 2 SiO 3 and SDS concentrations, while H 2 SO 4 concentration had insignificant effect. Particle size of about 16 nm can be achieved at 30% Na 2 SiO 3 , 4% H 2 SO 4 and 200 ppm SDS. The produced silica had 99.93% purity, amorphous and nanosphere particles with narrow size distribution. The produced silica can be used in many applications especially for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurries for semiconductors industries.

Sustained release of fungicide metalaxyl by mesoporous silica nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wanyika, Harrison, E-mail: hwanyika@gmail.com [Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Department of Chemistry (Kenya)

2013-08-15

The use of nanomaterials for the controlled delivery of pesticides is nascent technology that has the potential to increase the efficiency of food production and decrease pollution. In this work, the prospect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) for storage and controlled release of metalaxyl fungicide has been investigated. Mesoporous silica nanospheres with average particle diameters of 162 nm and average pore sizes of 3.2 nm were prepared by a sol-gel process. Metalaxyl molecules were loaded into MSN pores from an aqueous solution by a rotary evaporation method. The loaded amount of metalaxyl as evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis was about 14 wt%. Release of the fungicide entrapped in the MSN matrix revealed sustained release behavior. About 76 % of the free metalaxyl was released in soil within a period of 30 days while only 11.5 and 47 % of the metalaxyl contained in the MSN carrier was released in soil and water, respectively, within the same period. The study showed that MSN can be used to successfully store metalaxyl molecules in its mesoporous framework and significantly delay their release in soil.

Sustained release of fungicide metalaxyl by mesoporous silica nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wanyika, Harrison

2013-01-01

The use of nanomaterials for the controlled delivery of pesticides is nascent technology that has the potential to increase the efficiency of food production and decrease pollution. In this work, the prospect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) for storage and controlled release of metalaxyl fungicide has been investigated. Mesoporous silica nanospheres with average particle diameters of 162 nm and average pore sizes of 3.2 nm were prepared by a sol–gel process. Metalaxyl molecules were loaded into MSN pores from an aqueous solution by a rotary evaporation method. The loaded amount of metalaxyl as evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis was about 14 wt%. Release of the fungicide entrapped in the MSN matrix revealed sustained release behavior. About 76 % of the free metalaxyl was released in soil within a period of 30 days while only 11.5 and 47 % of the metalaxyl contained in the MSN carrier was released in soil and water, respectively, within the same period. The study showed that MSN can be used to successfully store metalaxyl molecules in its mesoporous framework and significantly delay their release in soil

Preparation and characterization of monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres as the matrix for protein separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Hongjun; Wan, Guangping; Zhao, Junlong; Liu, Jiawei; Bai, Quan

2016-11-04

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a kind of efficient separation technology and has been used widely in many fields. Micro-sized porous silica microspheres as the most popular matrix have been used for fast separation and analysis in HPLC. In this paper, the monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres with controllable size and structure were successfully synthesized with polymer microspheres as the templates and characterized. First, the poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) microspheres (P GMA-EDMA ) were functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) to generate amino groups which act as a catalyst in hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to form Si-containing low molecular weight species. Then the low molecular weight species diffused into the functionalized P GMA-EDMA microspheres by induction force of the amino groups to form polymer/silica hybrid microspheres. Finally, the organic polymer templates were removed by calcination, and the large-porous silica microspheres were obtained. The compositions, morphology, size distribution, specific surface area and pore size distribution of the porous silica microspheres were characterized by infrared analyzer, scanning-electron microscopy, dynamic laser scattering, the mercury intrusion method and thermal gravimetric analysis, respectively. The results show that the agglomeration of the hybrid microspheres can be overcome when the templates were functionalized with TEPA as amination reagent, and the yield of 95.7% of the monodisperse large-porous silica microspheres can be achieved with high concentration of polymer templates. The resulting large-porous silica microspheres were modified with octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) and the chromatographic evaluation was performed by separating the proteins and the digest of BSA. The baseline separation of seven kinds of protein standards was achieved, and the column delivered a better performance when separating BSA digests

Repetitive heterocoagulation of oppositely charged particles for enhancement of magnetic nanoparticle loading into monodisperse silica particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Hideki; Nagao, Daisuke; Konno, Mikio

2010-03-16

Oppositely charged particles were repetitively heterocoagulated to fabricate highly monodisperse magnetic silica particles with high loading of magnetic nanoparticles. Positively charged magnetic nanoparticles prepared by surface modification with N-trimethoxysilylpropyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (TSA) were used to heterocoagulate with silica particles under basic conditions to give rise to negative silica surface charge and prevent the oxidation of the magnetic nanoparticles. The resultant particles of silica core homogeneously coated with the magnetic nanoparticles were further coated with thin silica layer with sodium silicate in order to enhance colloidal stability and avoid desorption of the magnetic nanoparticles from the silica cores. Five repetitions of the heterocoagulation and the silica coating could increase saturation magnetization of the magnetic silica particles to 27.7 emu/g, keeping the coefficient of variation of particle sizes (C(V)) less than 6.5%. Highly homogeneous loading of the magnetic component was confirmed by measuring Fe-to-Si atomic ratios of individual particles with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

Comparative efficiencies of photothermal destruction of malignant cells using antibody-coated silica-Au nanoshells, hollow Au/Ag nanospheres and Au nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Fong-Yu; Chen, Chen-Tai; Yeh, Chen-Sheng, E-mail: csyeh@mail.ncku.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China)

2009-10-21

Three Au-based nanomaterials (silica-Au nanoshells, hollow Au/Ag nanospheres and Au nanorods) were evaluated for their comparative photothermal efficiencies at killing three types of malignant cells (A549 lung cancer cells, HeLa cervix cancer cells and TCC bladder cancer cells) using a CW NIR laser. Photodestructive efficiency was evaluated as a function of the number of nanoparticles required to destroy the cancer cells under 808 nm laser wavelength at fixed laser power. Of the three nanomaterials, silica/Au nanoshells needed the minimum number of particles to produce effective photodestruction, whereas Au nanorods needed the largest number of particles. Together with the calculated photothermal conversion efficiency, the photothermal efficiency rankings are silica-Au nanoshells > hollow Au/Ag nanospheres > Au nanorods. Additionally, we found that HeLa cells seem to present better heat tolerance than the other two cancer cell lines.

Preparation of monodisperse porous silica particles using poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres as a template

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Grama, Silvia; Horák, Daniel

2015-01-01

Roč. 64, Suppl. 1 (2015), S11-S17 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0029; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : microspheres * monodisperse * silica Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.643, year: 2015 http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/64%20Suppl%201/64_S11.pdf

Bifunctional silica nanospheres with 3-aminopropyl and phenyl groups. Synthesis approach and prospects of their applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kotsyuda, Sofiya S.; Tomina, Veronika V.; Zub, Yuriy L.; Furtat, Iryna M.; Lebed, Anastasia P.; Vaclavikova, Miroslava; Melnyk, Inna V.

2017-10-01

Spherical silica particles with bifunctional (tbnd Si(CH2)3NH2/tbnd SiC6H5) surface layers were synthesized by the Stöber method using ternary alkoxysilanes systems. The influence of the synthesis conditions, such as temperature and stirring time on the process of nanoparticles formation was studied. The presence of introduced functional groups was confirmed by FTIR. The composition of the surface layers examined by elemental analysis and acid-base titration was shown to be independent from the synthesis temperature. However, the size of the obtained particles depends on the synthesis temperature and, according to photon cross-correlation spectroscopy, can be varied from 50 to 846 nm. The variation of electric charges of N-functional groups was disclosed in obtained nanospheres and attributed to different surface location of these groups and their surrounding with other groups. The sorption of Cu(II) ions by functionalized silicas depends on the concentration of amino groups, which correlates with the isoelectric point values (determined to vary from 8.26 to 9.21). Bifunctional nanoparticles adsorb 99.0 mg/g of methylene blue, compared with 48.0 mg/g by silica sample with only amino groups. The nanospheres, both with and without adsorbed Cu2+, demonstrate reasonable antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATCC 25923, depending on particle concentration in water suspension.

Nanoengineering of methylene blue loaded silica encapsulated magnetite nanospheres and nanocapsules for photodynamic therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andhariya, Nidhi [Bhavnagar University, Department of Physics (India); Chudasama, Bhupendra, E-mail: bnchudasama@gmail.com [Thapar University, School of Physics and Materials Science (India); Mehta, R. V. [Bhavnagar University, Department of Physics (India); Upadhyay, R. V. [Charotar University of Science and Technology, P.D. Patel Institute of Applied Sciences (India)

2011-09-15

Core-shell nanostructures have emerged as an important class of functional materials with potential applications in diverse fields, especially in health sciences. In this article, nanoengineering of novel magnetic colloidal dispersion containing surface modifiable silica with a core of single domain magnetite nanoparticles loaded with photosensitizer (PS) drug 'Methylene blue' (MB) has been described. Magnetite core is produced by the well-established chemical coprecipitation technique and silica shell is formed over it by the modified hydrolysis and condensation of TEOS (tetraethyl orthosilicate). Conditions for reaction kinetics have been established to tailor the core-shell structures in the form of nanospheres and nanocapsules. MB is loaded into the nanostructures by demethylation reaction. The major conclusion drawn from this study is that the synthesis route yields stable, non-aggregated MB loaded superparamagnetic magnetite-silica nanostructures with tailored morphology, tunable loading, and excellent magnetic properties.

Synthesis of Monodispersed Tantalum(V) oxide Nanospheres by an Ethylene Glycol Mediated Route

Science.gov (United States)

Tantalum(V) oxide (Ta2O5) nanospheres have been synthesized by a very simple ethylene glycol mediated route. The two-step process involves the formation of glycolate nanoparticles and their subsequent hydrolysis and calcination to generate the final Ta2O5 nanospheres. The synthes...

Solid-phase extraction based on a molecularly imprinted polymer nanoshell at the surface of silica nanospheres for the specific enrichment and identification of alkaloids from Crinum asiaticum L. var. sinicum.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ruixiang; Zhu, Dong; Wen, Hongmei; Fu, Anchen; Zhao, Zihan; Dai, Guoying; Miao, Zhaoyi; Hu, Yue

2017-03-01

A molecularly imprinted nanoshell on the surface of silica nanospheres was prepared for specific enrichment and identification of alkaloids from Crinum asiaticum L. var. sinicum. The nanoshell was synthesized by surface polymerization using lycorine as the template, acrylamide as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, 2',2-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator and acetonitrile as the pore-forming agent. The core-shell nanospheres were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, and the results show that the nanoshell layer was homogeneously attached to the surface of vinyl-modified SiO 2 nanospheres. The adsorption capacity of the nanospheres was estimated by binding equilibrium and adsorption kinetics experiments. The maximum adsorption amount of lycorine on the nanospheres was 6.68 μmol/g and the imprinting factor was nearly 2.5, indicating a good imprinting effect. The nanospheres were successfully applied in solid-phase extraction for lycorine from Crinum asaticum L. var. sinicum and detection of target molecule in rat metabolites. The average recoveries of lycorine in Crinum asaticum L. var. sinicum extraction and rat metabolites were 93.5 ± 0.6% (n = 3) and 91.6 ± 1.9% (n = 3), respectively. This work provides a simple approach for the fabrication of a molecularly imprinted nanoshell at the surface of silica nanospheres-based solid-phase extraction for drug analysis. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Monodisperse MnO2@NiCo2O4 core/shell nanospheres with highly opened structures as electrode materials for good-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, You; Ma, Li; Gan, Mengyu; Ye, Menghan; Li, Xiurong; Zhai, Yanfang; Yan, Fabing; Cao, Feifei

2018-06-01

The monodisperse MnO2@NiCo2O4 core/shell nanospheres for good-performance supercapacitors are designed and synthesized by a two-step solution-based method and a simple post annealing process. In the composite, both MnO2 (the "core") and NiCo2O4 (the "shell") are formed by the accumulation of nanoflakes. Thus, nearly all the core/shell nanoflakes are highly opened and accessible to electrolyte, making them give full play to the Faradaic reaction. Our results demonstrate that the composite electrode exhibits desirable pseudocapacitive behaviors with higher specific capacitance (1127.27 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1), better rate capability (81.0% from 1 to 16 A g-1) and superior cycling stability (actually 126.8% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles and only 3.7% loss after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g-1) in 3 M KOH aqueous solution. Moreover, it offers the excellent specific energy density of 26.6 Wh kg-1 at specific power density of 800 W kg-1. The present MnO2@NiCo2O4 core/shell nanospheres with remarkable electrochemical properties are considered as potential electrode materials for the next generation supercapacitors.

Monodisperse Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 3-x}O{sub 4} nanospheres: Metal-ion-steered size/composition control mechanism, static magnetic and enhanced microwave absorbing properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Kedan, E-mail: 17858961652@163.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Liu, Yun, E-mail: liuyun650403@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Pan, Yefei, E-mail: 3083780256@qq.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Wang, Ru, E-mail: 631081137@qq.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Hu, Panbing, E-mail: 1036855954@qq.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); He, Rujia, E-mail: 634185782@qq.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Zhang, Lingli, E-mail: 786510121@qq.com [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Tong, Guoxiu, E-mail: tonggx@zjnu.cn [College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • A metal-ion-steered solvothermal method for synthesizing Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 3-x}O{sub 4} nanospheres. • Proposing an in situ-reduction, coordination-precipitation transformation mechanism. • Investigating size- and composition-dependent static magnetic properties. • Investigating size- and composition-dependent microwave absorbing properties. - Abstract: An easy metal-ion-steered solvothermal method was developed for the one-step synthesis of monodisperse, uniform Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 3-x}O{sub 4} polycrystalline nanospheres with tunable sphere diameter (40–400 nm) and composition (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.245) via changing just Ni{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} molar ratio (γ). With g increased from 0:1 to 2:1, sphere diameter gradually decreased and crystal size exhibited an inversed U-shaped change tendency, followed by increased Ni/Fe atom ratio from 0% to 0.0888%. An in situ-reduction, coordination-precipitation transformation mechanism was proposed to interpret the metal-ion-steered growth. Size- and composition-dependent static magnetic and microwave absorbing properties were systematically investigated. Saturation magnetization declines with g in a Boltzmann model due to the changes of crystal size, sphere diameter, and Ni content. The coercivity reaches a maximum at γ = 0.75:1 because of the critical size of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} single domain (25 nm). Studies on microwave absorption reveal that 150–400 nm Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanospheres mainly obey the quarter-wavelength cancellation model with the single-band absorption; 40–135 nm Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 3-x}O{sub 4} nanospheres (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.245) obey the one and three quarter-wavelength cancellation model with the multi-band absorption. 150 nm Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanospheres exhibit the optimal EM wave-absorbing property with an absorbing band of 8.94 GHz and the maximum R{sub L} of −50.11 dB.

Detection of Methanol with Fast Response by Monodispersed Indium Tungsten Oxide Ellipsoidal Nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong; Kou, Xueying; Xie, Ning; Guo, Lanlan; Sun, Yanfeng; Chuai, Xiaohong; Ma, Jian; Sun, Peng; Wang, Yue; Lu, Geyu

2017-05-26

Indium tungsten oxide ellipsoidal nanospheres were prepared with different In/W ratios by using a simple hydrothermal method without any surfactant for the first time. Sensors based on different In/W ratios samples were fabricated, and one of the samples exhibited better response to methanol compared with others. High content of defective oxygen (Ov) and proper output proportion of In to W might be the main reasons for the better gas sensing properties. The length of the nanosphere was about 150-200 nm, and the width was about 100 nm. Various techniques were applied to investigate the nanospheres. Sensing characteristics toward methanol were investigated. Significantly, the sensor exhibited ultrafast response to methanol. The response time to 400 ppm methanol was no more than 2 s and the recovery time was 9 s at 312 °C. Most importantly, the humidity almost had no effect on the response of the sensor fabricated here, which is hard to achieve in gas-sensing applications.

Efficient one-pot sonochemical synthesis of thickness-controlled silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4/SiO2) nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, Mohamed; Abdel-Hamed, M. O.; Chen, Jiangang

2017-12-01

A facile and eco-friendly efficient sonochemical approach was designed for the synthesis of highly crystalline Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/SiO2 core/shell nanospheres in single reaction. The generated physical properties (shock waves, microjets, and turbulent flows) from ultrasonication as a consequence of the collapse of microbubbles and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a chemical linker were found to play a crucial role in the successful formation of the core/shell NPs within short time than the previously reported methods. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that a uniform SiO2 shell is successfully coated over Fe3O4 nanospheres, and the thickness of the silica shell could be easily controlled in the range from 5 to 15 nm by adjusting the reaction parameters. X-ray diffraction data were employed to confirm the formation of highly crystalline and pure phase of a cubic inverse spinel structure for magnetite (Fe3O4) nanospheres. The magnetic properties of the as-synthesized Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/SiO2 core/shell nanospheres were measured at room temperature using vibrating sample magnetometer, and the results demonstrated a high magnetic moment values with superparamagnetic properties.

Iridium Clusters Encapsulated in Carbon Nanospheres as Nanocatalysts for Methylation of (Bio)Alcohols.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qiang; Xu, Guoqiang; Wang, Zhendong; Liu, Xiaoran; Wang, Xicheng; Dong, Linlin; Mu, Xindong; Liu, Huizhou

2017-12-08

C-H methylation is an attractive chemical transformation for C-C bonds construction in organic chemistry, yet efficient methylation of readily available (bio)alcohols in water using methanol as sustainable C1 feedstock is limited. Herein, iridium nanocatalysts encapsulated in yolk-shell-structured mesoporous carbon nanospheres (Ir@YSMCNs) were synthesized for this transformation. Monodispersed Ir clusters (ca. 1.0 nm) were encapsulated in situ and spatially isolated within YSMCNs by a silica-assisted sol-gel emulsion strategy. A selection of (bio)alcohols (19 examples) was selectively methylated in aqueous phase with good-to-high yields over the developed Ir@YSMCNs. The improved catalytic efficiencies in terms of activity and selectivity together with the good stability and recyclability were contributable to the ultrasmall Ir clusters with oxidation chemical state as a consequence of the confinement effect of YSMCNs with interconnected nanostructures. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Fibrous Silica Nanospheres (KCC-1) as Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts for CO Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Qureshi, Ziyauddin S.; Sarawade, Pradip B.; Hussain, Irshad; Zhu, Haibo; Al-Johani, Hind; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Maity, Niladri; D'Elia, Valerio; Basset, Jean-Marie

2016-01-01

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) of different sizes were supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) by various methods. The size and the location of the Au NPs on the support were found to depend on the preparation method. The KCC-1-supported Au NPs were thoroughly characterized by using HR-TEM, XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements and were applied in catalysis for the oxidation of CO. The catalytic performance is discussed in relation to the morphological properties of KCC-1. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gold Nanoparticles Supported on Fibrous Silica Nanospheres (KCC-1) as Efficient Heterogeneous Catalysts for CO Oxidation

KAUST Repository

Qureshi, Ziyauddin S.

2016-04-13

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) of different sizes were supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) by various methods. The size and the location of the Au NPs on the support were found to depend on the preparation method. The KCC-1-supported Au NPs were thoroughly characterized by using HR-TEM, XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements and were applied in catalysis for the oxidation of CO. The catalytic performance is discussed in relation to the morphological properties of KCC-1. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrothermal deposition and characterization of silicon oxide nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei, L.Z.

2008-01-01

Silicon oxide nanospheres with the average diameter of about 100 nm have been synthesized by hydrothermal deposition process using silicon and silica as the starting materials. The silicon oxide nanospheres were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, respectively. The results show that large scale silicon oxide nanospheres with the uniform size are composed of Si and O showing the amorphous structure. Strong PL peak at 435 nm is observed demonstrating the good blue light emission property

Monodisperse metal nanoparticle catalysts on silica mesoporous supports: synthesis, characterizations, and catalytic reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somorjai, G.A.

2009-09-14

The design of high performance catalyst achieving near 100% product selectivity at maximum activity is one of the most important goals in the modern catalytic science research. To this end, the preparation of model catalysts whose catalytic performances can be predicted in a systematic and rational manner is of significant importance, which thereby allows understanding of the molecular ingredients affecting the catalytic performances. We have designed novel 3-dimensional (3D) high surface area model catalysts by the integration of colloidal metal nanoparticles and mesoporous silica supports. Monodisperse colloidal metal NPs with controllable size and shape were synthesized using dendrimers, polymers, or surfactants as the surface stabilizers. The size of Pt, and Rh nanoparticles can be varied from sub 1 nm to 15 nm, while the shape of Pt can be controlled to cube, cuboctahedron, and octahedron. The 3D model catalysts were generated by the incorporation of metal nanoparticles into the pores of mesoporous silica supports via two methods: capillary inclusion (CI) and nanoparticle encapsulation (NE). The former method relies on the sonication-induced inclusion of metal nanoparticles into the pores of mesoporous silica, whereas the latter is performed by the encapsulation of metal nanoparticles during the hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous silica. The 3D model catalysts were comprehensively characterized by a variety of physical and chemical methods. These catalysts were found to show structure sensitivity in hydrocarbon conversion reactions. The Pt NPs supported on mesoporous SBA-15 silica (Pt/SBA-15) displayed significant particle size sensitivity in ethane hydrogenolysis over the size range of 1-7 nm. The Pt/SBA-15 catalysts also exhibited particle size dependent product selectivity in cyclohexene hydrogenation, crotonaldehyde hydrogenation, and pyrrole hydrogenation. The Rh loaded SBA-15 silica catalyst showed structure sensitivity in CO oxidation reaction. In

Synthesis of highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic core and fluorescent shell.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagao, Daisuke; Yokoyama, Mikio; Yamauchi, Noriko; Matsumoto, Hideki; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Konno, Mikio

2008-09-02

Highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell were synthesized with a combined technique of heterocoagulation and soap-free emulsion polymerization. Prior to heterocoagulation, monodisperse, submicrometer-sized silica particles were prepared with the Stober method, and magnetic nanoparticles were prepared with a modified Massart method in which a cationic silane coupling agent of N-trimethoxysilylpropyl- N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride was added just after coprecipitation of Fe (2+) and Fe (3+). The silica particles with negative surface potential were heterocoagulated with the magnetic nanoparticles with positive surface potential. The magnetic silica particles obtained with the heterocoagulation were treated with sodium silicate to modify their surfaces with silica. In the formation of a fluorescent polymer shell onto the silica-coated magnetic silica cores, an amphoteric initiator of 2,2'-azobis[ N-(2-carboxyethyl)-2-2-methylpropionamidine] (VA-057) was used to control the colloidal stability of the magnetic cores during the polymer coating. The polymerization of St in the presence of a hydrophobic fluorophore of pyrene could coat the cores with fluorescent polymer shells, resulting in monodisperse particles with a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell. Measurements of zeta potential for the composite particles in different pH values indicated that the composite particles had an amphoteric property originating from VA-057 initiator.

An organosilane-directed growth-induced etching strategy for preparing hollow/yolk–shell mesoporous organosilica nanospheres with perpendicular mesochannels and amphiphilic frameworks

KAUST Repository

Zou, Houbing

2014-06-27

We have developed an organosilane-directed growth-induced etching strategy to prepare hollow periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) nanospheres with perpendicular mesoporous channels and a clear hollow interior as well as an amphiphilic framework. This facile strategy is simple, efficient, and highly controllable. Silica nanospheres were utilized as hard templates to obtain hollow PMO nanospheres through a one-step route, with the structure parameter highly controlled by adjusting the synthesis conditions. Different organosilanes were used to obtain bridged hollow PMO nanospheres of different organic groups and showed different directed capacities. The integrity of the bridged organic group was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed that the growth of the PMO shell and the dissolution of the silica nanosphere core occurred simultaneously for each nanosphere, while 29Si NMR spectra revealed that the dissolved silica species from the silica nanospheres transformed into PMO shells by co-condensation with hydrolyzed organosilane oligomers. As a result, the obtained hollow nanospheres were amphiphilic, which can even be used as a particle emulsifier for O-W or W-O emulsion in various systems. These materials can also be served as an efficient sorbent for removal of hydrophobic contaminants in water. Using the proposed formation mechanism, this strategy can be extended to transform silica-coated composite materials into yolk-shell structures with a functional interior core and a perpendicular mesoporous amphiphilic shell. As a nanoreactor, the -Ph- bridged amphiphilic shell showed a faster diffusion rate for organic reactants in water than the hydrophilic silica shell, and thus better catalytic activity for reduction of 4-nitrophenol. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

"Hydro-metathesis" of olefins: A catalytic reaction using a bifunctional single-site tantalum hydride catalyst supported on fibrous silica (KCC-1) nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2011-02-18

Tantalizing hydrocarbons: Tantalum hydride supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) catalyzes, in the presence of hydrogen, the direct conversion of olefins into alkanes that have higher and lower numbers of carbon atoms (see scheme). This catalyst shows remarkable catalytic activity and stability, with excellent potential of regeneration. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

"Hydro-metathesis" of olefins: A catalytic reaction using a bifunctional single-site tantalum hydride catalyst supported on fibrous silica (KCC-1) nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Thivolle-Cazat, Jean; Taoufik, Mostafa; Stoffelbach, Franç ois; Norsic, Sé bastien; Basset, Jean-Marie

2011-01-01

Tantalizing hydrocarbons: Tantalum hydride supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) catalyzes, in the presence of hydrogen, the direct conversion of olefins into alkanes that have higher and lower numbers of carbon atoms (see scheme). This catalyst shows remarkable catalytic activity and stability, with excellent potential of regeneration. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hypersonic vibrations of Ag@SiO2 (cubic core)-shell nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jing Ya; Wang, Zhi Kui; Lim, Hock Siah; Ng, Ser Choon; Kuok, Meng Hau; Tran, Toan Trong; Lu, Xianmao

2010-12-28

The intriguing optical and catalytic properties of metal-silica core-shell nanoparticles, inherited from their plasmonic metallic cores together with the rich surface chemistry and increased stability offered by their silica shells, have enabled a wide variety of applications. In this work, we investigate the confined vibrational modes of a series of monodisperse Ag@SiO(2) (cubic core)-shell nanospheres synthesized using a modified Stöber sol-gel method. The particle-size dependence of their mode frequencies has been mapped by Brillouin light scattering, a powerful tool for probing hypersonic vibrations. Unlike the larger particles, the observed spheroidal-like mode frequencies of the smaller ones do not scale with inverse diameter. Interestingly, the onset of the deviation from this linearity occurs at a smaller particle size for higher-energy modes than for lower-energy ones. Finite element simulations show that the mode displacement profiles of the Ag@SiO(2) core-shells closely resemble those of a homogeneous SiO(2) sphere. Simulations have also been performed to ascertain the effects that the core shape and the relative hardness of the core and shell materials have on the vibrations of the core-shell as a whole. As the vibrational modes of a particle have a bearing on its thermal and mechanical properties, the findings would be of value in designing core-shell nanostructures with customized thermal and mechanical characteristics.

Periodic organosilica hollow nanospheres as anode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan, Manickam; Nakashima, Kenichi; Gunawardhana, Nanda; Yokoi, Toshiyuki; Ito, Masanori; Inoue, Masamichi; Yusa, Shin-Ichi; Yoshio, Masaki; Tatsumi, Takashi

2011-11-01

Polymeric micelles with core-shell-corona architecture have been found to be the efficient colloidal templates for synthesis of periodic organosilica hollow nanospheres over a broad pH range from acidic to alkaline media. In alkaline medium, poly (styrene-b-[3-(methacryloylamino)propyl] trimethylammonium chloride-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PMAPTAC-PEO) micelles yield benzene-silica hollow nanospheres with molecular scale periodicity of benzene groups in the shell domain of hollow particles. Whereas, an acidic medium (pH 4) produces diverse hollow particles with benzene, ethylene, and a mixture of ethylene and dipropyldisulfide bridging functionalities using poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PVP-PEO) micelles. These hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si MAS NMR and 13CP-MAS NMR), Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses. The benzene-silica hollow nanospheres with molecular scale periodicity in the shell domain exhibit higher cycling performance of up to 300 cycles in lithium ion rechargeable batteries compared with micron-sized dense benzene-silica particles.Polymeric micelles with core-shell-corona architecture have been found to be the efficient colloidal templates for synthesis of periodic organosilica hollow nanospheres over a broad pH range from acidic to alkaline media. In alkaline medium, poly (styrene-b-[3-(methacryloylamino)propyl] trimethylammonium chloride-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PMAPTAC-PEO) micelles yield benzene-silica hollow nanospheres with molecular scale periodicity of benzene groups in the shell domain of hollow particles. Whereas, an acidic medium (pH 4) produces diverse hollow particles with benzene, ethylene, and a mixture of ethylene and

Functionalization of silica nanoparticles for polypropylene nanocomposites applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bracho, Diego; Palza, Humberto; Quijada, Raul; Dougnac, Vivianne

2011-01-01

Synthetic silica nanospheres of different diameters produced via the sol-gel method were used in order to enhance the barrier properties of the polypropylene-silica nanocomposites. Modification of the silica surface by reaction with organic chlorosilanes was performed in order to improve the particles interaction with the polypropylene matrix and its dispersion. Unmodified and modified silica nanoparticles were characterized using electronic microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Preliminary permeability tests of the polymer-silica nanocomposite films showed no significant change at low particles load (3 wt%) regardless its size or surface functionality, mainly because of the low aspect ratio of the silica nanospheres. However, it is expected that at a higher concentration of silica particles differences will be observed. (author)

Lipid-coated hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres for co-delivery of doxorubicin and paclitaxel: Preparation, sustained release, cellular uptake and pharmacokinetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, Yang; Wu, Chao, E-mail: wuchao27@126.com; Jiang, Jie; Hao, Yanna; Zhao, Ying; Xu, Jie; Yu, Tong; Ji, Peng

2017-02-01

A carrier consisting of lipid-coated hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres (L-HMSN) was produced for the combination of the water-insoluble drug (paclitaxel, PTX) and the water-soluble drug (doxorubicin, DOX). DOX was adsorbed into the nanoscale hollow structure of the hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres (HMSN) by adsorption and PTX was wrapped in the phospholipid layer of the HMSN surface by lipid film hydration method. The characterization results showed that DOX and PTX were present in the nanopheres in an amorphous state. The loaded L-HMSN (DOX/PTX@L-HMSN) in vitro drug release showed a sustained release in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) at pH 6.8 and 0.001%SDS. The cellular uptake experiment indicated that L-HMSN was successfully taken up by A549 cells. In addition, the combination of DOX and PTX in L-HMSN exhibited a marked synergistic effect in inhibiting the proliferation of A549 cells. The pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that L-HMSN could significantly improve the relative bioavailability of DOX and PTX. These results confirm that L-HMSN is a promising carrier for successful drug combination. - Highlights: • L-HMSN as a platform is used for combination of DOX and PTX • The drug delivery system demonstrates synergy effect in inhibiting A549 cell proliferation • The drug delivery system slowly releases the drugs and improves drug absorption.

Lipid-coated hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres for co-delivery of doxorubicin and paclitaxel: Preparation, sustained release, cellular uptake and pharmacokinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, Yang; Wu, Chao; Jiang, Jie; Hao, Yanna; Zhao, Ying; Xu, Jie; Yu, Tong; Ji, Peng

2017-01-01

A carrier consisting of lipid-coated hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres (L-HMSN) was produced for the combination of the water-insoluble drug (paclitaxel, PTX) and the water-soluble drug (doxorubicin, DOX). DOX was adsorbed into the nanoscale hollow structure of the hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres (HMSN) by adsorption and PTX was wrapped in the phospholipid layer of the HMSN surface by lipid film hydration method. The characterization results showed that DOX and PTX were present in the nanopheres in an amorphous state. The loaded L-HMSN (DOX/PTX@L-HMSN) in vitro drug release showed a sustained release in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) at pH 6.8 and 0.001%SDS. The cellular uptake experiment indicated that L-HMSN was successfully taken up by A549 cells. In addition, the combination of DOX and PTX in L-HMSN exhibited a marked synergistic effect in inhibiting the proliferation of A549 cells. The pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that L-HMSN could significantly improve the relative bioavailability of DOX and PTX. These results confirm that L-HMSN is a promising carrier for successful drug combination. - Highlights: • L-HMSN as a platform is used for combination of DOX and PTX • The drug delivery system demonstrates synergy effect in inhibiting A549 cell proliferation • The drug delivery system slowly releases the drugs and improves drug absorption

Formation of isolated carbon nanofibers with hot-wire CVD using nanosphere lithography as catalyst patterning technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houweling, Z.S.; Verlaan, V.; ten Grotenhuis, G.T.; Schropp, R.E.I.

2008-01-01

Recently the site-density control of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has attracted much attention as this has become critical for its many applications. To obtain an ordered array of catalyst nanoparticles with good monodispersity nanosphere lithography (NSL) is used. These nanoparticles are tested as

Synthesis of hybrid interfacial silica-based nanospheres composite as a support for ultra-small palladium nanoparticle and application of PdNPs/HSN in Mizoroki-Heck reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Rostamnia, Sadegh; Kholdi, Saba

2017-12-01

The silica based hollow nanosphere (silica-HNS) containing polymer of polyaniline was synthesized and chosen as a promising support for PdNPs. Then it was applied as a green catalyst in the reaction of Heck coupling with high yield. TEM and SEM-EDX/mapping images were used to study the structure and morphology. FT-IR spectroscopy, Thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), and BET were used to characterize and investigate the catalyst. Also, the amounts of Pd loading were characterized by ICP-AES technique. Catalyst recyclability showed 5 successful runs for the reaction.

Two-step excitation structure changes of luminescence centers and strong tunable blue emission on surface of silica nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Lei, E-mail: nanoyang@qq.com; Jiang, Zhongcheng; Dong, Jiazhang; Zhang, Liuqian [Hunan University, College of Materials Science and Engineering (China); Pan, Anlian, E-mail: anlian.pan@gmail.com; Zhuang, Xiujuan [Hunan University, Key Laboratory for Micro-Nano Physics and Technology of Hunan Province (China)

2015-10-15

We report a scheme for investigating two-step stimulated structure change of luminescence centers. Amorphous silica nanospheres with uniform diameter of 9–15 nm have been synthesized by Stöber method. Strong hydroxyl-related infrared-absorption band is observed in infrared spectrum. The surface hydroxyl groups exert great influence on the luminescent behavior of silica. They provide stable and intermediate energy states to accommodate excitation electrons. The existence of these surface states reduces the energy barrier of photochemical reactions, creating conditions for two-step excitation process. By carefully examining excitation and emission process, the nearest excitation band is absent in both optical absorption spectrum and excitation spectrum. This later generated state confirms the generation of new luminescence centers as well as the existence of photochemical reactions. Stimulated by different energies, two-step excitation process impels different photochemical reactions, prompting generation of different lattice defects on surface area of silica. Thereby, tunable luminescence is achieved. After thermal treatment, strong gap excitation band appears with the disappearance of strong surface excitation band. Strong blue luminescence also disappears. The research is significance to precise introducing structural defects and controlling position of luminescence peaks.

Periodic organosilica hollow nanospheres as anode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan, Manickam; Nakashima, Kenichi; Gunawardhana, Nanda; Yokoi, Toshiyuki; Ito, Masanori; Inoue, Masamichi; Yusa, Shin-ichi; Yoshio, Masaki; Tatsumi, Takashi

2011-11-01

Polymeric micelles with core-shell-corona architecture have been found to be the efficient colloidal templates for synthesis of periodic organosilica hollow nanospheres over a broad pH range from acidic to alkaline media. In alkaline medium, poly (styrene-b-[3-(methacryloylamino)propyl] trimethylammonium chloride-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PMAPTAC-PEO) micelles yield benzene-silica hollow nanospheres with molecular scale periodicity of benzene groups in the shell domain of hollow particles. Whereas, an acidic medium (pH 4) produces diverse hollow particles with benzene, ethylene, and a mixture of ethylene and dipropyldisulfide bridging functionalities using poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PVP-PEO) micelles. These hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance ((29)Si MAS NMR and (13)CP-MAS NMR), Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses. The benzene-silica hollow nanospheres with molecular scale periodicity in the shell domain exhibit higher cycling performance of up to 300 cycles in lithium ion rechargeable batteries compared with micron-sized dense benzene-silica particles.

Water-soluble ferrocene complexes (WFCs) functionalized silica nanospheres for WFC delivery in HepG2 tumor therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Saisai; Hu, Fan; Hong, Xia; Shuai, Qi

2018-09-01

Silica-encapsulated nanospheres of water-soluble ferrocene complexes WFCs@SiO 2 and WFCs@SiO 2 @glutaraldehyde (GA) were first synthesized by a facile inverse-microemulsion method. The surface functional groups, particle size, and morphologies of nanospheres were characterized by IR spectra, UV-vis absorption spectra, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and SEM images. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the molecular structure of free ferrocenyl-pyrazol ligand (L) and three WFCs, namely, [Ni(C 22 H 14 F 6 FeN 4 O 4 )(H 2 O) 4 ] (5a), [Mg(C 22 H 14 F 6 FeN 4 O 4 )(H 2 O) 4 ]·3H 2 O (5b), and [Ba(C 22 H 14 F 6 FeN 4 O 4 )(H 2 O) 3 ] (5c). The electrochemical properties of 5a-5c were explored by cyclic voltammetry. The WFCs-loading capacities of 5a-5c in WFCs@SiO 2 were found to be 38.4, 38.2, and 38.1 μg/mg, respectively. Cell studies under two drug delivery modes (free diffusion and endocytosis) were carried out by MTT cell-survival assays and morphological observation of HepG2 cells. It's interesting that the cytotoxicity of WFCs against HepG2 was increased by applying silica nanocarriers. Compared to WFCs@SiO 2 , the modification of GA on the spherical surface provided not only the better water-dispersity but also additional functional groups for further modification of other pharmacophores. The novel nanocarrier system for WFC delivery present a novel concept-of-proof method to protect varieties of affordable metal-based anticancer agents in physiological conditions and provided experimental basis for future studies focusing on drug delivery of other WFCs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Monodisperse Magneto-Fluorescent Bifunctional Nanoprobes for Bioapplications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongwang; Huang, Heng; Pralle, Arnd; Zeng, Hao

2013-03-01

We present the work on the synthesis of dye-doped monodisperse Fe/SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles as bifunctional probes for bioapplications. Magnetic nanoparticles (NP) have been widely studied as nano-probes for bio-imaging, sensing as well as for cancer therapy. Among all the NPs, Fe NPs have been the focus because they have very high magnetization. However, Fe NPs are usually not stable in ambient due to the fast surface oxidation of the NPs. On the other hand, dye molecules have long been used as probes for bio-imaging. But they are sensitive to environmental conditions. It requires passivation for both so that they can be stable for applications. In this work, monodisperse Fe NPs with sizes ranging from 13-20 nm have been synthesized through the chemical thermal-decomposition in a solution. Silica shells were then coated on the Fe NPs by a two-phase oil-in-water method. Dye molecules were first bonded to a silica precursor and then encapsulated into the silica shell during the coating process. The silica shells protect both the Fe NPs and dye molecules, which makes them as robust probes. The dye doped Fe/SiO2 core/shell NPs remain both highly magnetic and highly fluorescent. The stable dye doped Fe/SiO2NPs have been used as a dual functional probe for both magnetic heating and local nanoscale temperature sending, and their performance will be reported. Research supported by NSF DMR 0547036, DMR1104994.

Iron doped fibrous-structured silica nanospheres as efficient catalyst for catalytic ozonation of sulfamethazine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Zhiyong; Wang, Jianlong; Yang, Qi

2018-04-01

Sulfonamide antibiotics are ubiquitous pollutants in aquatic environments due to their large production and extensive application. In this paper, the iron doped fibrous-structured silica (KCC-1) nanospheres (Fe-KCC-1) was prepared, characterized, and applied as a catalyst for catalytic ozonation of sulfamethazine (SMT). The effects of ozone dosage, catalyst dosage, and initial concentration of SMT were examined. The experimental results showed that Fe-KCC-1 had large surface area (464.56 m2 g -1 ) and iron particles were well dispersed on the catalyst. The catalyst had high catalytic performance especially for the mineralization of SMT, with mineralization ratio of about 40% in a wide pH range. With addition of Fe-KCC-1, the ozone utilization increased nearly two times than single ozonation. The enhancement of SMT degradation was mainly due to the surface reaction, and the increased mineralization of SMT was due to radical mechanism. Fe-KCC-1 was an efficient catalyst for SMT degradation in catalytic ozonation system.

Fabrication of Magnetite/Silica/Titania Core-Shell Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suh Cem Pang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol-gel method with the aid of sonication. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were being encapsulated within discrete silica nanospheres, and a layer of TiO2 shell was then coated directly onto each silica nanosphere. As-synthesized Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles showed enhanced photocatalytic properties as evidenced by the enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue under UV light irradiation.

Alginate encapsulated mesoporous silica nanospheres as a sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug indomethacin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Hu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We applied a combination of inorganic mesoporous silica material, frequently used as drug carriers, and a natural organic polymer alginate (ALG, to establish a sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug Indomethacin (IND. Mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs were synthesized using an organic template method and then functionalized with aminopropyl groups through postsynthesis. After drug loading into the pores of aninopropyl functionalized MSNs (AP-MSNs, IND loaded AP-MSNs (IND-AP-MSNs were encapsulated by ALG through the ionic interaction. The effects of surface chemical groups and ALG layer on IND release were systematically studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, nitrogen adsorption, zeta-potential analysis and TGA analysis. The surface structure and surface charge changes of the ALG encapsulated AP-MSNs (ALG-AP-MSNs were also investigated. The results showed that sustained release of IND from the designed drug delivery system was mainly due to the blockage effect from the coated ALG. We believe that this combination will help designing oral sustained drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs.

Insights into magnetic interactions in a monodisperse Gd{sub 12}Fe{sub 14} metal cluster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Xiu-Ying; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Pengxin; Du, Ming-Hao; Han, Ying-Zi; Wei, Rong-Jia; Kong, Xiang-Jian; Long, La-Sheng; Zheng, Lan-Sun [Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Lab. of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface and Dept. of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen Univ. (China); Wang, Zhenxing; Ouyang, Zhong-Wen [Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Zhuang, Gui-Lin [College of Chemcal Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou (China)

2017-09-11

The largest Ln-Fe metal cluster [Gd{sub 12}Fe{sub 14}(μ{sub 3}-OH){sub 12}(μ{sub 4}-OH){sub 6}(μ{sub 4}-O){sub 12}(TEOA){sub 6}(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 16}(H{sub 2} O){sub 8}].(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}(CH{sub 3}CN){sub 2}.(H{sub 2}O){sub 20} (1) and the core-shell monodisperse metal cluster of 1 a rate at SiO{sub 2} (1 a=[Gd{sub 12}Fe{sub 14}(μ{sub 3}-OH){sub 12}(μ{sub 4}-OH){sub 6}(μ{sub 4}-O){sub 12}(TEOA){sub 6}(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 16} (H{sub 2}O){sub 8}]{sup 2+}) were prepared. Experimental and theoretical studies on the magnetic properties of 1 and 1 a rate at SiO{sub 2} reveal that encapsulation of one cluster into one silica nanosphere not only effectively decreases intermolecular magnetic interactions but also significantly increases the zero-field splitting effect of the outer layer Fe{sup 3+} ions. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A general approach for monodisperse colloidal perovskites, Chemistry of Materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demirors, A.F.; Imhof, A.

2009-01-01

We describe a novel general method for synthesizing monodisperse colloidal perovskite particles at room temperature by postsynthesis addition of metal hydroxides to amorphous titania colloids. In previous work, we used titania particles to synthesize homogenously mixed silica-titania composite

Water-assisted and surfactant-free synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanospheres via solvothermal method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bi, Yiqing [CAS Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190 (China); University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Ren, Yanan [CAS Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190 (China); Bi, Feng [CAS Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190 (China); University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); He, Tao, E-mail: het@nanoctr.cn [CAS Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190 (China)

2015-10-15

With ethylene glycol as the solvent, monodispersed cobalt ferrite nanospheres were prepared via a solvothermal method assisted by water. The samples were mainly characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. The size of as-prepared products ranges from 10 nm to 200 nm. Size distribution and chemical composition were controlled by the amount of water and pH value in the reaction system. More important, suitable amount of water can avoid the use of surfactant. - Highlights: • Cobalt ferrite nanospheres were synthesized via solvothermal method assisted by water. • An introduction of suitable amount of water can avoid the use of surfactant. • The pH value of the precursor can be used to adjust the product composition.

Intracellular implantation of enzymes in hollow silica nanospheres for protein therapy: cascade system of superoxide dismutase and catalase.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Feng-Peng; Chen, Yi-Ping; Mou, Chung-Yuan

2014-11-01

An approach for enzyme therapeutics is elaborated with cell-implanted nanoreactors that are based on multiple enzymes encapsulated in hollow silica nanospheres (HSNs). The synthesis of HSNs is carried out by silica sol-gel templating of water-in-oil microemulsions so that polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified enzymes in aqueous phase are encapsulated inside the HSNs. PEI-grafted superoxide dismutase (PEI-SOD) and catalase (PEI-CAT) encapsulated in HSNs are prepared with quantitative control of the enzyme loadings. Excellent activities of superoxide dismutation by PEI-SOD@HSN are found and transformation of H2 O2 to water by PEI-CAT@HSN. When PEI-SOD and PEI-CAT are co-encapsulated, cascade transformation of superoxide through hydrogen peroxide to water was facile. Substantial fractions of HSNs exhibit endosome escape to cytosol after their delivery to cells. The production of downstream reactive oxygen species (ROS) and COX-2/p-p38 expression show that co-encapsulated SOD/CAT inside the HSNs renders the highest cell protection against the toxicant N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride (paraquat). The rapid cell uptake and strong detoxification effect on superoxide radicals by the SOD/CAT-encapsulated hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles demonstrate the general concept of implanting catalytic nanoreactors in biological cells with designed functions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Facile and Scalable Synthesis of Monodispersed Spherical Capsules with a Mesoporous Shell

KAUST Repository

Qi, Genggeng

2010-05-11

Monodispersed HMSs with tunable particle size and shell thickness were successfully synthesized using relatively concentrated polystyrene latex templates and a silica precursor in a weakly basic ethanol/water mixture. The particle size of the capsules can vary from 100 nm to micrometers. These highly engineered monodispersed capsules synthesized by a facile and scalable process may find applications in drug delivery, catalysis, separationm or as biological and chemical microreactors. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Multilayer encapsulated mesoporous silica nanospheres as an oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Liang [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, P.O. Box 32, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110016 (China); Sun, Hongrui [English Teaching Department, School of Basic Courses, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Wenhua Road 103, Shenyang 110016 (China); Zhao, Qinfu; Han, Ning; Bai, Ling; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Tongying [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, P.O. Box 32, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110016 (China); Wang, Siling, E-mail: silingwang@syphu.edu.cn [Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, P.O. Box 32, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110016 (China)

2015-02-01

We used a combination of mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) and layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technology to establish a new oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine. Firstly, the model drug was loaded into MSN, and then the loaded MSN were repeatedly encapsulated by chitosan (CHI) and acacia (ACA) via LBL self-assembly method. The structural features of the samples were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption. The encapsulating process was monitored by zeta-potential and surface tension measurements. The physical state of the drug in the samples was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The influence of the multilayer with different number of layers on the drug release rate was studied using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and surface tension measurement. The swelling effect and the structure changes of the multilayer were investigated to explore the relationship between the drug release behavior and the state of the multilayer under different pH conditions. The stability and mucosa adhesive ability of the prepared nanoparticles were also explored. After multilayer coating, the drug release rate was effectively controlled. The differences in drug release behavior under different pH conditions could be attributed to the different states of the multilayer. And the nanoparticles possessed good stability and strong mucosa adhesive ability. We believe that this combination offers a simple strategy for regulating the release rate of poorly water-soluble drugs and extends the pharmaceutical applications of inorganic materials and polymers. - Highlights: • A combination of inorganic and organic materials was applied. • Mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) were used as drug carriers. • Chitosan and acacia were encapsulated through layer-by-layer self-assembly. • The release rate of the poorly

Multilayer encapsulated mesoporous silica nanospheres as an oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Liang; Sun, Hongrui; Zhao, Qinfu; Han, Ning; Bai, Ling; Wang, Ying; Jiang, Tongying; Wang, Siling

2015-01-01

We used a combination of mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) and layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technology to establish a new oral sustained drug delivery system for the poorly water-soluble drug felodipine. Firstly, the model drug was loaded into MSN, and then the loaded MSN were repeatedly encapsulated by chitosan (CHI) and acacia (ACA) via LBL self-assembly method. The structural features of the samples were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption. The encapsulating process was monitored by zeta-potential and surface tension measurements. The physical state of the drug in the samples was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The influence of the multilayer with different number of layers on the drug release rate was studied using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and surface tension measurement. The swelling effect and the structure changes of the multilayer were investigated to explore the relationship between the drug release behavior and the state of the multilayer under different pH conditions. The stability and mucosa adhesive ability of the prepared nanoparticles were also explored. After multilayer coating, the drug release rate was effectively controlled. The differences in drug release behavior under different pH conditions could be attributed to the different states of the multilayer. And the nanoparticles possessed good stability and strong mucosa adhesive ability. We believe that this combination offers a simple strategy for regulating the release rate of poorly water-soluble drugs and extends the pharmaceutical applications of inorganic materials and polymers. - Highlights: • A combination of inorganic and organic materials was applied. • Mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSN) were used as drug carriers. • Chitosan and acacia were encapsulated through layer-by-layer self-assembly. • The release rate of the poorly

Horseradish Peroxidase-Encapsulated Hollow Silica Nanospheres for Intracellular Sensing of Reactive Oxygen Species

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsin-Yi; Wu, Si-Han; Chen, Chien-Tsu; Chen, Yi-Ping; Chang, Feng-Peng; Chien, Fan-Ching; Mou, Chung-Yuan

2018-04-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have crucial roles in cell signaling and homeostasis. Overproduction of ROS can induce oxidative damage to various biomolecules and cellular structures. Therefore, developing an approach capable of monitoring and quantifying ROS in living cells is significant for physiology and clinical diagnoses. Some cell-permeable fluorogenic probes developed are useful for the detection of ROS while in conjunction with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Their intracellular scenario is however hindered by the membrane-impermeable property of enzymes. Herein, a new approach for intracellular sensing of ROS by using horseradish peroxidase-encapsulated hollow silica nanospheres (designated HRP@HSNs), with satisfactory catalytic activity, cell membrane permeability, and biocompatibility, was prepared via a microemulsion method. These HRP@HSNs, combined with selective probes or targeting ligands, could be foreseen as ROS-detecting tools in specific organelles or cell types. As such, dihydrorhodamine 123-coupled HRP@HSNs were used for the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of physiological H2O2 levels in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. We envision that this HSNs encapsulating active enzymes can be conjugated with selective probes and targeting ligands to detect ROS in specific organelles or cell types of interest.

Understanding the role of silica nanospheres with their light scattering and energy barrier properties in enhancing the photovoltaic performance of ZnO based solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Banik, Avishek; Ansari, Mohammad Shaad; Sahu, Tushar Kanta; Qureshi, Mohammad

2016-10-12

The present study discusses the design and development of a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using a hybrid composite of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NP) and silica nanospheres (SiO 2 NS). A ≈22% enhancement in the overall power conversion efficiency (PCE, η) was observed for the device fabricated with a binary hybrid composite of 1 wt% SiO 2 NS and ZnO NP compared to the pristine ZnO NP device. A systematic investigation revealed the dual function of the silica nanospheres in enhancing the device efficacy compared to the bare ZnO NP based device. Sub-micron sized SiO 2 NS can boost the light harvesting efficiency of the photoanode by optical confinement, resulting in increased propagation length of the incident light by multiple internal reflections, which was confirmed by UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) analysis showed a reduced recombination of photo-generated electrons to the I - /I 3 - redox shuttle in the case of the composite photoanode. The higher recombination resistance (R ct ) in the case of a 1 wt% composite indicates that the SiO 2 NS serves as a partial energy barrier layer to retard the interfacial recombination (back transfer) of photo-generated electrons at the working electrode/electrolyte interface, increasing the device efficiency.

Fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres: a promising tool for fast-simultaneous-addressable high-throughput analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Min; Hu, Jun; Wen, Cong-Ying; Zhang, Zhi-Ling; Xie, Hai-Yan; Pang, Dai-Wen

2012-01-01

Bead-based optical encoding or magnetic encoding techniques are promising in high-throughput multiplexed detection and separation of numerous species under complicated conditions. Therefore, a self-assembly strategy implemented in an organic solvent is put forward to fabricate fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres. Briefly, hydrophobic trioctylphosphine oxide-capped CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and oleic acid-capped nano-γ-Fe2O3 magnetic particles are directly, selectively and controllably assembled on branched poly(ethylene imine)-coated nanospheres without any pretreatment, which is crucial to keep the high quantum yield of QDs and good dispersibility of γ-Fe2O3. Owing to the tunability of coating amounts of QDs and γ-Fe2O3 as well as controllable fluorescent emissions of deposited-QDs, dual-encoded nanospheres with different photoluminescent emissions and gradient magnetic susceptibility are constructed. Using this improved layer-by-layer self-assembly approach, deposition of hydrophobic nanoparticles onto hydrophilic carriers in organic media can be easily realized; meanwhile, fluorescent-magnetic dual-functional nanospheres can be further equipped with readable optical and magnetic addresses. The resultant fluorescent-magnetic dual-encoded nanospheres possess both the unique optical properties of QDs and the superparamagnetic properties of γ-Fe2O3, exhibiting good monodispersibility, huge encoding capacity and nanoscale particle size. Compared with the encoded microbeads reported by others, the nanometre scale of the dual-encoded nanospheres gives them minimum steric hindrance and higher flexibility.

Preparation of submicrometer monodispersed magnetic silica particles using a novel water in oil microemulsion: properties and application for enzyme immobilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuttolomondo, Maria Victoria; Villanueva, Maria Emilia; Alvarez, Gisela Solange; Desimone, Martín Federico; Díaz, Luis Eduardo

2013-10-01

The synthesis of monodispersed magnetic silica nanoparticles (MSN) is described using a water-in-oil reverse microemulsion system that does not require the use of co-surfactants. Sodium silicate, Tween 20 as a neutral surfactant and 1-butanol as the organic phase were used. There are several advantages of the proposed method including a saturation magnetization value of 10 emu/g for the particles obtained, uniformity of size and that they are easily functionalized to bind urease covalently. Moreover, the intra-day, inter-day and long-term stability results confirm that the procedure was successful and the enzyme-linked MSNs were stable over repeated uses and storage retaining more than 75% activity after 4 months.

Palladium nanoparticles supported on fibrous-structured silica nanospheres (KCC-1): An efficient and selective catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation of alkenes

KAUST Repository

Qureshi, Ziyauddin; Sarawade, Pradip; Albert, Matthias; D'Elia, Valerio; Hedhili, Mohamed Nejib; Kö hler, Klaus; Basset, Jean-Marie

2015-01-01

An efficient palladium catalyst supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) has been developed for the hydrogenation of alkenes and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, providing excellent yields of the corresponding products with remarkable chemoselectivity. Comparison (high-resolution TEM, chemisorption) with analogous mesoporous (MCM-41, SBA-15) silica-supported Pd nanocatalysts prepared under identical conditions, demonstrates the advantage of employing the fibrous KCC-1 morphology versus traditional supports because it ensures superior accessibility of the catalytically active cores along with excellent Pd dispersion at high metal loading. This morphology ultimately leads to higher catalytic activity for the KCC-1-supported nanoparticles. The protocol developed for hydrogenation is advantageous and environmentally benign owing to the use of HCOOH as a source of hydrogen, water as a solvent, and because of efficient catalyst recyclability and durability. The recycled catalyst has been analyzed by XPS spectroscopy and TEM showing only minor changes in the oxidation state of Pd and in the morphology after the reaction, thus confirming the robustness of the catalyst.

Palladium nanoparticles supported on fibrous-structured silica nanospheres (KCC-1): An efficient and selective catalyst for the transfer hydrogenation of alkenes

KAUST Repository

Qureshi, Ziyauddin

2015-01-09

An efficient palladium catalyst supported on fibrous silica nanospheres (KCC-1) has been developed for the hydrogenation of alkenes and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, providing excellent yields of the corresponding products with remarkable chemoselectivity. Comparison (high-resolution TEM, chemisorption) with analogous mesoporous (MCM-41, SBA-15) silica-supported Pd nanocatalysts prepared under identical conditions, demonstrates the advantage of employing the fibrous KCC-1 morphology versus traditional supports because it ensures superior accessibility of the catalytically active cores along with excellent Pd dispersion at high metal loading. This morphology ultimately leads to higher catalytic activity for the KCC-1-supported nanoparticles. The protocol developed for hydrogenation is advantageous and environmentally benign owing to the use of HCOOH as a source of hydrogen, water as a solvent, and because of efficient catalyst recyclability and durability. The recycled catalyst has been analyzed by XPS spectroscopy and TEM showing only minor changes in the oxidation state of Pd and in the morphology after the reaction, thus confirming the robustness of the catalyst.

High Ionic Conductivity of Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte via In Situ Synthesis of Monodispersed SiO2 Nanospheres in Poly(ethylene oxide).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Dingchang; Liu, Wei; Liu, Yayuan; Lee, Hye Ryoung; Hsu, Po-Chun; Liu, Kai; Cui, Yi

2016-01-13

High ionic conductivity solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has long been desired for the next generation high energy and safe rechargeable lithium batteries. Among all of the SPEs, composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) with ceramic fillers has garnered great interest due to the enhancement of ionic conductivity. However, the high degree of polymer crystallinity, agglomeration of ceramic fillers, and weak polymer-ceramic interaction limit the further improvement of ionic conductivity. Different from the existing methods of blending preformed ceramic particles with polymers, here we introduce an in situ synthesis of ceramic filler particles in polymer electrolyte. Much stronger chemical/mechanical interactions between monodispersed 12 nm diameter SiO2 nanospheres and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains were produced by in situ hydrolysis, which significantly suppresses the crystallization of PEO and thus facilitates polymer segmental motion for ionic conduction. In addition, an improved degree of LiClO4 dissociation can also be achieved. All of these lead to good ionic conductivity (1.2 × 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 60 °C, 4.4 × 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 30 °C). At the same time, largely extended electrochemical stability window up to 5.5 V can be observed. We further demonstrated all-solid-state lithium batteries showing excellent rate capability as well as good cycling performance.

Wafer Surface Charge Reversal as a Method of Simplifying Nanosphere Lithography for Reactive Ion Etch Texturing of Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Inns

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A simplified nanosphere lithography process has been developed which allows fast and low-waste maskings of Si surfaces for subsequent reactive ion etching (RIE texturing. Initially, a positive surface charge is applied to a wafer surface by dipping in a solution of aluminum nitrate. Dipping the positive-coated wafer into a solution of negatively charged silica beads (nanospheres results in the spheres becoming electrostatically attracted to the wafer surface. These nanospheres form an etch mask for RIE. After RIE texturing, the reflection of the surface is reduced as effectively as any other nanosphere lithography method, while this batch process used for masking is much faster, making it more industrially relevant.

Enhanced immunoassay for porcine circovirus type 2 antibody using enzyme-loaded and quantum dots-embedded shell–core silica nanospheres based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Long; Li, Xuepu; Shao, Kang; Ye, Shiyi; Liu, Chen; Zhang, Chenjun; Han, Heyou

2015-01-01

Boosting the detection sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is significant to the early clinical diagnosis of various diseases. Here, we developed a versatile immunosensor using silica nanospheres as carriers for sensitive detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antibody. With HRP enzyme covalently immobilized on the silica nanospheres and CdSe nanocrystals embedded inside, these signal probes were successfully utilized in the sensitive detection of PCV2 antibody by ELISA, fluorometry and square-wave voltammetry (SWV). To further demonstrate the performance of the immunosensor, Human IgG (HIgG) was used as a model analyte. Since more HRP and CdSe QDs were loaded, 5-, 200- and 400-fold enhancements in amplified ELISA, fluorometry and voltammetry responses for HIgG could be achieved compared to conventional ELISA. The respective detection limits of theses methods for HIgG were 3.9, 0.1 and 0.05 ng mL −1 with a RSD below 5% for amplified ELISA, fluorescence and SWV measurements. Additionally, a 100-fold improvement was obtained in the detection sensitivity for PCV2 antibody immunoassay. The versatile immunosensor exhibits good sensitivity, stability and reproducibility, suggesting its potential applications in clinical diagnostics. - Highlights: • A versatile ELISA-based immunoassay for PCV2 antibody was developed. • Enzyme and CdSe QDs modified SiO 2 particles were used to improve sensitivity. • The simultaneous three ELISA-based techniques enhanced the detection reliability. • The biosensors strategy could provide a new avenue to ELISA-based sensors

Enhanced immunoassay for porcine circovirus type 2 antibody using enzyme-loaded and quantum dots-embedded shell–core silica nanospheres based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Long; Li, Xuepu; Shao, Kang; Ye, Shiyi; Liu, Chen; Zhang, Chenjun; Han, Heyou, E-mail: hyhan@mail.hzau.edu.cn

2015-08-05

Boosting the detection sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is significant to the early clinical diagnosis of various diseases. Here, we developed a versatile immunosensor using silica nanospheres as carriers for sensitive detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) antibody. With HRP enzyme covalently immobilized on the silica nanospheres and CdSe nanocrystals embedded inside, these signal probes were successfully utilized in the sensitive detection of PCV2 antibody by ELISA, fluorometry and square-wave voltammetry (SWV). To further demonstrate the performance of the immunosensor, Human IgG (HIgG) was used as a model analyte. Since more HRP and CdSe QDs were loaded, 5-, 200- and 400-fold enhancements in amplified ELISA, fluorometry and voltammetry responses for HIgG could be achieved compared to conventional ELISA. The respective detection limits of theses methods for HIgG were 3.9, 0.1 and 0.05 ng mL{sup −1} with a RSD below 5% for amplified ELISA, fluorescence and SWV measurements. Additionally, a 100-fold improvement was obtained in the detection sensitivity for PCV2 antibody immunoassay. The versatile immunosensor exhibits good sensitivity, stability and reproducibility, suggesting its potential applications in clinical diagnostics. - Highlights: • A versatile ELISA-based immunoassay for PCV2 antibody was developed. • Enzyme and CdSe QDs modified SiO{sub 2} particles were used to improve sensitivity. • The simultaneous three ELISA-based techniques enhanced the detection reliability. • The biosensors strategy could provide a new avenue to ELISA-based sensors.

Room-temperature synthesis of TiO 2 nanospheres and their solar driven photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

KAUST Repository

Avasare, Vidya

2015-08-13

Highly monodisperse and crystalline anatase phase TiO2 nanospheres have been synthesized at room temperature from organometallic precursor, titanocene dichloride and sodium azide. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance on the TiO2 nanospheres was studied under illumination of AM 1.5G. The optimized photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency of TiO2 NSPs were observed ~0.95mAcm-2 at 1.23V and 0.69%, respectively. The transient photocurrent response measurements on the TiO2 NSPs during repeated ON/OFF visible light illumination cycles at 1.23V vs RHE show that both samples exhibited fast and reproducible photocurrent responses. The TiO2 NSPs show excellent catalytic stability, and significant dark current was not observed even at high potentials (2.0V vs RHE). © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In-vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies of luminescent functionalized core-shell nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anees A. Ansari

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Monodispersed luminescent functionalized core-shell nanospheres (LFCSNs were successfully synthesized and investigated for their cyto-toxic effect on human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 cells by adopting MTT, DNA Ladder, TUNEL assay and qPCR based gene expressions through mRNA quantifications. The TUNEL and DNA ladder assays suggested an insignificant apoptosis in HepG2 cells due to the LFCSNs treatment. Further, the qPCR results also show that the mRNA expressions of cell cycle checkpoint gene p53 and apoptosis related gene (caspase-9 was up-regulated, while the antiapoptotic gene BCl-2 and apoptosis related genes FADD and CAS-3 (apoptosis effecter gene were down-regulated in the LFCSNs treated cells. The nanospheres that were loaded into the cells confirm their intracellular uptake by light and fluorescent spectro-photometry and microscopy imaging analysis. The loaded nanospheres demonstrate an absolute resistance to photo-bleaching, which were applied for dynamic imaging to real-time tracking in-vitro cell migratory activity for continuous 24 and 48 h durations using a time-lapsed fluorescent microscope. These properties of LFCSNs could therefore promote applications in the area of fluorescent protein biolabeling and drug-delivery.

Soft-to-hard templating to well-dispersed N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres via one-pot carbon/silica source copolymerization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Qinglu Kong; Lingxia Zhang; Min Wang; Mengli Li; Heliang Yao; Jianlin Shi

2016-01-01

Here we report a new approach referred as "softto-hard templating" strategy via the copolymerization of carbon source (dopamine) and silica source (tetraethyl orthosilicate) for the synthesis of well dispersed N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres (MCNs),which exhibit high performance for electrochemical supercapacitor.This method overcomes the shortcoming of uncontrolled dispersity and complicated procedures of soft-or hard-tem-plating methods,respectively.Moreover,the synthesized MCNs feature enriched heteroatom N-doping and easy functionalization by noble-metal nanoparticles during the one-pot synthesis.All the above characters make the asprepared MCNs a promising platform in a variety of applications.To demonstrate the applicability of the synthesized nitrogen-doped MCNs,this material has been employed as an electrode for high-performance electrochemical supercapacitor,which shows a capacitance of 223 and 140 F/g at current densities of 0.5 and 10 A/g in 1 mol/L KOH electrolyte,respectively.

Dynamics of levitated nanospheres: towards the strong coupling regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, T S; Millen, J; Pender, G A T; Barker, P F; Marquardt, Florian; Chang, D

2013-01-01

The use of levitated nanospheres represents a new paradigm for the optomechanical cooling of a small mechanical oscillator, with the prospect of realizing quantum oscillators with unprecedentedly high quality factors. We investigate the dynamics of this system, especially in the so-called self-trapping regime, where one or more optical fields simultaneously trap and cool the mechanical oscillator. The determining characteristic of this regime is that both the mechanical frequency ω M and single-photon optomechanical coupling strength parameters g are a function of the optical field intensities, in contrast to usual set-ups where ω M and g are constant for the given system. We also measure the characteristic transverse and axial trapping frequencies of different sized silica nanospheres in a simple optical standing wave potential, for spheres of radii r = 20–500 nm, illustrating a protocol for loading single nanospheres into a standing wave optical trap that would be formed by an optical cavity. We use these data to confirm the dependence of the effective optomechanical coupling strength on sphere radius for levitated nanospheres in an optical cavity and discuss the prospects for reaching regimes of strong light–matter coupling. Theoretical semiclassical and quantum displacement noise spectra show that for larger nanospheres with r ∼> 100 nm a range of interesting and novel dynamical regimes can be accessed. These include simultaneous hybridization of the two optical modes with the mechanical modes and parameter regimes where the system is bistable. We show that here, in contrast to typical single-optical mode optomechanical systems, bistabilities are independent of intracavity intensity and can occur for very weak laser driving amplitudes. (paper)

Controlled hydrothermal synthesis of CeO{sub 2} nanospheres and their excellent magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Xiaofei [Suzhou University, Anhui Key Laboratory of Spintronics and Nanomaterials Research, Suzhou, Anhui (China)

2017-04-15

Monodisperse spherical CeO{sub 2} nanostructures with irregular and rough surfaces have successfully been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal technology. XRD, SEM, XPS, Raman scattering, and M-H curves were employed to characterize the samples. The results showed that the spherical CeO{sub 2} nanostructures have a cubic fluorite structure and that there are Ce{sup 3+} ions and oxygen vacancies in the surface of the samples. The M-H curve of CeO{sub 2} nanospheres exhibits excellent room-temperature ferromagnetism (RT-FM), which is likely ascribed to the effects of the Ce{sup 3+} ions and oxygen vacancies. (orig.)

Epithelial cell biocompatibility of silica nanospheres for contrast-enhanced ultrasound molecular imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiriaco, Fernanda; Conversano, Francesco; Soloperto, Giulia; Casciaro, Ernesto [Institute of Clinical Physiology, Bioengineering Division, National Research Council (Italy); Ragusa, Andrea [National Nanotechnology Laboratory of CNR-NANO (Italy); Sbenaglia, Enzo Antonio; Dipaola, Lucia [Institute of Clinical Physiology, Bioengineering Division, National Research Council (Italy); Casciaro, Sergio, E-mail: sergio.casciaro@cnr.it [Istituto di Fisiologia Clinica (CNR-IFC) c/o Campus Universitario Ecotekne, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy)

2013-07-15

Nanosized particles are receiving increasing attention as future contrast agents (CAs) for ultrasound (US) molecular imaging, possibly decorated on its surface with biological recognition agents for targeted delivery and deposition of therapeutics. In particular, silica nanospheres (SiNSs) have been demonstrated to be feasible in terms of contrast enhancement on conventional US systems. In this work, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of SiNSs on breast cancer (MCF-7) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells employing NSs with sizes ranging from 160 to 330 nm and concentration range of 1.5-5 mg/mL. Cell viability was evaluated in terms of size, dose and time dependence, performing the MTT reduction assay with coated and uncoated SiNSs. Whereas uncoated SiNSs caused a variable significant decrease in cell viability on both cell lines mainly depending on size and exposure time, PEGylated SiNSs (SiNSs-PEG) exhibit a high level of biocompatibility. In fact, after 72-h incubation, viability of both cell types was above the cutoff value of 70 % at concentration up to 5 mg/mL. We also investigated the acoustical behavior of coated and uncoated SiNSs within conventional diagnostic US fields in order to determine a suitable configuration, in terms of particle size and concentration, for their employment as targetable CAs. Our results indicate that the employment of SiNSs with diameters around 240 nm assures the most effective contrast enhancement even at the lowest tested concentration, coupled with the possibility of targeting all tumor tissues, being the SiNSs still in a size range where reticuloendothelial system trapping effect is relatively low.

Epithelial cell biocompatibility of silica nanospheres for contrast-enhanced ultrasound molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiriacò, Fernanda; Conversano, Francesco; Soloperto, Giulia; Casciaro, Ernesto; Ragusa, Andrea; Sbenaglia, Enzo Antonio; Dipaola, Lucia; Casciaro, Sergio

2013-01-01

Nanosized particles are receiving increasing attention as future contrast agents (CAs) for ultrasound (US) molecular imaging, possibly decorated on its surface with biological recognition agents for targeted delivery and deposition of therapeutics. In particular, silica nanospheres (SiNSs) have been demonstrated to be feasible in terms of contrast enhancement on conventional US systems. In this work, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of SiNSs on breast cancer (MCF-7) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells employing NSs with sizes ranging from 160 to 330 nm and concentration range of 1.5–5 mg/mL. Cell viability was evaluated in terms of size, dose and time dependence, performing the MTT reduction assay with coated and uncoated SiNSs. Whereas uncoated SiNSs caused a variable significant decrease in cell viability on both cell lines mainly depending on size and exposure time, PEGylated SiNSs (SiNSs-PEG) exhibit a high level of biocompatibility. In fact, after 72-h incubation, viability of both cell types was above the cutoff value of 70 % at concentration up to 5 mg/mL. We also investigated the acoustical behavior of coated and uncoated SiNSs within conventional diagnostic US fields in order to determine a suitable configuration, in terms of particle size and concentration, for their employment as targetable CAs. Our results indicate that the employment of SiNSs with diameters around 240 nm assures the most effective contrast enhancement even at the lowest tested concentration, coupled with the possibility of targeting all tumor tissues, being the SiNSs still in a size range where reticuloendothelial system trapping effect is relatively low

Synthesis of Silica Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel: Size-Dependent Properties, Surface Modification, and Applications in Silica-Polymer Nano composites-A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, A.R.; Vejayakumaran, P.

2012-01-01

Application of silica nanoparticles as fillers in the preparation of nano composite of polymers has drawn much attention, due to the increased demand for new materials with improved thermal, mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Recent developments in the synthesis of monodispersed, narrow-size distribution of nanoparticles by sol-gel method provide significant boost to development of silica-polymer nano composites. This paper is written by emphasizing on the synthesis of silica nanoparticles, characterization on size-dependent properties, and surface modification for the preparation of homogeneous nano composites, generally by sol-gel technique. The effect of nano silica on the properties of various types of silica-polymer composites is also summarized.

Synthesis of silica nanosphere from homogeneous and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

avoid it, reaction in heterogeneous system using CTABr was carried out. Nanosized silica sphere with ... Homogeneous system contains a mixture of ethanol, water, aqueous ammonia and ... heated to 823 K (rate, 1 K/min) in air and kept at this.

Preparation and flow cytometry of uniform silica-fluorescent dye microspheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Bele, Marjan; Siiman, Olavi; Matijević, Egon

2002-10-15

Uniform fluorescent silica-dye microspheres have been prepared by coating preformed monodispersed silica particles with silica layers containing rhodamine 6G or acridine orange. The resulting dispersions exhibit intense fluorescent emission between 500 and 600 nm, over a broad excitation wavelength range of 460 to 550 nm, even with exceedingly small amounts of dyes incorporated into the silica particles (10-30 ppm, expressed as weight of dye relative to weight of dry particles). The fluorescent particles can be prepared in micrometer diameters suitable for analyses using flow cytometry with 488-nm laser excitation.

Silica artificial opal incorporated with silver nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Wenjiang, E-mail: wjli@zju.edu.cn [Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory for Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Joint Research Center of Photonics of the Royal Institute of Technology and Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Room 210, East Building 5, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Sun Tan [Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory for Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Joint Research Center of Photonics of the Royal Institute of Technology and Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Room 210, East Building 5, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

2009-07-15

The silica artificial opal with a three-dimensional (3D) periodic structure was prepared using highly monodispersed silica microspheres by a force packing method in ITO glass cell. The silica artificial opal incorporated with silver nanoparticles was fabricated by the electroplating technique. The optical microscope images of the synthetic sample and the corresponding optical properties were measured after each treatment of electroplating-washing-drying circle. The transmission and reflection spectra presented a red shift, showing that the effective refractive index of the complex silver/silica opal increased after each electroplating. Combining the SEM images, it was seen that the silver nanoparticles could be directly deposited on the surface of silica spheres in the opaline structure. The silver/silica complex opal film could provide a simple way to tune the opal properties by controlling silver nanoparticles in the silica opal. The silver/silica opal crystal structures could be used for nano-photonic circuits, white-light LEDs or as photocatalysts.

Silica artificial opal incorporated with silver nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenjiang; Sun Tan

2009-01-01

The silica artificial opal with a three-dimensional (3D) periodic structure was prepared using highly monodispersed silica microspheres by a force packing method in ITO glass cell. The silica artificial opal incorporated with silver nanoparticles was fabricated by the electroplating technique. The optical microscope images of the synthetic sample and the corresponding optical properties were measured after each treatment of electroplating-washing-drying circle. The transmission and reflection spectra presented a red shift, showing that the effective refractive index of the complex silver/silica opal increased after each electroplating. Combining the SEM images, it was seen that the silver nanoparticles could be directly deposited on the surface of silica spheres in the opaline structure. The silver/silica complex opal film could provide a simple way to tune the opal properties by controlling silver nanoparticles in the silica opal. The silver/silica opal crystal structures could be used for nano-photonic circuits, white-light LEDs or as photocatalysts.

Observation of Quantum Confinement in Monodisperse Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Embedded in Mesoporous Silica.

Science.gov (United States)

Malgras, Victor; Tominaka, Satoshi; Ryan, James W; Henzie, Joel; Takei, Toshiaki; Ohara, Koji; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2016-10-13

Hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites have fascinating electronic properties and have already been implemented in various devices. Although the behavior of bulk metal halide perovskites has been widely studied, the properties of perovskite nanocrystals are less well-understood because synthesizing them is still very challenging, in part because of stability. Here we demonstrate a simple and versatile method to grow monodisperse CH 3 NH 3 PbBr x I x-3 perovskite nanocrystals inside mesoporous silica templates. The size of the nanocrystal is governed by the pore size of the templates (3.3, 3.7, 4.2, 6.2, and 7.1 nm). In-depth structural analysis shows that the nanocrystals maintain the perovskite crystal structure, but it is slightly distorted. Quantum confinement was observed by tuning the size of the particles via the template. This approach provides an additional route to tune the optical bandgap of the nanocrystal. The level of quantum confinement was modeled taking into account the dimensions of the rod-shaped nanocrystals and their close packing inside the channels of the template. Photoluminescence measurements on CH 3 NH 3 PbBr clearly show a shift from green to blue as the pore size is decreased. Synthesizing perovskite nanostructures in templates improves their stability and enables tunable electronic properties via quantum confinement. These structures may be useful as reference materials for comparison with other perovskites, or as functional materials in all solid-state light-emitting diodes.

Modeling of formation of binary-phase hollow nanospheres from metallic solid nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svoboda, J.; Fischer, F.D.; Vollath, D.

2009-01-01

Spontaneous formation of binary-phase hollow nanospheres by reaction of a metallic nanosphere with a non-metallic component in the surrounding atmosphere is observed for many systems. The kinetic model describing this phenomenon is derived by application of the thermodynamic extremal principle. The necessary condition of formation of the binary-phase hollow nanospheres is that the diffusion coefficient of the metallic component in the binary phase is higher than that of the non-metallic component (Kirkendall effect occurs in the correct direction). The model predictions of the time to formation of the binary-phase hollow nanospheres agree with the experimental observations

Poly(ionic liquids) hollow nanospheres with PDMAEMA as joint support of highly dispersed gold nanoparticles for thermally adjustable catalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Xiaoyan; Liu, Zhirong; Fan, Fuhong; Qiang, Shenglu; Cheng, Li; Yang, Wu

2015-01-01

A smart hollow hybrid system was prepared by introducing poly(2-(1-methylimidazolium 3-yl)-ethyl methacrylate chloride) (PMIMC) network, the temperature-responsive PDMAEMA brushes, and Au nanoparticles into silica nanoparticles through two-step surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. TEM, FTIR, EDX, XRD, XPS, and TGA were used to characterize the morphology and structure of air@PMIMC–PDMAEMA–Au hairy hollow nanospheres. The result showed that Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1.5 ± 0.2 nm were homogeneously embedded inside the PMIMC–PDMAEMA shell. Catalytic activity of the as-synthesized air@PMIMC–PDMAEMA–Au hairy hollow nanospheres were investigated using the reduction of 4-nitrophenol with NaBH 4 as a model reaction. It was found that the joint structures of PMIMC hollow nanospheres and PDMAEMA brushes lead to production of the highly active and stable catalyst for reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Furthermore, the obtained air@PMIMC–PDMAEMA–Au hairy hollow nanospheres were found to have a thermally adjustable catalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Formation of Uniform Hollow Silica microcapsules

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Huan; Kim, Chanjoong

2013-03-01

Microcapsules are small containers with diameters in the range of 0.1 - 100 μm. Mesoporous microcapsules with hollow morphologies possess unique properties such as low-density and high encapsulation capacity, while allowing controlled release by permeating substances with a specific size and chemistry. Our process is a one-step fabrication of monodisperse hollow silica capsules with a hierarchical pore structure and high size uniformity using double emulsion templates obtained by the glass-capillary microfluidic technique to encapsulate various active ingredients. These hollow silica microcapsules can be used as biomedical applications such as drug delivery and controlled release.

Growth of monodisperse mesoscopic metal-oxide colloids under constant monomer supply

Science.gov (United States)

Nozawa, Koh; Delville, Marie-Hélène; Ushiki, Hideharu; Panizza, Pascal; Delville, Jean-Pierre

2005-07-01

In closed systems, control over the size of monodisperse metal-oxide colloids is generally limited to submicrometric dimensions. To overcome this difficulty, we explore the formation and growth of silica particles under constant monomer supply. The monomer source is externally driven by the progressive addition into the system of one of the precursors. Monodisperse spherical particles are produced up to a mesoscopic size. We analyze their growth versus the monomer addition rate at different temperatures. Our results show that in the presence of a continuous monomer addition, growth is limited by diffusion over the investigated temporal window. Using the temperature variation of the growth rate, we prove that rescaling leads to a data reduction onto a single master curve. Contrary to the growth process, the final particle’s size reached after the end of the reagent supply strongly depends on the addition rate. The variation of the final particle size versus addition rate can be deduced from an analogy with crystal formation in jet precipitation. Within this framework, and using the temperature dependences of both the particle growth law and the final size, we determine the value of the molecular heat of dissolution associated to the silica solubility. These observations support the fact that classical theories of phase-ordering dynamics can be extended to the synthesis of inorganic particles. The emergence of a master behavior in the presence of continuous monomer addition also suggests the extension of these theories to open systems.

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted silica nanospheres embedded mercaptosuccinic acid-coated CdTe quantum dots for selective recognition of λ-cyhalothrin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wei, Xiao [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Meng, Minjia; Song, Zhilong; Gao, Lin; Li, Hongji [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Dai, Jiangdong; Zhou, Zhiping [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Li, Chunxiang, E-mail: weixiaokeyan@163.com [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Pan, Jianming; Yu, Ping; Yan, Yongsheng [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China)

2014-09-15

In this study, a simple procedure for the determination of λ-cyhalothrin was reported. CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped by molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared and characterized by spectrofluorometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) was chosen as a stabilizer for CdTe QDs synthesis. The MSA stabilizer which comprises both thioglycolic acid (TGA)-like and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-like moieties could accelerate the whole growth process of CdTe QDs comparing with TGA-like or MPA-like stabilizer. Meanwhile, the spectrofluorometer was used to evaluate the optical stability, effect of pH, and selective and sensitive determination of λ-cyhalothrin (LC). Moreover, LC could quench the fluorescence of the molecularly imprinted silica nanospheres (CdTe@SiO{sub 2}@MIPs) in a concentration-dependent manner, which was best described by a Stern–Volmer-type equation. - Highlights: • We choose Mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) as the stabilizer for CdTe QDs synthesis. • The composite materials were prepared by the reverse microemulsion method. • The composite materials can be used for the direct analysis of relevant real samples.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hollow Magnetic Alloy (GdNi2, Co5Gd Nanospheres Coated with Gd2O3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Uniform magnetic hollow nanospheres (GdNi2, Co5Gd coated with Gd2O3 have been successfully prepared on a large scale via a urea-based homogeneous precipitation method using silica (SiO2 spheres as sacrificed templates, followed by subsequent heat treatment. Nitrogen sorption measurements and scanning electron microscope reveal that these hollow-structured magnetic nanospheres have the mesoporous shells that are composed of a large amount of uniform nanoparticles. After reduction treatment, these nanoparticles exhibit superparamagnetism that might have potential applications in medicine. Furthermore, the developed synthesis route may provide an important guidance for the preparation of other multifunctional hollow spherical materials.

Stellate macroporous silica nanospheres in bio-macromolecules encapsulation and delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Hao-Hsin

This project focused on using mesoporous silica as a solid support to encapsulate enzymes for operating a highly economic, and recyclable biomass processing system. The main objective is to turn non-food biomass sources into food products. Enzymes are macromolecules with the structural backbone of proteins or ribonucleic acid sequences (RNAs) which work as catalysts in living organisms. Enzymes have the advantage of being the least contaminating catalyst due to normal catalyst might generate toxic by-product, and preferable to organic and inorganic catalysts, especially when used for product related to human used, which require biocompatibility of final product. However, there are several disadvantages in enzyme utilization. Their fabrication is time-consuming and requires elaborated molecular biology processes. Most of the enzymes need well-defined reaction conditions to be functional and operate at high yield. Unfortunately, although they are reusable as normal catalysts, it proves difficult to extract or reuse the enzymes from a reaction. Also, enzyme molecules are easily degradable and demand proper storage. To overcome some of the disadvantages, especially regarding stability to degradation, recovery, and reusability, immobilization of enzyme on solid support has become a thriving methodology. In recent years, mesoporous silica nanomaterials(MSN) have been at the forefront of enzyme immobilization given their extensive surface area, which provides capability to increase enzyme loading and for their demonstrate ability to protect enzyme from degradation, thus enabling high recyclability. Mesoporous silica is biocompatible and has already been used for several applications included. Catalysis, drug delivery, and Bio-imaging. Previously published research utilized mesoporous silica to deliver drugs, DNAs, RNAs or encapsulate single enzyme. The objective of this research is completed to develop a new porous silica platform that is unique in its porosity structure

Control the Morphologies and the Pore Architectures of Meso porous Silicas through a Dual-Templating Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H.; Chen, H.; Xu, Z.; Wang, S.; Li, B.; Li, Y.

2012-01-01

Meso porous silica nanospheres were prepared using a chiral cationic low-molecular-weight amphiphile and organic solvents such as toluene, cyclohexane, and tetrachlorocarbon through a dual-templating approach. X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques have been used to characterize the meso porous silicas. The volume ratio of toluene to water plays an important role in controlling the morphologies and the pore architectures of the meso porous silicas. It was also found that meso porous silica nano flakes can be prepared by adding tetrahydrofuran to the reaction mixtures.

Pore fabrication in various silica-based nanoparticles by controlled etching

KAUST Repository

Zhao, Lan

2010-07-20

A novel method based on controlled etching was developed to fabricate nanopores on preformed silica nanoparticles (<100 nm in diameter). The obtained monodisperse nanoporous particles could form highly stable homogeneous colloidal solution. Fluorescent silica nanoparticles and magnetic silica-coated γ-Fe 2O 3 nanoparticles were investigated as examples to illustrate that this strategy could be generally applied to various silica-based functional nanoparticles. The results indicated that this method was effective for generating pores on these nanoparticles without altering their original functionalities. The obtained multifunctional nanoparticles would be useful for many biological and biomedical applications. These porous nanoparticles could also serve as building blocks to fabricate three-dimensionally periodic structures that have the potential to be used as photonic crystals. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Fabrication and optical characterization of gold-infiltrated silica opals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Wenjiang; Sun Gang; Tang Fangqiong; Tam, W.Y.; Li Jensen; Chan, C T; Sheng Ping

2005-01-01

We report the fabrication of metal-infiltrated silica opals for optical studies. Highly mono-dispersed silica microspheres are fabricated and assembled by a force packing method to form opals with large domain sizes. The opals are then infiltrated with gold by an electroplating technique. The optical properties of the infiltrated opals in the visible range are studied and model calculations based on a multiple-scattering formalism are used to interpret the experimental results. The calculated position of the directional gap of the silica opal agrees very well with experimental observation. We found that the optical properties of the infiltrated sample can be explained using a model system in which the voids in the silica opal are partially filled with Au and the surface of the slab is covered with a thin layer of Au

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse, mesoporous, and magnetic sub-micron particles doped with a near-infrared fluorescent dye

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Guevel, Xavier; Nooney, Robert; McDonagh, Colette; MacCraith, Brian D.

2011-01-01

Recently, multifunctional silica nanoparticles have been investigated extensively for their potential use in biomedical applications. We have prepared sub-micron monodisperse and stable multifunctional mesoporous silica particles with a high level of magnetization and fluorescence in the near infrared region using an one-pot synthesis technique. Commercial magnetite nanocrystals and a conjugated-NIR-dye were incorporated inside the particles during the silica condensation reaction. The particles were then coated with polyethyleneglycol to stop aggregation. X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption analysis, TEM, fluorescence and absorbance measurements were used to structurally characterize the particles. These mesoporous silica spheres have a large surface area (1978 m 2 /g) with 3.40 nm pore diameter and a high fluorescence in the near infrared region at λ=700 nm. To explore the potential of these particles for drug delivery applications, the pore accessibility to hydrophobic drugs was simulated by successfully trapping a hydrophobic ruthenium dye complex inside the particle with an estimated concentration of 3 wt%. Fluorescence imaging confirmed the presence of both NIR dye and the post-grafted ruthenium dye complex inside the particles. These particles moved at approximately 150 μm/s under the influence of a magnetic field, hence demonstrating the multifunctionality and potential for biomedical applications in targeting and imaging. - Graphical Abstract: Hydrophobic fluorescent Ruthenium complex has been loaded into the mesopores as a surrogate drug to simulate drug delivery and to enhance the multifunctionality of the magnetic NIR emitting particles. Highlights: → Monodisperse magnetic mesoporous silica particles emitting in the near infrared region are obtained in one-pot synthesis. → We prove the capacity of such particles to uptake hydrophobic dye to mimic drug loading. → Loaded fluorescent particles can be moved under a magnetic field in a microfluidic

Cavity Cooling a Single Charged Levitated Nanosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Millen, J.; Fonseca, P. Z. G.; Mavrogordatos, T.; Monteiro, T. S.; Barker, P. F.

2015-03-01

Optomechanical cavity cooling of levitated objects offers the possibility for laboratory investigation of the macroscopic quantum behavior of systems that are largely decoupled from their environment. However, experimental progress has been hindered by particle loss mechanisms, which have prevented levitation and cavity cooling in a vacuum. We overcome this problem with a new type of hybrid electro-optical trap formed from a Paul trap within a single-mode optical cavity. We demonstrate a factor of 100 cavity cooling of 400 nm diameter silica spheres trapped in vacuum. This paves the way for ground-state cooling in a smaller, higher finesse cavity, as we show that a novel feature of the hybrid trap is that the optomechanical cooling becomes actively driven by the Paul trap, even for singly charged nanospheres.

Precision force sensing with optically-levitated nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Geraci, Andrew

2017-04-01

In high vacuum, optically-trapped dielectric nanospheres achieve excellent decoupling from their environment and experience minimal friction, making them ideal for precision force sensing. We have shown that 300 nm silica spheres can be used for calibrated zeptonewton force measurements in a standing-wave optical trap. In this optical potential, the known spacing of the standing wave anti-nodes can serve as an independent calibration tool for the displacement spectrum of the trapped particle. I will describe our progress towards using these sensors for tests of the Newtonian gravitational inverse square law at micron length scales. Optically levitated dielectric objects also show promise for a variety of other precision sensing applications, including searches for gravitational waves and other experiments in quantum optomechanics. National Science Foundation PHY-1205994, PHY-1506431, PHY-1509176.

Toroidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles (TMSNPs) and related protocells

Science.gov (United States)

Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Lin, Yu-Shen

2018-01-02

In one aspect, the invention provides novel monodisperse, colloidally-stable, toroidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles (TMSNPs) which are synthesized from ellipsoid-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) which are prepared using an ammonia basecatalyzed method under a low surfactant conditions. Significantly, the TMSNPs can be loaded simultaneously with a small molecule active agent, a siRNA, a mRNA, a plasmid and other cargo and can be used in the diagnosis and/or treatment of a variety of disorders, including a cancer, a bacterial infection and/or a viral infection, among others. Related protocells, pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic and diagnostic methods are also provided.

Formulation of Sodium Alginate Nanospheres Containing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: The aim of this work was to formulate sodium alginate nanospheres of amphotericin B by controlled gellification method and to evaluate the role of the nanospheres as a “passive carrier” in targeted antifungal therapy. Methods: Sodium alginate nanospheres of amphotericin B were prepared by controlled ...

Gemcitabine-loaded magnetic albumin nanospheres for cancer chemohyperthermia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hongbo; Ke Fei; An Yanli; Hou Xinxin; Zhang Hao; Lin Mei; Zhang Dongsheng

2013-01-01

Eliminating cancer without harming normal body tissue remains a longstanding challenge in medicine. Toward this goal, we prepared nanosized magnetic albumin nanospheres encapsulating magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ) and antitumor drugs (Gemcitabine, GEM). Magnetic albumin nanospheres (average size ≈ 224 nm) had good magnetic responsiveness upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field even though Fe 3 O 4 was encased in nanospheres. Thermodynamic test showed that Fe 3 O 4 could serve as a heating source under AMF and lead the nanospheres to reach their steady temperature (45 °C). The release results in vitro indicated that nanospheres had an obvious effect of sustained release of GEM. The result of cytotoxicity assay showed that the toxicity of this material was classified as grade 1, which belongs to no cytotoxicity. The antitumor efficacy of the GEM/Fe 3 O 4 albumin nanospheres combined with magnetic fluid hyperthermia on non-small lung cancer cell line GlC-82 was examined by MTT assay and flow cytometry assay. Compared with nanospheres entrapping GEM group, nanospheres entrapping Fe 3 O 4 combined with MFH group, and GEM/Fe 3 O 4 albumin nanospheres without MFH group, the GEM/Fe 3 O 4 albumin nanospheres exhibited enhanced antitumor efficacy. Thus, the GEM/Fe 3 O 4 albumin nanospheres have promising applications in cancer treatment.

Nanosphere Lithography on Fiber: Towards Engineered Lab-On-Fiber SERS Optrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Quero

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper we report on the engineering of repeatable surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS optical fiber sensor devices (optrodes, as realized through nanosphere lithography. The Lab-on-Fiber SERS optrode consists of polystyrene nanospheres in a close-packed arrays configuration covered by a thin film of gold on the optical fiber tip. The SERS surfaces were fabricated by using a nanosphere lithography approach that is already demonstrated as able to produce highly repeatable patterns on the fiber tip. In order to engineer and optimize the SERS probes, we first evaluated and compared the SERS performances in terms of Enhancement Factor (EF pertaining to different patterns with different nanosphere diameters and gold thicknesses. To this aim, the EF of SERS surfaces with a pitch of 500, 750 and 1000 nm, and gold films of 20, 30 and 40 nm have been retrieved, adopting the SERS signal of a monolayer of biphenyl-4-thiol (BPT as a reliable benchmark. The analysis allowed us to identify of the most promising SERS platform: for the samples with nanospheres diameter of 500 nm and gold thickness of 30 nm, we measured values of EF of 4 × 105, which is comparable with state-of-the-art SERS EF achievable with highly performing colloidal gold nanoparticles. The reproducibility of the SERS enhancement was thoroughly evaluated. In particular, the SERS intensity revealed intra-sample (i.e., between different spatial regions of a selected substrate and inter-sample (i.e., between regions of different substrates repeatability, with a relative standard deviation lower than 9 and 15%, respectively. Finally, in order to determine the most suitable optical fiber probe, in terms of excitation/collection efficiency and Raman background, we selected several commercially available optical fibers and tested them with a BPT solution used as benchmark. A fiber probe with a pure silica core of 200 µm diameter and high numerical aperture (i.e., 0.5 was found to be the

Enhanced bio-compatibility of ferrofluids of self-assembled superparamagnetic iron oxide-silica core-shell nanoparticles

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Narayanan, T.N.; Mary, A.P.R.; Swalih, P.K.A.; Kumar, D.S.; Makarov, D.; Albrecht, M.; Puthumana, J.; Anas, A.; Anantharaman, A.

-interacting, monodispersed and hence the synthesis of such nanostructures has great relevance in the realm of nanoscience. Silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles based ferrofluids were prepared using polyethylene glycol as carrier fluid by employing a...

Sonochemical synthesis of silica particles and their size control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hwa-Min [Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk 38430 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Chang-Hyun [Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk 38430 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bonghwan, E-mail: bhkim@cu.ac.kr [Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk 38430 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Silica particles were easily prepared by an ultrasound-assisted sol–gel method. • The particle size was controlled by the ammonium hydroxide/water molar ratio. • The size-controlled diameter of silica particles ranged from 40 to 400 nm. • The particles were formed in a relatively short reaction time. - Abstract: Using an ultrasound-assisted sol–gel method, we successfully synthesized very uniformly shaped, monodisperse, and size-controlled spherical silica particles from a mixture of ethanol, water, and tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of ammonia as catalyst, at room temperature. The diameters of the silica particles were distributed in the range from 40 to 400 nm; their morphology was well characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The silica particle size could be adjusted by choosing suitable concentrations of ammonium hydroxide and water, which in turn determined the nucleation and growth rates of the particles during the reaction. This sonochemical-based silica synthesis offers an alternative way to produce spherical silica particles in a relatively short reaction time. Thus, we suggest that this simple, low-cost, and efficient method of preparing uniform silica particles of various sizes will have practical and wide-ranging industrial applicability.

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of silica-dye-semiconductor nanocrystal hybrid particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Ting; Erker, Wolfgang; Basché, Thomas; Schärtl, Wolfgang

2010-12-07

We prepared silica-dye-nanocrystal hybrid particles and studied the energy transfer from semiconductor nanocrystals (= donor) to organic dye molecules (= acceptor). Multishell CdSe/CdS/ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals were adsorbed onto monodisperse Stöber silica particles with an outer silica shell of thickness 2-23 nm containing organic dye molecules (Texas Red). The thickness of this dye layer has a strong effect on the energy transfer efficiency, which is explained by the increase in the number of dye molecules homogeneously distributed within the silica shell, in combination with an enhanced surface adsorption of nanocrystals with increasing dye amount. Our conclusions were underlined by comparison of the experimental results with numerically calculated FRET efficiencies and by control experiments confirming attractive interaction between the nanocrystals and Texas Red freely dissolved in solution.

An effective approach to synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate)/silica nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Xuefeng; Wang Zichen; Han Dongxue; Zhang Yuanjian; Shen Yanfei; Wang Zhijuan; Niu Li

2006-01-01

A novel synthetic route for nearly monodispersed poly(methyl methacrylate)/SiO 2 composite particles (PMSCP) is reported. Silica nanoparticles modified with oleic acid were used as 'seeds'. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer was copolymerized with oleic acid via in situ emulsion polymerization, in the presence of an initiator; it resulted finally in the formation of composites with core-shell morphology. The composite particles were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The number of silica particles inside the composite particles increases with an increase in the silica concentration. The effect of grafted silica concentration on the morphology of PMSCP is also reported in detail. It was found by thermogravimetric analysis that PMSCP show a potential application for fire retardance

Broadband electromagnetic dipole scattering by coupled multiple nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Xufeng; Ye, Qiufeng; Hong, Zhi; Zhu, Dongshuo; Shi, Guohua

2017-11-01

With the development of nanotechnology, the ability to manipulate light at the nanoscale is critical to future optical functional devices. The use of high refractive index dielectric single silicon nanoparticle can achieve electromagnetic dipole resonant properties. Compared with single nanosphere, the use of dimer and trimer introduces an additional dimension (gap size) for improving the performance of dielectric optical devices through the coupling between closely connected silicon nanospheres. When changing the gap size between the nanospheres, the interaction between the particles can be from weak to strong. Compared with single nanospheres, dimerized or trimeric nanospheres exhibit more pronounced broadband scattering properties. In addition, by introducing more complex interaction, the trimericed silicon nanospheres exhibit a more significant increase in bandwidth than expected. In addition, the presence of the substrate will also contribute to the increase in the bandwidth of the nanospheres. The broadband response in dielectric nanostructures can be effectively applied to broadband applications such as dielectric nanoantennas or solar cells.

Surface modification of silica nanoparticles by UV-induced graft polymerization of methyl methacrylate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sooyeon; Kim, Eunhye; Kim, Sungsoo; Kim, Woosik

2005-12-01

In this study we modified the surface of silica nanoparticles with methyl methacrylate by UV-induced graft polymerization. It is a surface-initiated polymerization reaction induced by ultraviolet irradiation. The resulting organic-inorganic nanocomposites were near-monodisperse and fabricated without homopolymerization of the monomer. Substantial increase in mean particle size was observed by SEM image analysis after UV-induced grafting of methyl methacrylate onto pure silica particles. FT-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of these materials revealed the successful grafting of methyl methacrylate onto the silica surface. The formation of a covalent bond between the grafted PMMA chains and silica surface was indicated by FT-Raman spectra. Thermogravimetric analysis of the PMMA-grafted silica particles indicated the polymer contents in good agreement with SEM photographs.

Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Nearly Monodisperse CoFe2O4Nanoparticles Through a Simple Hydrothermal Condition

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Li Xing-Hua

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Nearly monodisperse cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4 nanoparticles without any size-selection process have been prepared through an alluring method in an oleylamine/ethanol/water system. Well-defined nanospheres with an average size of 5.5 nm have been synthesized using metal chloride as the law materials and oleic amine as the capping agent, through a general liquid–solid-solution (LSS process. Magnetic measurement indicates that the particles exhibit a very high coercivity at 10 K and perform superparamagnetism at room temperature which is further illuminated by ZFC/FC curves. These superparamagnetic cobalt ferrite nanomaterials are considered to have potential application in the fields of biomedicine. The synthesis method is possible to be a general approach for the preparation of other pure binary and ternary compounds.

Toxicity of silica nanoparticles and the effect of protein corona

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foldbjerg, Rasmus; Jespersen, Lars Vesterby; Wang, Jing

2010-01-01

  The cytotoxicity of silica nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated in the human lung cell line, A549. Silica NPs of different sizes (DLS size; 16-42 nm) were used to determine appropriate dose metrics whereas the effect of the NP corona was tested by coating the NPs with bovine serum albumin (BSA......). The NPs were characterized by TEM and DLS as monodisperse and non-aggregated in solution and the NP suspensions were free of metal and endotoxin impurities as tested by ICP-MS and the LAL test. Cellular uptake and binding of the silica NPs was indirectly assessed by flow cytometry side scatter and SEM...... upon silica NP exposure. The silica NP surface area was found to be the best dose metric for predicting cytotoxicity and IL-8 release. Generally, the NPs were only cytotoxic at high concentrations and BSA-coating of the NPs significantly decreased the cytotoxicity and cellular IL-8 secretion. All...

Aerosol fabrication methods for monodisperse nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xingmao; Brinker, C Jeffrey

2014-10-21

Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods for forming monodisperse particles. In one embodiment, the monodisperse particles can be formed by first spraying a nanoparticle-containing dispersion into aerosol droplets and then heating the aerosol droplets in the presence of a shell precursor to form core-shell particles. By removing either the shell layer or the nanoparticle core of the core-shell particles, monodisperse nanoparticles can be formed.

Lock and Key Colloids through Polymerization-Induced Buckling of Monodispersed Silicon Oil Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Sacanna, Stefano; Irvine, William T. M.; Chaikin, Paul M.; Pine, David J.

2010-03-01

Colloidal particles can spontaneously associate into larger structured aggregates when driven by selective and directional interactions. Colloidal organization can be programmed by engineering shapes and interactions of basic building blocks in a manner similar to molecular self-assembly. Examples of successful strategies that allow non-trivial assembly of particles include template-directed patterning, capillary forces and, most commonly, the functionalization of the particle surfaces with ``sticky patches'' of biological or synthetic molecules. The level of complexity of the realizable assemblies, increases when particles with well defined shape anisotropies are used. In particular depletion forces and specific surface treatments in combination with non spherical particles have proven to be powerful tools to self-assembly complex microstructures. We describe a simple, high yield, synthetic pathway to fabricate monodisperse hybrid silica spheres with well defined cavities. Because the particle morphologies are reproducible and tunable with precision, the resulting particles can be used as basic building blocks in the assembly of larger monodisperse clusters. This is demonstrated using depletion to drive the self-assembly.

Nanocasting hierarchical carbide-derived carbons in nanostructured opal assemblies for high-performance cathodes in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Claudia; Thieme, Sören; Brückner, Jan; Oschatz, Martin; Biemelt, Tim; Mondin, Giovanni; Althues, Holger; Kaskel, Stefan

2014-12-23

Silica nanospheres are used as templates for the generation of carbide-derived carbons with monodisperse spherical mesopores (d=20-40 nm) and microporous walls. The nanocasting approach with a polycarbosilane precursor and subsequent pyrolysis, followed by silica template removal and chlorine treatment, results in carbide-derived carbons DUT-86 (DUT=Dresden University of Technology) with remarkable textural characteristics, monodisperse, spherical mesopores tunable in diameter, and very high pore volumes up to 5.0 cm3 g(-1). Morphology replication allows these nanopores to be arranged in a nanostructured inverse opal-like structure. Specific surface areas are very high (2450 m2 g(-1)) due to the simultaneous presence of micropores. Testing DUT-86 samples as cathode materials in Li-S batteries reveals excellent performance, and tailoring of the pore size allows optimization of cell performance, especially the active center accessibility and sulfur utilization. The outstanding pore volumes allow sulfur loadings of 80 wt %, a value seldom achieved in composite cathodes, and initial capacities of 1165 mAh gsulfur(-1) are reached. After 100 cycle capacities of 860 mAh gsulfur(-1) are retained, rendering DUT-86 a high-performance sulfur host material.

Sliding behavior of oil droplets on nanosphere stacking layers with different surface textures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Chien-Te; Wu, Fang-Lin; Chen, Wei-Yu

2010-01-01

Two facile coating techniques, gravitational sediment and spin coating, were applied for the creation of silica sphere stacking layers with different textures onto glass substrates that display various sliding abilities toward liquid drops with different surface tensions, ranged from 25.6 to 72.3 mN/m. The resulting silica surface exhibits oil repellency, long-period durability > 30 days, and oil sliding capability. The two-tier texture offers a better roll-off ability toward liquid drops with a wide range of γ L , ranged from 30.2 to 72.3 mN/m, i.e., when the sliding angle (SA) ad ) appears to describe the sliding behavior within the W ad region: 2.20-3.03 mN/m. The smaller W ad , the easier drop sliding (i.e., the smaller SA value) takes place on the surfaces. The W ad value ∼3.03 mN/m shows a critical kinetic barrier for drop sliding on the silica surfaces from stationary to movement states. This work proposes a mathematical model to simulate the sliding behavior of oil drops on a nanosphere stacking layer, confirming the anti-oil contamination capability.

Mesoporous block-copolymer nanospheres prepared by selective swelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Shilin; Jin, Zhaoxia

2013-01-28

Block-copolymer (BCP) nanospheres with hierarchical inner structure are of great interest and importance due to their possible applications in nanotechnology and biomedical engineering. Mesoporous BCP nanospheres with multilayered inner channels are considered as potential drug-delivery systems and templates for multifunctional nanomaterials. Selective swelling is a facile pore-making strategy for BCP materials. Herein, the selective swelling-induced reconstruction of BCP nanospheres is reported. Two poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) samples with different compositions (PS(23600)-b-P2VP(10400) and PS(27700)-b-P2VP(4300)) are used as model systems. The swelling reconstruction of PS-b-P2VP in ethanol, 1-pyrenebutyric acid (PBA)/ethanol, or HCl/ethanol (pH = 2.61) is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It is observed that the length of the swellable block in BCP is a critical factor in determining the behavior and nanostructures of mesoporous BCP nanospheres in selective swelling. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the addition of PBA modifies the swelling structure of PS(23600)-b-P2VP(10400) through the interaction between PBA and P2VP blocks, which results in BCP nanospheres with patterned pores of controllable size. The patterned pores can be reversibly closed by annealing the mesoporous BCP nanospheres in different selective solvents. The controllable and reversible open/closed reconstruction of BCP nanospheres can be used to enclose functional nanoparticles or drugs inside the nanospheres. These mesoporous BCP nanospheres are further decorated with gold nanoparticles by UV photoreduction. The enlarged decoration area in mesoporous BCP nanospheres will enhance their activity and sensitivity as a catalyst and electrochemical sensor. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Self-assembled monolayers of bimetallic Au/Ag nanospheres with superior surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity for ultra-sensitive triphenylmethane dyes detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yue; Zhang, Hua; Xu, Linlin; Chen, Ming; Chen, Feng

2018-02-15

The bimetallic Au/Ag self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were constructed by using mono-dispersed Au/Ag nanospheres (Ag: 4.07%-34.53%) via evaporation-based assembly strategy. The composition-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy revealed that the Au/Ag (Ag: 16.83%) SAMs provide maximized activity for triphenylmethane dyes detection. With the inter-metallic synergy, the optimized SAMs enable the Raman intensity of crystal violet molecules to be about 223 times higher than that of monometallic Au SAMs. Moreover, the SERS signals with excellent uniformity (<5% variation) are sensitive down to 10 -13   M concentrations because of the optimal matching between bimetallic plasmon resonance and the incident laser wavelength.

Nanosphere lithography applied to magnetic thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Gleason, Russell

Magnetic nanostructures have widespread applications in many areas of physics and engineering, and nanosphere lithography has recently emerged as promising tool for the fabrication of such nanostructures. The goal of this research is to explore the magnetic properties of a thin film of ferromagnetic material deposited onto a hexagonally close-packed monolayer array of polystyrene nanospheres, and how they differ from the magnetic properties of a typical flat thin film. The first portion of this research focuses on determining the optimum conditions for depositing a monolayer of nanospheres onto chemically pretreated silicon substrates (via drop-coating) and the subsequent characterization of the deposited nanosphere layer with scanning electron microscopy. Single layers of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) are then deposited on top of the nanosphere array via DC magnetron sputtering, resulting in a thin film array of magnetic nanocaps. The coercivities of the thin films are measured using a home-built magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) system in longitudinal arrangement. MOKE measurements show that for a single layer of permalloy (Py), the coercivity of a thin film deposited onto an array of nanospheres increases compared to that of a flat thin film. In addition, the coercivity increases as the nanosphere size decreases for the same deposited layer. It is postulated that magnetic exchange decoupling between neighboring nanocaps suppresses the propagation of magnetic domain walls, and this pinning of the domain walls is thought to be the primary source of the increase in coercivity.

Construction of tubular polypyrrole-wrapped biomass-derived carbon nanospheres as cathode materials for lithium–sulfur batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Qiuhong; Lu, Yang; Peng, Tao; Hou, Xiaoyi; Luo, Rongjie; Wang, Yange; Yan, Hailong; Luo, Yongsong; Liu, Xianming; Kim, Jang-Kyo

2017-01-01

A promising hybrid material composed of tubular polypyrrole (T-PPy)-wrapped monodisperse biomass-derived carbon nanospheres (BCSs) was first synthesized successfully via a simple hydrothermal approach by using watermelon juice as the carbon source, and further used as an anchoring object for sulfur (S) of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. The use of BCSs with hydrophilic nature as a framework could provide large interface areas between the active materials and electrolyte, and improve the dispersion of T-PPy, which could help in the active material utilization. As a result, BCS@T-PPy/S as a cathode material exhibited a high capacity of 1143.6 mA h g −1 and delivered a stable capacity up to 685.8 mA h g −1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C, demonstrating its promising application for rechargeable Li–S batteries. (paper)

Synthesis and characterization of magnetically recyclable Ag nanoparticles immobilized on Fe3O4@C nanospheres with catalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Wei-hong; Yue, Xiu-ping; Guo, Chang-sheng; Lv, Jia-pei; Liu, Si-si; Zhang, Yuan; Xu, Jian

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ag-loaded Fe 3 O 4 @C nanospheres were synthesized by a facile method. • The Fe 3 O 4 encapsulated mesoporous carbon was decorated with 10 nm Ag nanocrystals. • The as-prepared Ag-Fe 3 O 4 @C nanocomposite showed excellent catalytic activity. • The nanocomposite had convenient magnetic separability. - Abstract: A novel approach for the synthesis of Ag-loaded Fe 3 O 4 @C nanospheres (Ag-Fe 3 O 4 @C) was successfully developed. The catalysts possessed a carbon-coated magnetic core and grew active silver nanoparticles on the outer shell using hydrazine monohydrate as the AgNO 3 reductant in ethanol. The morphology, inner structure, and magnetic properties of the as-prepared composites were studied with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fourier translation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Catalytic activity was investigated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) in the designed experiment. The obtained products were monodispersed and bifunctional with high magnetization, as well as exhibited excellent catalytic activity toward organic dye with 98% of RhB conversion within 20 min in the presence of NaBH 4 . The product also exhibited convenient magnetic separability and maintained high catalytic activity after six cycle runs

Increase in stability of cellulase immobilized on functionalized magnetic nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Wenjuan [Department of Machine Intelligence and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 015-0055 (Japan); Qiu, Jianhui, E-mail: qiu@akita-pu.ac.jp [Department of Machine Intelligence and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 015-0055 (Japan); Feng, Huixia [College of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Zang, Limin; Sakai, Eiichi [Department of Machine Intelligence and Systems Engineering, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Akita Prefectural University, Akita 015-0055 (Japan)

2015-02-01

Functionalized magnetic nanospheres were prepared by co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate with three different amino-silanes: 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-triethoxysilane (AEAPTES), 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-trimethoxysilane (AEAPTMES) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). Then three functionalized magnetic nanospheres were used as supports for immobilization of cellulase. The three functionalized magnetic nanospheres with core–shell morphologies exhibited higher capacity for cellulase immobilization than unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres. The increasing of surface charge of functionalized magnetic nanospheres leads to an enhancement of the capacity of cellulase immobilization. Particularly, AEAPTMES with methoxy groups was favored to be hydrolyzed and grafted on unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres than the others. AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres with the highest zeta potential (29 mV) exhibited 87% activity recovery and the maximum amount of immobilized cellulase was 112 mg/g support at concentration of initial cellulase of 8 mg/mL. Immobilized cellulase on AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres had higher temperature stability and broader pH stability than other immobilized cellulases and free cellulase. In particular, it can be used in about 40 °C, demonstrating the potential of biofuel production using this immobilized cellulase. - Highlights: • Three Amino-silane modified magnetic nanospheres were prepared. • Cellulase immobilized AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres had higher temperature stability and broader pH stability than free cellulase. • The potential of biofuel production using this immobilized cellulase.

Increase in stability of cellulase immobilized on functionalized magnetic nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wenjuan; Qiu, Jianhui; Feng, Huixia; Zang, Limin; Sakai, Eiichi

2015-01-01

Functionalized magnetic nanospheres were prepared by co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate with three different amino-silanes: 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-triethoxysilane (AEAPTES), 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-trimethoxysilane (AEAPTMES) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). Then three functionalized magnetic nanospheres were used as supports for immobilization of cellulase. The three functionalized magnetic nanospheres with core–shell morphologies exhibited higher capacity for cellulase immobilization than unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres. The increasing of surface charge of functionalized magnetic nanospheres leads to an enhancement of the capacity of cellulase immobilization. Particularly, AEAPTMES with methoxy groups was favored to be hydrolyzed and grafted on unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres than the others. AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres with the highest zeta potential (29 mV) exhibited 87% activity recovery and the maximum amount of immobilized cellulase was 112 mg/g support at concentration of initial cellulase of 8 mg/mL. Immobilized cellulase on AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres had higher temperature stability and broader pH stability than other immobilized cellulases and free cellulase. In particular, it can be used in about 40 °C, demonstrating the potential of biofuel production using this immobilized cellulase. - Highlights: • Three Amino-silane modified magnetic nanospheres were prepared. • Cellulase immobilized AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres had higher temperature stability and broader pH stability than free cellulase. • The potential of biofuel production using this immobilized cellulase

Facile fabrication of dual emissive nanospheres via the self-assembling of CdSe@CdS and zinc phthalocyanine and their application for silver ion detection

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shuning; Liu, Chenchen; Luan, Xinying; Yao, Rui; Feng, Yakai

2017-09-01

The far-red/near infrared photoluminescence of zinc phthalocyanines would be strongly quenched once they are aggregated, which will obviously hinder their wide applications in environmental, energy related and biomedical fields. Herein, the ultra-small sized semiconductor quantum dots with core-shell structures (CdSe@CdS) have been firstly synthesized and then assembled with a dendritic zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in the H2O/DMF mixed solvent to obtain monodispersed nanospheres. Finally, it was found that the resultant ethanolic colloids can be employed as a sensitive and specific fluorescent nanoprobe for silver ions discrimination with a limit of detection (LOD) approaching to 10-8 mol/L.

Production of Monodisperse Nanoparticles and Application of Discrete-Monodisperse Model in Plasma Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong-Joo; Kim, Kyo-Seon; Zhao, Qian-Qiu

2003-01-01

The particle growth in plasma reactor were investigated by using the discrete-monodisperse (D-M) model for various process conditions. The monodisperse large sized particle distribution predicted by the D-M model are in good agreement with the large sized particles by the discrete-sectional model and also in the experiments by Shiratani et al. (1996). Some fractions of the small size particles are in a neutral state or even charged positively, but most of the large sized monodisperse particles are charged negatively. As the mass generation rate of monomers increases, the large sized particles grow more quickly and the production rate of nanoparticles of 100nm by plasma reactor increases. As the initial electron concentration or the monomer diameter increases, it takes longer time for the large sized particles to grow up to 100nm, but the large sized particle concentration of 100nm increases and the resulting production rate of large sized particles of 100nm increases. As the residence time increases, the time for the large sized particles to grow up to 100nm decreases and the large sized particle concentration of 100nm increases and, as a result, the production rate of large sized particles of 100nm increases. We propose that the plasma reactor can be a good candidate to produce monodisperse nanoparticles

Increase in stability of cellulase immobilized on functionalized magnetic nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenjuan; Qiu, Jianhui; Feng, Huixia; Zang, Limin; Sakai, Eiichi

2015-02-01

Functionalized magnetic nanospheres were prepared by co-condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate with three different amino-silanes: 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-triethoxysilane (AEAPTES), 3-(2-aminoethylamino propyl)-trimethoxysilane (AEAPTMES) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). Then three functionalized magnetic nanospheres were used as supports for immobilization of cellulase. The three functionalized magnetic nanospheres with core-shell morphologies exhibited higher capacity for cellulase immobilization than unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres. The increasing of surface charge of functionalized magnetic nanospheres leads to an enhancement of the capacity of cellulase immobilization. Particularly, AEAPTMES with methoxy groups was favored to be hydrolyzed and grafted on unfunctionalized magnetic nanospheres than the others. AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres with the highest zeta potential (29 mV) exhibited 87% activity recovery and the maximum amount of immobilized cellulase was 112 mg/g support at concentration of initial cellulase of 8 mg/mL. Immobilized cellulase on AEAPTMES functionalized magnetic nanospheres had higher temperature stability and broader pH stability than other immobilized cellulases and free cellulase. In particular, it can be used in about 40 °C, demonstrating the potential of biofuel production using this immobilized cellulase.

Nanocasting synthesis of co-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3}: a 3D diluted magnetic semiconductor composed of nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Ni; Li, Jing; Hong, Bo; Jin, Dingfeng; Peng, Xiaoling; Wang, Xinqing; Ge, Hongliang; Jin, Hongxiao, E-mail: hxjin@cjlu.edu.cn, E-mail: hxjin5704@qq.com [China Jiliang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetism, College of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

2015-04-15

Mesoporous 3D nanosphere arrays of In{sub 2−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 3} (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) were synthesized via nanocasting using the mesoporous silica LP-FDU-12 as a hard template. The mesostructure, morphology, optical properties, and magnetic properties of the materials were determined. The diameter of the nanospheres was about 15–22 nm, and the nanospheres stacked into 0.5–5 μm arrays (particles). The data revealed that the Co ions entered the lattice of the In{sub 2}O{sub 3} bixbyite phase leading to a reduction of the cell parameter. The result also demonstrated that the size of the mesostructured ordering was approximately the same as the particle diameter. Moreover, the optical band gap of Co-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} decreased monotonically with the increase of Co concentration and the room-temperature photoluminescence was also observed. The un-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} exhibited a ferromagnetic behavior superimposed on a diamagnetic background, while the doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} displayed a room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior superimposed on a paramagnetic background, which may be correlated with the surface texture of the mesostructure. The mesoporous diluted magnetic semiconductors may find their applications in spintronic nanodevices because of their 3D uniform arrangement of nanospheres and their room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior.

Properties of CdSe quantum dots coated with silica fabricated in a facile way

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao Yufeng; Li Wenjiang; He Sailing

2007-01-01

High quality quantum dots (QDs) CdSe were prepared using a novel and non-TOP method. Quantum dots of different sizes ranging from 2 to 4 nm could be obtained by removing aliquots of the reaction solution at different time intervals or by adjusting some reaction conditions. The CdSe quantum dots (core) were directly coated with silica (shell) using a microemulsion method. The design and preparation of a model QD/silica was described and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption, photoluminescence and laser confocal scanning microscopy. TEM images confirmed the well-monodispersed QDs and the silica shell around the CdSe core, respectively; laser confocal microscope images, UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra clearly indicated that both the original QDs and the silica-coated QDs had good fluorescence properties. The quantum dots coated with silica shells were stable, water-soluble and less toxic (due to the silica shells), and are anticipated to be used as fluorescent probes for biosensing and imaging applications

Metal Fe3+ ions assisted synthesis of highly monodisperse Ag/SiO2 nanohybrids and their antibacterial activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Nianchun; Xue, Feng; Yu, Xiang; Zhou, Huihua; Ding, Enyong

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: TEM images of the Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids. The homogeneous and more mono-disperse Ag nanoparticles deposit on SiO 2 spheres. Through this method, Ag nanoparticles are easily formed on the surface of SiO 2 compared to other methods. Highlights: ► We prepared homogeneous and mono-dispersed Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids by adding Fe 3+ ions. ► The Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids had core(SiO 2 )-shell(Ag) structure. ► The Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against bacteria. ► The reaction temperature was lower and the yield of Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids were higher. - Abstract: Highly monodispersed Ag/SiO 2 nanohybrids with excellent antibacterial property were synthesized by using DMF as a reducing agent and employing an additional redox potential of metal Fe 3+ ion as a catalytic agent. The obtained Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids of about 240 nm were highly monodispersity and uniformity by adding trace Fe 3+ ions into the reaction which Ag + reacted with N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) at 70 °C. Compared to the conventional techniques, which need long time and high temperature for silica coating of Ag nanoparticles, this new method was capable of synthesizing monodispersed, uniform, high yield Ag/SiO 2 nanohybrids. The electron was transferred from the Fe 2+ ion to the Ag + ion to accelerate the nucleation of silver nanoparticles. The chemical structures, morphologies and properties of the Ag/SiO 2 nanohybrids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), (High-resolution, Scanning transmission) transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HRTEM and STEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis) and test of antibacterial. The results demonstrated that the silver nanoparticles supported on the surface of SiO 2 spheres in Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrids structure, the Ag nanoparticles were homogeneous and monodispersed. The results also indicated that the Ag/SiO 2 -2 nanohybrid had excellent antibacterial.

Amorphous silica maturation in chemically weathered clastic sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Liesegang, Moritz; Milke, Ralf; Berthold, Christoph

2018-03-01

A detailed understanding of silica postdepositional transformation mechanisms is fundamental for its use as a palaeobiologic and palaeoenvironmental archive. Amorphous silica (opal-A) is an important biomineral, an alteration product of silicate rocks on the surface of Earth and Mars, and a precursor material for stable silica phases. During diagenesis, amorphous silica gradually and gradationally transforms to opal-CT, opal-C, and eventually quartz. Here we demonstrate the early-stage maturation of several million year old opal-A from deeply weathered Early Cretaceous and Ordovician sedimentary rocks of the Great Artesian Basin (central Australia). X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalyses show that the mineralogical maturation of the nanosphere material is decoupled from its chemical properties and begins significantly earlier than micromorphology suggests. Non-destructive and locally highly resolved X-ray microdiffraction (μ-XRD2) reveals an almost linear positive correlation between the main peak position (3.97 to 4.06 Å) and a new asymmetry parameter, AP. Heating experiments and calculated diffractograms indicate that nucleation and growth of tridymite-rich nanodomains induce systematic peak shifts and symmetry variations in diffraction patterns of morphologically juvenile opal-A. Our results show that the asymmetry parameter traces the early-stage maturation of amorphous silica, and that the mineralogical opal-A/CT stage extends to smaller d-spacings and larger FWHM values than previously suggested.

Preparation, Properties, and Self-Assembly Behavior of PTFE-Based Core-Shell Nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katia Sparnacci

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nanosized PTFE-based core-shell particles can be prepared by emulsifier-free seed emulsion polymerization technique starting from spherical or rod-like PTFE seeds of different size. The shell can be constituted by the relatively high Tg polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate as well as by low Tg polyacrylic copolymers. Peculiar thermal behavior of the PTFE component is observed due to the high degree of PTFE compartmentalization. A very precise control over the particle size can be exerted by properly adjusting the ratio between the monomers and the PTFE seed. In addition, the particle size distribution self-sharpens as the ratio monomer/PTFE increases. Samples with uniformity ratios suited to build 2D and 3D colloidal crystals are easily prepared. In particular, 2D colloidal crystal of spheres leads to very small 2D nanostructuration, useful for the preparation of masks with a combination of nanosphere lithography and reactive ion etching. 3D colloidal crystals were also obtained featuring excellent opal quality, which is a direct consequence of the monodispersity of colloids used for their growth.

Preparation, Properties, and Self-Assembly Behavior of PTFE-Based Core-Shell Nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparnacci, K.; Antonioli, D.; Deregibus, S.; Laus, M.; Zuccheri, G.; Boarino, L.; De Leo, N.; Comoretto, D.

2012-01-01

Nano sized PTFE-based core-shell particles can be prepared by emulsifier-free seed emulsion polymerization technique starting from spherical or rod-like PTFE seeds of different size. The shell can be constituted by the relatively high Tg polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate as well as by low Tg polyacrylic copolymers. Peculiar thermal behavior of the PTFE component is observed due to the high degree of PTFE compartmentalization. A very precise control over the particle size can be exerted by properly adjusting the ratio between the monomers and the PTFE seed. In addition, the particle size distribution self-sharpens as the ratio monomer/PTFE increases. Samples with uniformity ratios suited to build 2D and 3D colloidal crystals are easily prepared. In particular, 2D colloidal crystal of spheres leads to very small 2D nanostructuration, useful for the preparation of masks with a combination of nanosphere lithography and reactive ion etching. 3D colloidal crystals were also obtained featuring excellent opal quality, which is a direct consequence of the monodispersity of colloids used for their growth.

Comparison of Eu(NO3)3 and Eu(acac)3 precursors for doping luminescent silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enrichi, F.; Ricco, R.; Scopece, P.; Parma, A.; Mazaheri, A. R.; Riello, P.; Benedetti, A.

2010-01-01

In this study, we report the comparison between Eu 3+ -doped silica nanoparticles synthesized by Stoeber method using Eu(NO 3 ) 3 or Eu(acac) 3 as precursors. The impact of different europium species on the properties of the final silica nanospheres is investigated in details in terms of size, morphology, reachable doping amount, and luminescence efficiency. Moreover, the results obtained for different thermal treatments are presented and discussed. It is shown that the organic complex modify the silica growing process, leading to bigger and irregular nanoparticles (500-800 nm) with respect to the perfectly spherical ones (400 nm) obtained by the nitrate salt, but their luminescence intensity and lifetime is significantly higher when 800-900 o C annealing is performed.

Characterization of bismuth nanospheres deposited by plasma focus device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, M., E-mail: cscientific2@aec.org.sy [IBA Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, P.O. Box 6091, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic); Al-Hawat, Sh.; Akel, M. [Physics Department, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, P.O. Box 6091, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic); Mrad, O. [Chemistry Department, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, P.O. Box 6091, Damascus (Syrian Arab Republic)

2015-02-14

A new method for producing thin layer of bismuth nanospheres based on the use of low energy plasma focus device is demonstrated. Various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been used to characterize the morphology and the composition of the nanospheres. Experimental parameters may be adjusted to favour the formation of bismuth nanospheres instead of microspheres. Therefore, the formation of large surface of homogeneous layer of bismuth nanospheres with sizes of below 100 nm can be obtained. The natural snowball phenomenon is observed to be reproduced in nanoscale where spheres roll over the small nanospheres and grow up to bigger sizes that can reach micro dimensions. The comet-like structure, a reverse phenomenon to snowball is also observed.

Characterization of bismuth nanospheres deposited by plasma focus device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, M.; Al-Hawat, Sh.; Akel, M.; Mrad, O.

2015-01-01

A new method for producing thin layer of bismuth nanospheres based on the use of low energy plasma focus device is demonstrated. Various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been used to characterize the morphology and the composition of the nanospheres. Experimental parameters may be adjusted to favour the formation of bismuth nanospheres instead of microspheres. Therefore, the formation of large surface of homogeneous layer of bismuth nanospheres with sizes of below 100 nm can be obtained. The natural snowball phenomenon is observed to be reproduced in nanoscale where spheres roll over the small nanospheres and grow up to bigger sizes that can reach micro dimensions. The comet-like structure, a reverse phenomenon to snowball is also observed

Optical response of Lorentzian nanospheres in the quasistatic limit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guelen, Demet, E-mail: dgul@metu.edu.tr [Physics Department, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06531 (Turkey)

2012-03-15

Significance of the Lorentzian dispersion relationship in controlling the optical response of the nanospheres surrounded by a homogeneous non-absorbing dielectric medium is examined. Nanospheres with size much smaller than the wavelength of the incident light are considered as prototype systems that can cover the generic optical response of Lorentzian nanoparticles. Absorption cross-section of the Lorentzian nanospheres is treated in the quasistatic approximation of classical electrodynamics and the resulting optical resonance is evaluated in terms of its dependencies on the parameters of the system. It has been illustrated that the underlying dispersion governs both the amount and the direction of the shift experienced by the optical resonance of nanospheres. Contrary to Drude nanospheres (well-known red shifters), Lorentzian nanospheres are shown to be blue shifters of the optical resonance. The amount of blue shift is dominated by the increase in the oscillator strength of the nanosphere material. Embedding media with higher dielectric constant and/or materials with larger high frequency dielectric constant lead to a suppression of the amount of blue shift induced by the oscillator strength. Further quantification of the blue shift characteristics against the red shift characteristics of Drude nanospheres is provided. The results can be instrumental for manipulating the optical response of plexcitonic nanophotonic devices. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optical resonance of Lorentzian nanospheres (LNS) is examined for the first time. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LNS are shown to be blue shifters of the nanoparticle (NP) resonance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is opposite of the well-studied response of Drude NP (red-shifters). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoscale optical response of the two cases is compared in depth. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The results are imperative for manipulating the optical response of exciton-plasmon hybrid NPs.

Plasmonic properties and enhanced fluorescence of gold and dye-doped silica nanoparticle aggregates

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Nathaniel Scott

The development of metal-enhanced fluorescence has prompted a great interest in augmenting the photophysical properties of fluorescent molecules with noble metal nanostructures. Our research efforts, outlined in this dissertation, focus on augmenting properties of fluorophores by conjugation with gold nanostructures. The project goals are split into two separate efforts; the enhancement in brightness of fluorophores and long distance non-radiative energy transfer between fluorophores. We believe that interacting dye-doped silica nanoparticles with gold nanoparticles can facilitate both of these phenomena. Our primary research interest is focused on optimizing brightness, as this goal should open a path to studying the second goal of non-radiative energy transfer. The two major challenges to this are constructing suitable nanomaterials and functionalizing them to promote plasmonically active complexes. The synthesis of dye-doped layered silica nanoparticles allows for control over the discrete location of the dye and a substrate that can be surface functionalized. Controlling the exact location of the dye is important to create a silica spacer, which promotes productive interactions with metal nanostructures. Furthermore, the synthesis of silica nanoparticles allows for various fluorophores to be studied in similar environments (removing solvent and other chemo-sensitive issues). Functionalizing the surface of silica nanoparticles allows control over the degree of silica and gold nanoparticle aggregation in solution. Heteroaggregation in solution is useful for producing well-aggregated clusters of many gold around a single silica nanoparticle. The dye-doped surface functionalized silica nanoparticles can than be mixed efficiently with gold nanomaterials. Aggregating multiple gold nanospheres around a single dye-doped silica nanoparticle can dramatically increase the fluorescent brightness of the sample via metal-enhanced fluorescence due to increase plasmonic

The contribution of polystyrene nanospheres towards the crystallization of proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna M Kallio

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Protein crystallization is a slow process of trial and error and limits the amount of solved protein structures. Search of a universal heterogeneous nucleant is an effort to facilitate crystallizability of proteins. METHODOLOGY: The effect of polystyrene nanospheres on protein crystallization were tested with three commercial proteins: lysozyme, xylanase, xylose isomerase, and with five research target proteins: hydrophobins HFBI and HFBII, laccase, sarcosine dimethylglycine N-methyltransferase (SDMT, and anti-testosterone Fab fragment 5F2. The use of nanospheres both in screening and as an additive for known crystallization conditions was studied. In screening, the addition of an aqueous solution of nanosphere to the crystallization drop had a significant positive effect on crystallization success in comparison to the control screen. As an additive in hydrophobin crystallization, the nanospheres altered the crystal packing, most likely due to the amphiphilic nature of hydrophobins. In the case of laccase, nanospheres could be used as an alternative for streak-seeding, which insofar had remained the only technique to produce high-diffracting crystals. With methyltransferase SDMT the nanospheres, used also as an additive, produced fewer, larger crystals in less time. Nanospheres, combined with the streak-seeding method, produced single 5F2 Fab crystals in shorter equilibration times. CONCLUSIONS: All in all, the use of nanospheres in protein crystallization proved to be beneficial, both when screening new crystallization conditions to promote nucleation and when used as an additive to produce better quality crystals, faster. The polystyrene nanospheres are easy to use, commercially available and close to being inert, as even with amphiphilic proteins only the crystal packing is altered and the nanospheres do not interfere with the structure and function of the protein.

Water evaporation in silica colloidal deposits.

Science.gov (United States)

Peixinho, Jorge; Lefèvre, Grégory; Coudert, François-Xavier; Hurisse, Olivier

2013-10-15

The results of an experimental study on the evaporation and boiling of water confined in the pores of deposits made of mono-dispersed silica colloidal micro-spheres are reported. The deposits are studied using scanning electron microscopy, adsorption of nitrogen, and adsorption of water through attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy. The evaporation is characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. Optical microscopy is used to observe the patterns on the deposits after evaporation. When heating at a constant rate and above boiling temperature, the release of water out of the deposits is a two step process. The first step is due to the evaporation and boiling of the surrounding and bulk water and the second is due to the desorption of water from the pores. Additional experiments on the evaporation of water from membranes having cylindrical pores and of heptane from silica deposits suggest that the second step is due to the morphology of the deposits. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One stone, two birds: silica nanospheres significantly increase photocatalytic activity and colloidal stability of photocatalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Rasamani, Kowsalya D.; Foley, Jonathan J., IV; Sun, Yugang

2018-03-01

Silver-doped silver chloride [AgCl(Ag)] nanoparticles represent a unique class of visible-light-driven photocatalysts, in which the silver dopants introduce electron-abundant mid-gap energy levels to lower the bandgap of AgCl. However, free-standing AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles, particularly those with small sizes and large surface areas, exhibit low colloidal stability and low compositional stability upon exposure to light irradiation, leading to easy aggregation and conversion to metallic silver and thus a loss of photocatalytic activity. These problems could be eliminated by attaching the small AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles to the surfaces of spherical dielectric silica particles with submicrometer sizes. The high optical transparency in the visible spectral region (400-800 nm), colloidal stability, and chemical/electronic inertness displayed by the silica spheres make them ideal for supporting photocatalysts and significantly improving their stability. The spherical morphology of the dielectric silica particles can support light scattering resonances to generate significantly enhanced electric fields near the silica particle surfaces, on which the optical absorption cross-section of the AgCl(Ag) nanoparticles is dramatically increased to promote their photocatalytic activity. The hybrid silica/AgCl(Ag) structures exhibit superior photocatalytic activity and stability, suitable for supporting photocatalysis sustainably; for instance, their efficiency in the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue decreases by only ˜9% even after ten cycles of operation.

Synthesis, characterisation and functionalisation of luminescent silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labéguerie-Egéa, Jessica; McEvoy, Helen M.; McDonagh, Colette

2011-01-01

The synthesis of highly monodispersed, homogeneous and stable luminescent silica nanoparticles, synthesized using a process based on the Stöber method is reported here. These particles have been functionalised with the ruthenium and europium complexes: bis (2,2′-bipyridine)-(5-aminophenanthroline) Ru bis (hexafluorophosphate), abbreviated to (Ru(bpy) 2 (phen-5-NH 2 )(PF 6 )), and tris (dibenzoylmethane)-mono (5-aminophenanthroline) europium(III), abbreviated to (Eu:TDMAP). Both dyes have a free amino group available, facilitating the covalent conjugation of the dyes inside the silica matrix. Due to the covalent bond between the dyes and the silica, no dye leaching or nanoparticle diameter modification was observed. The generic and versatile nature of the synthesis process was demonstrated via the synthesis of both europium and ruthenium-functionalised nanoparticles. Following this, the main emphasis of the study was the characterisation of the luminescence of the ruthenium-functionalised silica nanoparticles, in particular, as a function of surface carboxyl or amino group functionalisation. It was demonstrated that the luminescence of the ruthenium dye is highly affected by the ionic environment at the surface of the nanoparticle, and that these effects can be counteracted by encapsulating the ruthenium-functionalised nanoparticles in a plain 15 nm silica layer. Moreover, the ruthenium-functionalised silica nanoparticles showed high relative brightness compared to the free dye in solution and efficient functionalisation with amino or carboxyl groups. Due to their ease of fabrication and attractive characteristics, the ruthenium-functionalised silica nanoparticles described here have the potential to be highly desirable fluorescent labels, particularly, for biological applications.

Magnetic polymer nanospheres for anticancer drug targeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

JurIkova, A; Csach, K; Koneracka, M; Zavisova, V; Tomasovicova, N; Lancz, G; Kopcansky, P; Timko, M; Miskuf, J [Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Kosice (Slovakia); Muckova, M, E-mail: akasard@saske.s [Hameln rds a.s., 900 01 Modra (Slovakia)

2010-01-01

Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymer (PLGA) nanospheres loaded with biocom-patible magnetic fluid as a magnetic carrier and anticancer drug Taxol were prepared by the modified nanoprecipitation method with size of 200-250 nm in diameter. The PLGA polymer was utilized as a capsulation material due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. Taxol as an important anticancer drug was chosen for its significant role against a wide range of tumours. Thermal properties of the drug-polymer system were characterized using thermal analysis methods. It was determined the solubility of Taxol in PLGA nanospheres. Magnetic properties investigated using SQUID magnetometry showed superparamagnetism of the prepared magnetic polymer nanospheres.

Kinetically-controlled template-free synthesis of hollow silica micro-/nanostructures with unusual morphologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, An-Qi; Li, Hui-Jun; Qian, Dong-Jin; Chen, Meng

2014-01-01

We report a kinetically-controlled template-free room-temperature production of hollow silica materials with various novel morphologies, including tubes, crutches, ribbons, bundles and bells. The obtained products, which grew in a well-controlled manner, were monodispersed in shape and size. The role of ammonia, sodium citrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, chloroauric acid and NaCl in shape control is discussed in detail. The oriented growth of these micro-/nanostructures directed by reverse micelles followed a solution–solution–solid (SSS) mechanism, similar to the classic vapor–liquid–solid mechanism. The evolution processes of silica rods, tubes, crutches, bundles and bells were recorded using transmission electron microscopy to prove the SSS mechanism. (paper)

Hollow Nanospheres with Fluorous Interiors for Transport of Molecular Oxygen in Water

KAUST Repository

Vu, Khanh B.

2016-08-11

A dispersion system for saturated fluorocarbon (SFC) liquids based on permeable hollow nanospheres with fluorous interiors is described. The nanospheres are well dispersible in water and are capable of immediate uptake of SFCs. The nanosphere shells are gas-permeable and feature reactive functional groups for easy modification of the exterior. These features make the SFC-filled nanospheres promising vehicles for respiratory oxygen storage and transport. Uptake of molecular oxygen into nanosphere-stabilized SFC dispersions is demonstrated.

Bidisperse silica nanoparticles close-packed monolayer on silicon substrate by three step spin method

Science.gov (United States)

Khanna, Sakshum; Marathey, Priyanka; Utsav, Chaliawala, Harsh; Mukhopadhyay, Indrajit

2018-05-01

We present the studies on the structural properties of monolayer Bidisperse silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (BDS) on Silicon (Si-100) substrate using spin coating technique. The Bidisperse silica nanoparticle was synthesised by the modified sol-gel process. Nanoparticles on the substrate are generally assembled in non-close/close-packed monolayer (CPM) form. The CPM form is obtained by depositing the colloidal suspension onto the silicon substrate using complex techniques. Here we report an effective method for forming a monolayer of bidisperse silica nanoparticle by three step spin coating technique. The samples were prepared by mixing the monodisperse solutions of different particles size 40 and 100 nm diameters. The bidisperse silica nanoparticles were self-assembled on the silicon substrate forming a close-packed monolayer film. The scanning electron microscope images of bidisperse films provided in-depth film structure of the film. The maximum surface coverage obtained was around 70-80%.

Electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of biomarker using Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)-encapsulated silica nanosphere labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Jing; Zhou, Zhenxian; Cao, Xiaodong; Liu, Songqin

2010-04-14

Here, we describe a new approach for electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay with Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)-encapsulated silica nanoparticle (SiO(2)@Ru) as labels. A water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion method was employed for one-pot synthesis of SiO(2)@Ru nanoparticles. The as-synthesized SiO(2)@Ru nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution, which allows reproducible loading of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) inside the silica shell and of alpha-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP), a model antibody, on the silica surface with glutaraldehyde as linkage. The silica shell effectively prevents leakage of Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) into the aqueous solution due to strong electrostatic interaction between the positively charged Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) and the negatively charged surface of silica. The porous structure of silica shell allowed the ion to move easily through the pore to exchange energy/electrons with the entrapped Ru(bpy)(3)(2+). The as-synthesized SiO(2)@Ru can be used as a label for ultrasensitive detection of biomarkers through a sandwiched immunoassay process. The calibration range of AFP concentration was 0.05-30 ng mL(-1) with linear relation from 0.05 to 20 ng mL(-1) and a detection limit of 0.035 ng mL(-1) at 3sigma. The resulting immunosensors possess high sensitivity and good analytical performance. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of highly fluorescent silica nanoparticles in a reverse microemulsion through double-layered doping of organic fluorophores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, Hyojong; Pak, Joonsung

2013-01-01

Water-soluble, highly fluorescent double-layered silica nanoparticles (FL-DLSN) have been successfully synthesized through a reverse (water-in-oil) microemulsion method. The microemulsion was prepared by mixing a surfactant (Brij35), co-surfactant, organic solvent, water, and fluorescein as an organic fluorophore. The sizes of the silica nanoparticles were successfully controlled in the reverse microemulsion using Brij35 by changing the water-to-Brij35 ratio and by adding HCl. Initially, tetraethylorthosilicate was hydrolyzed by adding NH 4 OH as a catalyst and then polymerized to generate core fluorescent silica nanoparticles with fluorescein. 3-(Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS) was sequentially added into the reaction mixture, and reacted on the surface of pre-generated core silica nanoparticles to form the second layer in the form of a shell. The second silica layer that was derived from the condensation of APTS effectively protected the fluorescein dye within the silica matrix. This is a novel and simple synthetic approach to generate highly fluorescent, monodispersed silica nanoparticles by doping organic molecules into a silica matrix.Graphical Abstract

Synthesis of highly fluorescent silica nanoparticles in a reverse microemulsion through double-layered doping of organic fluorophores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Hyojong, E-mail: hyojong@hallym.ac.kr; Pak, Joonsung [Hallym University, Department of Chemistry (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

Water-soluble, highly fluorescent double-layered silica nanoparticles (FL-DLSN) have been successfully synthesized through a reverse (water-in-oil) microemulsion method. The microemulsion was prepared by mixing a surfactant (Brij35), co-surfactant, organic solvent, water, and fluorescein as an organic fluorophore. The sizes of the silica nanoparticles were successfully controlled in the reverse microemulsion using Brij35 by changing the water-to-Brij35 ratio and by adding HCl. Initially, tetraethylorthosilicate was hydrolyzed by adding NH{sub 4}OH as a catalyst and then polymerized to generate core fluorescent silica nanoparticles with fluorescein. 3-(Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS) was sequentially added into the reaction mixture, and reacted on the surface of pre-generated core silica nanoparticles to form the second layer in the form of a shell. The second silica layer that was derived from the condensation of APTS effectively protected the fluorescein dye within the silica matrix. This is a novel and simple synthetic approach to generate highly fluorescent, monodispersed silica nanoparticles by doping organic molecules into a silica matrix.Graphical Abstract.

Boron nitride hollow nanospheres: Synthesis, formation mechanism and dielectric property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhong, B.; Tang, X.H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); Huang, X.X., E-mail: swliza@hit.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Xia, L. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); Zhang, X.D. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Wang, C.J. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); Wen, G.W., E-mail: g.wen@hit.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2015-04-15

Highlights: • BN hollow nanospheres are fabricated in large scale via a new CVD method. • Morphology and structure are elucidated by complementary analytical techniques. • Formation mechanism is proposed based on experimental observations. • Dielectric properties are investigated in the X-band microwave frequencies. • BN hollow nanospheres show lower dielectric loss than regular BN powders. - Abstract: Boron nitride (BN) hollow nanospheres have been successfully fabricated by pyrolyzing vapors decomposed from ammonia borane (NH{sub 3}BH{sub 3}) at 1300 °C. The final products have been extensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The BN hollow nanospheres were ranging from 100 to 300 nm in diameter and around 30–100 nm in thickness. The internal structure of the products was found dependent on the reaction temperatures. A possible formation mechanism of the BN hollow nanospheres was proposed on the basis of the experimental observations. Dielectric measurements in the X-band microwave frequencies (8–12 GHz) showed that the dielectric loss of the paraffin filled by the BN hollow nanospheres was lower than that filled by regular BN powders, which indicated that the BN hollow nanospheres could be potentially used as low-density fillers for microwave radomes.

Biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) nanosphere encapsulating superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sushant; Singh, Abhay Narayan; Verma, Anil; Dubey, Vikash Kumar

2013-12-01

Biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) nanosphere encapsulating superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were successfully synthesized using double emulsion (w/o/w) solvent evaporation technique. Characterization of the nanosphere using dynamic light scattering, field emission scanning electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed a spherical-shaped nanosphere in a size range of 812 ± 64 nm with moderate protein encapsulation efficiency of 55.42 ± 3.7 % and high in vitro protein release. Human skin HaCat cells were used for analyzing antioxidative properties of SOD- and CAT-encapsulated PCL nanospheres. Oxidative stress condition in HaCat cells was optimized with exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 1 mM) as external stress factor and verified through reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis using H2DCFDA dye. PCL nanosphere encapsulating SOD and CAT together indicated better antioxidative defense against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in human skin HaCat cells in comparison to PCL encapsulating either SOD or CAT alone as well as against direct supplement of SOD and CAT protein solution. Increase in HaCat cells SOD and CAT activities after treatment hints toward uptake of PCL nanosphere into the human skin HaCat cells. The result signifies the role of PCL-encapsulating SOD and CAT nanosphere in alleviating oxidative stress.

Poly(furfuryl alcohol) nanospheres: a facile synthesis approach ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) nanospheres with an average diameter of 350 nm in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrroli- done) (PVP) ... with metal cations and subsequent conversion to metal oxide ... 2.2 Preparation of α-Fe2O3 hollow nanospheres.

High yield growth of uniform ZnS nanospheres with strong photoluminescence properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yuan; Li, Qing; Wu, Huijie; Zhang, Jin; Lin, Hua; Nie, Ming; Zhang, Yu

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: High-yield ZnS nanospheres with an average diameter of 80 nm were fabricated successfully in aqueous solution at 100 °C by the assistance of surfactant PVP. It was found that PVP plays a crucial role in the formation of uniform ZnS nanospheres. A possible self-assembling growth mechanism was proposed. The UV–vis spectrum indicates that the as-prepared ZnS nanospheres exhibit a dramatic blue-shift. PL spectrum reveals that the ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm. Highlights: ► High-yield ZnS nanospheres were generated conveniently in aqueous solution. ► The amount of surfactant PVP plays a crucial role on the morphology and size of the products. ► A tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of ZnS nanospheres was proposed. ► The UV–vis spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. ► PL spectrum reveals that ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm. - Abstract: High yield ZnS nanospheres were generated conveniently in aqueous solution with the assistance of surfactant polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The products were characterized by XRD, EDX, XPS, FESEM, TEM and HRTEM. The as-prepared ZnS nanospheres were uniform with an average diameter of 80 nm. The role of PVP in the forming of ZnS nanospheres was investigated. The results indicated that surfactant PVP plays a crucial role on the morphology and size of the products. Moreover, a tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of ZnS nanospheres was proposed. UV–vis and PL absorption spectrum were used to investigate the optical properties of ZnS nanospheres. The UV–vis spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. PL spectrum reveals that ZnS nanospheres have a strong visible emission peak centered at 516 nm with excitation light of 400 nm.

Preparation and Characterization of P(MAA-g-EG) Nanospheres for Protein Delivery Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres-Lugo, Madeline [University of Puerto Rico, Mayagueez Campus, Department of Chemical Engineering (United States); Peppas, Nicholas A. [Purdue University, NSF Program on Therapeutic and Diagnostic Devices, School of Chemical Engineering (United States)], E-mail: peppas@ecn.purdue.edu

2002-04-15

Novel complexation hydrogel nanospheres of poly(methacrylic acid-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol)) (P(MAA-g-EG)) were prepared by dispersion polymerization to be used for protein delivery applications. Polymerization was conducted in solvents such as deionized water, ethanol/water, sodium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and acetic acid solutions. When polymerizing in deionized water we produced nanospheres without agglomeration. Photon correlation spectroscopy studies revealed that the nanospheres possessed a narrow particle size distribution and the size was inversely proportional to the concentration of poly(ethylene glycol) incorporated in the monomer mixture. These nanospheres exhibited pH-sensitivity comparable to that encountered in hydrogel films with the same composition. The composition of the nanospheres was investigated by transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The comparison between hydrogel films and nanospheres with the same monomer composition revealed that nanospheres possessed similar spectral characteristics than hydrogel films prepared by the same techniques. These nanospheres could be used for calcitonin release under physiological conditions.

Development of SiO2@TiO2 core-shell nanospheres for catalytic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kitsou, I.; Panagopoulos, P.; Maggos, Th.; Arkas, M.; Tsetsekou, A.

2018-05-01

Silica-titania core-shell nanospheres, CSNp, were prepared via a simple and environmentally friendly two step route. First, silica cores were prepared through the hydrolysis-condensation reaction of silicic acid in the presence of hyperbranched poly(ethylene)imine (HBPEI) followed by repeating washing, centrifugation and, finally, calcination steps. To create the core-shell structure, various amounts of titanium isopropoxide were added to the cores and after that a HBPEI-water solution was added to hydrolyze the titanium precursor. Washing with ethanol and heat treatment followed. The optimization of processing parameters led to well-developed core-shell structures bearing a homogeneous nanocrystalline anatase coating over each silica core. The photocatalytic activity for NO was examined in a continuous flux photocatalytic reactor under real environmental conditions. The results revealed a very potent photocatalyst as the degradation percentage reached 84.27% for the core-shell material compared to the 82% of pure titania with the photodecomposition rates measured at 0.62 and 0.55 μg·m-2·s-1, respectively. In addition, catalytic activities of the CSNp and pure titania were investigated by monitoring the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol by an excess of NaBH4. Both materials exhibited excellent catalytic activity (100%), making the core-shell material a promising alternative catalyst to pure titania for various applications.

Rod-shaped silica particles derivatized with elongated silver nanoparticles immobilized within mesopores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mnasri, Najib [Institut Charles Gerhardt de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5253, Université Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Materials, Environment and Energy Laboratory (UR14ES26), Faculty of Science, University of Gafsa, 2112 Gafsa (Tunisia); Charnay, Clarence; Ménorval, Louis-Charles de [Institut Charles Gerhardt de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5253, Université Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France); Elaloui, Elimame [Materials, Environment and Energy Laboratory (UR14ES26), Faculty of Science, University of Gafsa, 2112 Gafsa (Tunisia); Zajac, Jerzy, E-mail: jerzy.zajac@umontpellier.fr [Institut Charles Gerhardt de Montpellier, CNRS UMR 5253, Université Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5 (France)

2016-11-15

Silver-derivatized silica particles possessing a non-spherical morphology and surface plasmon resonance properties have been achieved. Nanometer-sized silica rods with uniformly sized mesopore channels were prepared first making use of alkyltrimethyl ammonium surfactants as porogens and the 1:0.10 tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) : 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) mixture as a silicon source. Silica rods were subsequently functionalized by introducing elongated silver nanoparticles within the intra-particle mesopores thanks to the AgNO{sub 3} reduction procedure based on the action of hemiaminal groups previously located on the mesopore walls. The textural and structural features of the samples were inferred from the combined characterization studies including SEM and TEM microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K, powder XRD in the small- and wide-angle region, as well as UV–visible spectroscopy. {sup 129}Xe NMR spectroscopy appeared particularly useful to obtain a correct information about the porous structure of rod-shaped silica particles and the silver incorporation within their intra-particle mesopores. - Highlights: • Mesoporous monodisperse submicron-sized silica rods were achieved. • Silver nanoparticles were located lengthwise within the intra-particle mesopores. • Textural and plasmonic properties of particles studied by {sup 129}Xe NMR and UV–Vis.

MnO{sub 2}-wrapped hollow graphitized carbon nanosphere electrode for supercapacitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lv, Jing; Yang, Xing; Zhou, Haiyan; Kang, Liping; Lei, Zhibin [Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Shaanxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710062 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062 (China); Liu, Zong-Huai, E-mail: zhliu@snnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry (Shaanxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710062 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062 (China)

2016-01-15

Highlights: • MnO{sub 2}/HGC nanospheres are prepared by a cooperative template wrapping method. • MnO{sub 2}/HGC nanospheres possess large specific surface area. • MnO{sub 2}/HGC nanospheres are benefit for transmission of ions and electrons. • MnO{sub 2}/HGC electrodes exhibit a high specific capacitance. - Abstract: MnO{sub 2}-wrapped hollow graphitized carbon nanospheres (MnO{sub 2}/HGC) electrodes are prepared by a cooperative template wrapping method. hollow Graphitized carbon nanospheres (HGC) are firstly obtained by carbonizing phenolic resin followed by etching the SiO{sub 2} template, then the MnO{sub 2} ultrathin nanoplates are coated on the surfaces of the HGC nanospheres through a redox reaction between KMnO{sub 4} and HGC nanospheres. The as-prepared MnO{sub 2}/HGC hollow nanospheres possess porous structure and large specific surface area (∼230 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}). The specific capacitances of MnO{sub 2}/HGC nanosphere electrodes with different mass ratios of MnO{sub 2} to HGC are about 340–380 F g{sup −1} at a scan rate of 5 mV s{sup −1} in Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution, and shows relative good cycling performance of the initial capacitance after 1000 cycles. The good specific capacitance is ascribed to the novel hollow nanosphere structure, which possesses high surface-to-volume ratio, and makes it easy for the mass diffusion of electrolyte and transmission of ions and electrons and also maintains the mechanical integrality.

Integrating nanosphere lithography in device fabrication

Science.gov (United States)

Laurvick, Tod V.; Coutu, Ronald A.; Lake, Robert A.

2016-03-01

This paper discusses the integration of nanosphere lithography (NSL) with other fabrication techniques, allowing for nano-scaled features to be realized within larger microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based devices. Nanosphere self-patterning methods have been researched for over three decades, but typically not for use as a lithography process. Only recently has progress been made towards integrating many of the best practices from these publications and determining a process that yields large areas of coverage, with repeatability and enabled a process for precise placement of nanospheres relative to other features. Discussed are two of the more common self-patterning methods used in NSL (i.e. spin-coating and dip coating) as well as a more recently conceived variation of dip coating. Recent work has suggested the repeatability of any method depends on a number of variables, so to better understand how these variables affect the process a series of test vessels were developed and fabricated. Commercially available 3-D printing technology was used to incrementally alter the test vessels allowing for each variable to be investigated individually. With these deposition vessels, NSL can now be used in conjunction with other fabrication steps to integrate features otherwise unattainable through current methods, within the overall fabrication process of larger MEMS devices. Patterned regions in 1800 series photoresist with a thickness of ~700nm are used to capture regions of self-assembled nanospheres. These regions are roughly 2-5 microns in width, and are able to control the placement of 500nm polystyrene spheres by controlling where monolayer self-assembly occurs. The resulting combination of photoresist and nanospheres can then be used with traditional deposition or etch methods to utilize these fine scale features in the overall design.

Coprecipitation-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of PLZT hollow nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Renqiang; Zhu, Kongjun; Qiu, Jinhao; Bai, Lin; Ji, Hongli

2010-01-01

Lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate Pb 1-x La x (Zr 1-y Ti y )O 3 (PLZT) hollow nanospheres have been successfully prepared via a template-free hydrothermal method using the well-mixed coprecipitated precursors and the KOH mineralizer. The structure, composition, and morphology of the PLZT hollow nanospheres were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), ICP (inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectra), TG/DTA (thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis), TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and SEAD (selected area diffraction). The results show that the composition and the morphology control of the PLZT products are determined by the KOH concentration. The PLZT hollow nanospheres with uniform size of about 4 nm were synthesized in the presence of 5 M KOH. The crystalline nanoparticles can be prepared at dilute KOH, in contrast to the amorphous powders prepared at concentrated KOH. Formation mechanisms of the PLZT hollow nanospheres are also discussed.

Synthesis of novel core-shell structured dual-mesoporous silica nanospheres and their application for enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Chao, E-mail: wuchao27@126.com [Department of Pharmaceutics, Liaoning Medical University, 40 Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province 121001 (China); Sun, Xiaohu [Management Center for Experiments, Bohai University, 19 Keji Road, Songshan District, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province 121000 (China); Zhao, Zongzhe; Zhao, Ying; Hao, Yanna; Liu, Ying [Department of Pharmaceutics, Liaoning Medical University, 40 Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province 121001 (China); Gao, Yu, E-mail: gaoyu_1116@163.com [Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, 40 Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province 121001 (China)

2014-11-01

Novel core-shell dual-mesoporous silica nanospheres (DMSS) with a tunable pore size were synthesized successfully using a styrene monomer as a channel template for the core and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a channel template for the shell in order to improve the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. Simvastatin was used as a model drug and loaded into DMSS and the mesoporous core without the shell (MSC) by the solvent evaporation method. The drug loading efficiency of DMSS and MSC were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV). Characterization, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that simvastatin adsorbed in DMSS and MSC was in an amorphous state, and in vitro release test results demonstrated that both DMSS and MSC increased the water solubility and dissolution rate of simvastatin. The shell structure of DMSS was able to regulate the release of simvastatin compared with MSC. It is worth noting that DMSS has significant potential as a carrier for improving the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs and reducing the rapid release. - Highlights: • A novel core-shell DMSS is prepared for improving the dissolution rate of simvastatin. • The diffusional resistance of the mesoporous shell can delay and regulate drug release. • Simvastatin absorbed in DMSS exists in amorphous form due to spatial confinement.

Synthesis of novel core-shell structured dual-mesoporous silica nanospheres and their application for enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Chao; Sun, Xiaohu; Zhao, Zongzhe; Zhao, Ying; Hao, Yanna; Liu, Ying; Gao, Yu

2014-01-01

Novel core-shell dual-mesoporous silica nanospheres (DMSS) with a tunable pore size were synthesized successfully using a styrene monomer as a channel template for the core and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a channel template for the shell in order to improve the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. Simvastatin was used as a model drug and loaded into DMSS and the mesoporous core without the shell (MSC) by the solvent evaporation method. The drug loading efficiency of DMSS and MSC were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV). Characterization, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that simvastatin adsorbed in DMSS and MSC was in an amorphous state, and in vitro release test results demonstrated that both DMSS and MSC increased the water solubility and dissolution rate of simvastatin. The shell structure of DMSS was able to regulate the release of simvastatin compared with MSC. It is worth noting that DMSS has significant potential as a carrier for improving the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs and reducing the rapid release. - Highlights: • A novel core-shell DMSS is prepared for improving the dissolution rate of simvastatin. • The diffusional resistance of the mesoporous shell can delay and regulate drug release. • Simvastatin absorbed in DMSS exists in amorphous form due to spatial confinement

Morphologically and size uniform monodisperse particles and their shape-directed self-assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collins, Joshua E.; Bell, Howard Y.; Ye, Xingchen; Murray, Christopher Bruce

2017-09-12

Monodisperse particles having: a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology are disclosed. Due to their uniform size and shape, the monodisperse particles self assemble into superlattices. The particles may be luminescent particles such as down-converting phosphor particles and up-converting phosphors. The monodisperse particles of the invention have a rare earth-containing lattice which in one embodiment may be an yttrium-containing lattice or in another may be a lanthanide-containing lattice. The monodisperse particles may have different optical properties based on their composition, their size, and/or their morphology (or shape). Also disclosed is a combination of at least two types of monodisperse particles, where each type is a plurality of monodisperse particles having a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology; and where the types of monodisperse particles differ from one another by composition, by size, or by morphology. In a preferred embodiment, the types of monodisperse particles have the same composition but different morphologies. Methods of making and methods of using the monodisperse particles are disclosed.

Amperometric glucose sensor based on enhanced catalytic reduction of oxygen using glucose oxidase adsorbed onto core-shell Fe3O4-silica-Au magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Aijun; Li Yongfang; Li Zhonghua; Feng Jiuju; Sun Yanli; Chen Jianrong

2012-01-01

Monodisperse Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared under facile solvothermal conditions and successively functionalized with silica and Au to form core/shell Fe 3 O 4 -silica-Au NPs. Furthermore, the samples were used as matrix to construct a glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase (GOD). The immobilized GOD retained its bioactivity with high protein load of 3.92 × 10 −9 mol·cm −2 , and exhibited a surface-controlled quasi-reversible redox reaction, with a fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate of 7.98 ± 0.6 s −1 . The glucose biosensor showed a broad linear range up to 3.97 mM with high sensitivity of 62.45 μA·mM −1 cm −2 and fast response (less than 5 s). - Graphical abstract: Core-shell structured Fe 3 O 4 -silica-Au nanoparticles were prepared and used as matrix to construct an amperometric glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase, which showed broad linear range, high sensitivity, and fast response. Highlights: ► Synthesis of monodispersed Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. ► Fabrication of core/shell Fe 3 O 4 -silica-Au nanoparticles. ► Construction of a novel glucose sensor with wide linear range, high sensitivity and fast response.

Sustained Ocular Delivery of Ciprofloxacin Using Nanospheres and Conventional Contact Lens Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Garhwal, Rahul; Shady, Sally F.; Ellis, Edward J.; Ellis, Jeanne Y.; Leahy, Charles D.; McCarthy, Stephen P.; Crawford, Kathryn S.

2012-01-01

Purpose. To formulate conventional contact lenses that incorporate nanosphere-encapsulated antibiotic and demonstrate that the lenses provide for sustained antibacterial activity. Methods. A copolymer composed of pullulan and polycaprolactone (PCL) was used to synthesize core-shell nanospheres that encapsulated ciprofloxacin. Bactericidal activity of the nanosphere-encapsulated ciprofloxacin (nanosphere/cipro) was tested by using liquid cultures of either Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nanosphere/cipro was then incorporated into HEMA-based contact lenses that were tested for growth inhibition of S. aureus or P. aeruginosa in liquid cultures inoculated daily with fresh bacteria. Lens designs included thin or thick lenses incorporating nanosphere/cipro and ciprofloxacin-HCl-soaked Acuvue lenses (Acuvue; Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., Jacksonville, FL). Results. Less than 2 μg/mL of nanosphere/cipro effectively inhibited the proliferation of cultures inoculated with 107 or 108 bacteria/mL of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. HEMA-based contact lenses polymerized with nanosphere/cipro were transparent, effectively inhibited the proliferation of greater than 107/mL of bacteria added daily over 3 days of culture, and killed up to 5 × 109 total microbes in a single inoculation. A thicker lens design provided additional inhibition of bacterial growth for up to 96 hours. Conclusions. Core-shell nanospheres loaded with an antibiotic can be incorporated into a conventional, transparent contact lens and provide for sustained and effective bactericidal activity and thereby provide a new drug delivery platform for widespread use in treating ocular disorders. PMID:22266514

Ultra-small and anionic starch nanospheres: formation and vitro thrombolytic behavior study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yinjuan; Ding, Shenglong; Liu, Mingzhu; Gao, Chunmei; Yang, Jinlong; Zhang, Xinjie; Ding, Bin

2013-07-25

This paper is considered as the first report on the investigation of nattokinase (NK) release from anionic starch nanospheres. The ultra-small and anionic starch nanospheres were prepared by the method of reverse micro-emulsion crosslinking in this work. Starch nanospheres were characterized through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Effects of preparation conditions on particle size were studied. The cytotoxicity, biodegradable and vitro thrombolytic behaviors of nattokinase (NK) loaded anionic starch nanospheres were also studied. The results showed that the anionic starch nanospheres are non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable. Moreover, the anionic starch nanospheres can protect NK from fast biodegradation hence prolongs the circulation in vivo and can reduce the risk of acute hemorrhage complication by decreasing the thrombolysis rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functionalization of Silica Nanoparticles for Polypropylene Nanocomposite Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Bracho

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Synthetic silica nanospheres of 20 and 100 nm diameter were produced via the sol-gel method to be used as filler in polypropylene (PP composites. Modification of the silica surface was further performed by reaction with organic chlorosilanes in order to improve the particles interaction with the hydrophobic polyolefin matrix. These nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electronic microscopy (TEM, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy. For unmodified silica, it was found that the 20 nm particles have a greater effect on both mechanical and barrier properties of the polymeric composite. In particular, at 30 wt%, Young's modulus increases by 70%, whereas water vapor permeability (WVP increases by a factor of 6. Surface modification of the 100 nm particles doubles the value of the composite breaking strain compared to unmodified particles without affecting Young's modulus, while 20 nm modified particles presented a slight increase on both Young's modulus and breaking strain. Modified 100 nm particles showed a higher WVP compared to the unmodified particles, probably due to interparticle condensation during the modification step. Our results show that the addition of nanoparticles on the composite properties depends on both particle size and surface modifications.

Elongational viscosity of monodisperse and bidisperse polystyrene melts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Kromann; Rasmussen, Henrik K.; Hassager, Ole

2006-01-01

The start-up and steady uniaxial elongational viscosity have been measured for two monodisperse polystyrene melts with molecular weights of 52 and 103 kg/mole, and for three bidisperse polystyrene melts. The monodisperse melts show a maximum in the steady elongational viscosity vs. the elongational...

Deposition of GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles on silica nanospheres by a simple sol gel method

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guixia; Hong, Guangyan; Wang, Jinxian; Dong, Xiangting

2006-07-01

The deposition and coating of GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles on spherical silica was carried out using a simple sol-gel method at low temperature. The GdVO4:Eu3+-coated silica composites obtained were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectra, and kinetic decay. It is found that the ~5 nm GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles coating the silica spheres are crystal in the as-prepared samples and the crystallinity increases with increasing annealing temperature. The composites obtained are spherical in shape with an average size of 100 nm. The GdVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles are linked with silica cores by a chemical bond. The photoluminescence spectra of the obtained GdVO4:Eu3+-coated silica composites are similar to those of the bulk GdVO4:Eu3+ phosphors. The strongest peak is near 617 nm, which indicates that Eu3+ is located in the low symmetry site with non-inversion centre.

Fabrication of biomimetic dry-adhesion structures through nanosphere lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, P. C.; Chang, N. W.; Suen, Y.; Yang, S. Y.

2018-03-01

Components with surface nanostructures suitable for biomimetic dry adhesion have a great potential in applications such as gecko tape, climbing robots, and skin patches. In this study, a nanosphere lithography technique with self-assembly nanospheres was developed to achieve effective and efficient fabrication of dry-adhesion structures. Self-assembled monolayer nanospheres with high regularity were obtained through tilted dip-coating. Reactive-ion etching of the self-assembled nanospheres was used to fabricate nanostructures of different shapes and aspect ratios by varying the etching time. Thereafter, nickel molds with inverse nanostructures were replicated using the electroforming process. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanostructures were fabricated through a gas-assisted hot-embossing method. The pulling test was performed to measure the shear adhesion on the glass substrate of a sample, and the static contact angle was measured to verify the hydrophobic property of the structure. The enhancement of the structure indicates that the adhesion force increased from 1.2 to 4.05 N/cm2 and the contact angle increased from 118.6° to 135.2°. This columnar structure can effectively enhance the adhesion ability of PDMS, demonstrating the potential of using nanosphere lithography for the fabrication of adhesive structures.

Encapsulated in silica: genome, proteome and physiology of the thermophilic bacterium Anoxybacillus flavithermus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saw, Jimmy H [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mountain, Bruce W [NEW ZEALAND; Feng, Lu [NANKAI UNIV; Omelchenko, Marina V [NCBI/NLM/NIH; Hou, Shaobin [UNIV OF HAWAII; Saito, Jennifer A [UNIV OF HAWAII; Stott, Matthew B [NEW ZEALAND; Li, Dan [NANKAI UNIV; Zhao, Guang [NANKAI UNIV; Wu, Junli [NANKAI UNIV; Galperin, Michael Y [NCBI/NLM/NIH; Koonin, Eugene V [NCBI/NLM/NIH; Makarova, Kira S [NCBI/NLM/NIH; Wolf, Yuri I [NCBI/NLM/NIH; Rigden, Daniel J [UNIV OF LIVERPOOL; Dunfield, Peter F [UNIV OF CALGARY; Wang, Lei [NANKAI UNIV; Alam, Maqsudul [UNIV OF HAWAII

2008-01-01

Gram-positive bacteria of the genus Anoxybacillus have been found in diverse thermophilic habitats, such as geothermal hot springs and manure, and in processed foods such as gelatin and milk powder. Anoxybacillus flavithermus is a facultatively anaerobic bacterium found in super-saturated silica solutions and in opaline silica sinter. The ability of A. flavithermus to grow in super-saturated silica solutions makes it an ideal subject to study the processes of sinter formation, which might be similar to the biomineralization processes that occurred at the dawn of life. We report here the complete genome sequence of A. flavithermus strain WK1, isolated from the waste water drain at the Wairakei geothermal power station in New Zealand. It consists of a single chromosome of 2,846,746 base pairs and is predicted to encode 2,863 proteins. In silico genome analysis identified several enzymes that could be involved in silica adaptation and biofilm formation, and their predicted functions were experimentally validated in vitro. Proteomic analysis confirmed the regulation of biofilm-related proteins and crucial enzymes for the synthesis of long-chain polyamines as constituents of silica nanospheres. Microbial fossils preserved in silica and silica sinters are excellent objects for studying ancient life, a new paleobiological frontier. An integrated analysis of the A. flavithermus genome and proteome provides the first glimpse of metabolic adaptation during silicification and sinter formation. Comparative genome analysis suggests an extensive gene loss in the Anoxybacillus/Geobacillus branch after its divergence from other bacilli.

Hollow Nanospheres Array Fabrication via Nano-Conglutination Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Man; Deng, Qiling; Xia, Liangping; Shi, Lifang; Cao, Axiu; Pang, Hui; Hu, Song

2015-09-01

Hollow nanospheres array is a special nanostructure with great applications in photonics, electronics and biochemistry. The nanofabrication technique with high resolution is crucial to nanosciences and nano-technology. This paper presents a novel nonconventional nano-conglutination technology combining polystyrenes spheres (PSs) self-assembly, conglutination and a lift-off process to fabricate the hollow nanospheres array with nanoholes. A self-assembly monolayer of PSs was stuck off from the quartz wafer by the thiol-ene adhesive material, and then the PSs was removed via a lift-off process and the hollow nanospheres embedded into the thiol-ene substrate was obtained. Thiolene polymer is a UV-curable material via "click chemistry" reaction at ambient conditions without the oxygen inhibition, which has excellent chemical and physical properties to be attractive as the adhesive material in nano-conglutination technology. Using the technique, a hollow nanospheres array with the nanoholes at the diameter of 200 nm embedded into the rigid thiol-ene substrate was fabricated, which has great potential to serve as a reaction container, catalyst and surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate.

Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres as a photocatalyst for high performance photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Da; Wang, Dongfang; Ge, Qisheng; Ping, Guangxing; Fan, Meiqiang; Qin, Laishun; Bai, Liqun; Lv, Chunju; Shu, Kangying

2015-01-01

In this work, graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres (ZnO–graphene nanocomposites) were prepared by a simple facile lyophilization method, followed by thermal treatment process. ZnO nanospheres with the size of about 100–400 nm, composed of numerous nanocrystals with hexagonal wurtzite structure, were well separated from each other and wrapped with transparent graphene sheets. Compared to ZnO nanospheres, the ZnO–graphene nanocomposites showed a significant enhancement in the photodegradation of methylene blue. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to their favorable dye-adsorption affinity and increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer of the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of ZnO to graphene. Thus, this work could provide a facile and low-cost method for the development of graphene-based nanocomposites with promising applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, sensing, and so on. - Highlights: • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were prepared by a facile lyophilization method. • ZnO nanospheres were separated from each other and wrapped with 2D graphene sheets. • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres exhibited superior photocatalytic activities. • The photocatalytic mechanisms of graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were discussed

Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres as a photocatalyst for high performance photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Da, E-mail: dchen_80@hotmail.com [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Wang, Dongfang; Ge, Qisheng; Ping, Guangxing [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Fan, Meiqiang, E-mail: fanmeiqiang@126.com [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Qin, Laishun [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Bai, Liqun [School of Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300 (China); Lv, Chunju; Shu, Kangying [College of Materials Science & Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

2015-01-01

In this work, graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres (ZnO–graphene nanocomposites) were prepared by a simple facile lyophilization method, followed by thermal treatment process. ZnO nanospheres with the size of about 100–400 nm, composed of numerous nanocrystals with hexagonal wurtzite structure, were well separated from each other and wrapped with transparent graphene sheets. Compared to ZnO nanospheres, the ZnO–graphene nanocomposites showed a significant enhancement in the photodegradation of methylene blue. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to their favorable dye-adsorption affinity and increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer of the photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of ZnO to graphene. Thus, this work could provide a facile and low-cost method for the development of graphene-based nanocomposites with promising applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, sensing, and so on. - Highlights: • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were prepared by a facile lyophilization method. • ZnO nanospheres were separated from each other and wrapped with 2D graphene sheets. • Graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres exhibited superior photocatalytic activities. • The photocatalytic mechanisms of graphene-wrapped ZnO nanospheres were discussed.

Adsorption of Organophosphate Pesticide Dimethoate on Gold Nanospheres and Nanorods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatjana Momić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Organophosphorus pesticide dimethoate was adsorbed onto gold nanospheres and nanorods in aqueous solution using batch technique. Adsorption of dimethoate onto gold nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, TEM, AFM, and FTIR analysis. The adsorption of nanospheres resulted in aggregation which was not the case with nanorods. Nanoparticles adsorption features were characterized using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was found to have the best fit to the experimental data for both types of nanoparticles. Adsorption capacity detected for nanospheres is 456 mg/g and for nanorods is 57.1 mg/g. Also, nanoparticles were successfully used for dimethoate removal from spiked drinking water while nanospheres were shown to be more efficient than nanorods.

Fluorescence from a quantum dot and metallic nanosphere hybrid system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schindel, Daniel G. [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 (Canada); Singh, Mahi R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 3K7 (Canada)

2014-03-31

We present energy absorption and interference in a quantum dot-metallic nanosphere system embedded on a dielectric substrate. A control field is applied to induce dipole moments in the nanosphere and the quantum dot, and a probe field is applied to monitor absorption. Dipole moments in the quantum dot or the metal nanosphere are induced, both by the external fields and by each other's dipole fields. Thus, in addition to direct polarization, the metal nanosphere and the quantum dot will sense one another via the dipole-dipole interaction. The density matrix method was used to show that the absorption spectrum can be split from one peak to two peaks by the control field, and this can also be done by placing the metal sphere close to the quantum dot. When the two are extremely close together, a self-interaction in the quantum dot produces an asymmetry in the absorption peaks. In addition, the fluorescence efficiency can be quenched by the addition of a metal nanosphere. This hybrid system could be used to create ultra-fast switching and sensing nanodevices.

Synthesis of Novel Mesoporous Silica Materials with Hierarchical Pore Structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Suk Bon; Choi, Wang Kyu; Choi, Byung Seon; Moon, Jei Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Porous materials with various pore sizes in the range of micropore (< 2 nm), mesopore (2-50 nm), and macropore (> 50 nm) are attractive due to their many emerging applications such as catalysts, separation systems, and low dielectric constant materials. The discovery of new M41S mesoporous silica families with pore sizes larger than 2 nm in diameter in 1992 extended the applications into much wider pore ranges, bringing in a new prosperous era in porous material research. The synthesis of these silica materials has been mainly accomplished through a self-assembly between surfactant molecules and inorganic species under various pH conditions. Recently, core-shell nanoparticles with a silica core and mesoporous shell under basic conditions were synthesized using the silica nanoparticles as a core, and a silica precursor (TEOS) and cationic surfactant (CTABr) as a material for the formation of the mesoporous shell. The resultant materials were very monodispersive in size and showed a narrow pore size distribution in the range of ca 2-3 nm in diameter, depending on the alkyl-chain length of the surfactants used. In this work, the mesoporous shell coated-fumed silicas (denoted as MS M-5s) were synthesized by using fumed silica instead of the silica nanoparticle as a core based on previous reports. Also, the structural properties of the MS M-5s such as the specific surface area and pore volume were easily controlled by varying the amount of the silica precursor and surfactant. The resultant materials exhibited a BET surface area of ca 279-446 m{sup 2}/g and total pore volume of ca 0.64-0.74 cm{sup 3}/g and showed a narrow pore size distribution (PSD) due to the removal of the organic surfactant molecules

Optical properties of monodispersive FePt nanoparticle films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, S.J.; Lo, C.C.H. [Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Yu, A.C.C. [Sony Corporation, Sendai Technology Center, 3-4-1 Sakuragi, Miyagi 985-0842 (Japan); Fan, M. [Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2004-10-01

The optical properties of monodispersive FePt nanoparticle films were investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry in the energy range of 1.5 to 5.5 eV. The monodispersive FePt nanoparticle film was stabilized on a Si substrate by means of an organosilane coupling film, resulting in the formation of a (Si/SiO{sub 2}/APTS/FePt nanoparticles monolayer) structure. Multilayer optical models were employed to study the contribution of the FePt nanoparticles to the measured optical properties of the monodispersive FePt nanoparticle film, and to estimate the optical properties of the FePt nanoparticle layer. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Gold Nanospheres Dispersed Light Responsive Epoxy Vitrimers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenhua Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Vitrimers represent a new class of smart materials. They are covalently crosslinked like thermosets, yet they can be reprocessed like thermoplastics. The underlying mechanism is the rapid exchange reactions which form new bonds while breaking the old ones. So far, heating is the most widely used stimulus to activate the exchange reaction. Compared to heating, light not only is much more convenient to achieve remote and regional control, but can also offer fast healing. Gold nanospheres are excellent photothermal agents, but they are difficult to disperse into vitrimers as they easily aggregate. In this paper, we use polydopamine to prepare gold nanospheres. The resultant polydopamine-coated gold nanospheres (GNS can be well dispersed into epoxy vitrimers, endowing epoxy vitrimers with light responsivity. The composites can be reshaped permanently and temporarily with light at different intensity. Efficient surface patterning and healing are also demonstrated.

Dispersion of nano-silica in monomer casting nylon6 and its effect on the structure and properties of composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2010-07-01

Full Text Available To promote dispersion of nano-silica in monomer casting nylon6 (MC nylon6, nano-silica was dispersed in melted caprolactam with the assistance of ultrasound, anionic polymerization was then initiated to form silica/MC nylon6 in-situ nanocomposites. It was found that hydrogen bonds were formed between nano-silica and caprolactam, in the meantime, ultrasound helped to break the nanoparticles aggregations into smaller ones or even mono-dispersing particles. Therefore, the agglomerated nanoparticles were pulled apart and stabilized by caprolactam. Additionally, the rapid anionic polymerization of caprolactam also contributed to the avoidance of re-agglomeration and deposition of nanoparticles during the polymerization process, leading to the uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Mechanical tests indicated that the silica/MC nylon6 in-situ nanocomposites prepared according to the above strategy were simultaneously toughened, strengthened and stiffened. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA results showed that thermal stability of nanocomposites was notably improved compared to neat MC nylon6.

Silica encapsulation of fluorescent nanodiamonds for colloidal stability and facile surface functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Bumb, Ambika; Sarkar, Susanta K; Billington, Neil; Brechbiel, Martin W; Neuman, Keir C

2013-05-29

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) emit in the near-IR and do not photobleach or photoblink. These properties make FNDs better suited for numerous imaging applications compared with commonly used fluorescence agents such as organic dyes and quantum dots. However, nanodiamonds do not form stable suspensions in aqueous buffer, are prone to aggregation, and are difficult to functionalize. Here we present a method for encapsulating nanodiamonds with silica using an innovative liposome-based encapsulation process that renders the particle surface biocompatible, stable, and readily functionalized through routine linking chemistries. Furthermore, the method selects for a desired particle size and produces a monodisperse agent. We attached biotin to the silica-coated FNDs and tracked the three-dimensional motion of a biotinylated FND tethered by a single DNA molecule with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Mechanistic investigation into the spontaneous linear assembly of gold nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Yang, Miaoxin

2010-01-01

Understanding the mechanism of nanoparticle self-assembly is of critical significance for developing synthetic strategies for complex nanostructures. By encapsulating aggregates of Au nanospheres in shells of polystyrene-block- poly(acrylic acid), we prevent the dissociation and aggregation typically associated with the drying of solution samples on TEM/SEM substrates. In our study of the salt-induced aggregation of 2-naphthalenethiol-functionalized Au nanospheres in DMF, the trapping of the solution species under various experimental conditions permits new insights in the mechanism thereof. We provide evidence that the spontaneous linear aggregation in this system is a kinetically controlled process and hence the long-range charge repulsion at the "transition state" before the actual contact of the Au nanospheres is the key factor. Thus, the charge repulsion potential (i.e. the activation energy) a nanosphere must overcome before attaching to either end of a nanochain is smaller than attaching on its sides, which has been previously established. This factor alone could give rise to the selective end-on attachment and lead to the linear assembly of originally isotropic Au nanospheres. © 2010 the Owner Societies.

Size-dependent surface plasmon resonance in silver silica nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Senoy; Nair, Saritha K; Jamal, E Muhammad Abdul; Anantharaman, M R; Al-Harthi, S H; Varma, Manoj Raama

2008-01-01

Silver silica nanocomposites were obtained by the sol-gel technique using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) as precursors. The silver nitrate concentration was varied for obtaining composites with different nanoparticle sizes. The structural and microstructural properties were determined by x-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were done for determining the chemical states of silver in the silica matrix. For the lowest AgNO 3 concentration, monodispersed and spherical Ag crystallites, with an average diameter of 5 nm, were obtained. Grain growth and an increase in size distribution was observed for higher concentrations. The occurrence of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands and their evolution in the size range 5-10 nm is studied. For decreasing nanoparticle size, a redshift and broadening of the plasmon-related absorption peak was observed. The observed redshift and broadening of the SPR band was explained using modified Mie scattering theory

Gradual growth of gold nanoseeds on silica for SiO2-gold homogeneous nano core/shell applications by the chemical reduction method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezvani Nikabadi, H; Shahtahmasebi, N; Rezaee Rokn-Abadi, M; Bagheri Mohagheghi, M M; Goharshadi, E K

2013-01-01

In this paper, a facile method for the synthesis of gold nanoseeds on the functionalized surface of silica nanoparticles has been investigated. Mono-dispersed silica particles and gold nanoparticles were prepared by the chemical reduction method. The thickness of the Au shell was well controlled by repeating the reduction time of HAuCl 4 on silica/3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)/initial gold nanoparticles. The prepared SiO 2 -gold core/shell nanoparticles were studied using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The TEM images indicated that the silica nanoparticles were spherical in shape with 100 nm diameters and functionalizing silica nanoparticles with a layer of bi-functional APTES molecules and tetrakis hydroxy methyl phosphonium chloride. The gold nanoparticles show a narrow size of up to 5 nm and by growing gold nanoseeds over the silica cores a red shift in the maximum absorbance of UV-Vis spectroscopy from 524 to 637 nm was observed.

Enriching PMMA nanospheres with adjustable charges as novel templates for multicolored dye-PMMA nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xumei; Xu Shuping; Xu Weiqing; Liang Chongyang; Li Hongrui; Sun Fei

2011-01-01

Multicolored fluorescent dye loaded PMMA nanospheres were synthesized by the electrostatic adsorption of dye molecules on the charged PMMA nanospheres, whose charges were adjusted by choosing different initiators. The charged PMMA nanospheres have a wider capacity and advantage for combining the charged dyes. The fluorescent dye-PMMA composite nanospheres possess the advantages of higher brightness, longer lifetime and stronger resistance to photobleaching relative to dye molecules. Dye leakage remained lower than 5% over one week. These fluorescent nanospheres have been used in biological labels in cell imaging. They can easily stain blood cancer cells without further surface modification.

Synthesis of magnetic hollow silica using polystyrene bead as a template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, W.; Caruntu, D.; Martin, A.; Yu, M.H.; O'Connor, C.J.; Zhou, W.L.; Chen, J.-F.

2007-01-01

In this paper, we report a new route to synthesize novel magnetic hollow silica nanospheres (MHSNs) using polystyrene particles as sacrificial templates, and TEOS and Fe 3 O 4 as precursors. TEM, EDS, XRD, and SQUID were applied to characterize MHSNs. TEM and EDS results show that the MHSNs consist of about 200 nm of hollow cores and ∼35 nm shells with ∼10 nm of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles embedded. The polystyrene beads were successfully removed by immersing the as-prepared silica nanocomposite in a toluene solution. XRD results demonstrate that the Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles still keep spinel structure even heated at low temperature. The surface status of the polystyrene beads and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles has an important effect on the formation of the MHSNs. The MHSNs present a superparamagnetism at room temperature by SQUID measurement. The MHSNs have potential applications in biosystem and nanomedicine

Large-deformation and high-strength amorphous porous carbon nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weizhu; Mao, Shimin; Yang, Jia; Shang, Tao; Song, Hongguang; Mabon, James; Swiech, Wacek; Vance, John R.; Yue, Zhufeng; Dillon, Shen J.; Xu, Hangxun; Xu, Baoxing

2016-04-01

Carbon is one of the most important materials extensively used in industry and our daily life. Crystalline carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene possess ultrahigh strength and toughness. In contrast, amorphous carbon is known to be very brittle and can sustain little compressive deformation. Inspired by biological shells and honeycomb-like cellular structures in nature, we introduce a class of hybrid structural designs and demonstrate that amorphous porous carbon nanospheres with a thin outer shell can simultaneously achieve high strength and sustain large deformation. The amorphous carbon nanospheres were synthesized via a low-cost, scalable and structure-controllable ultrasonic spray pyrolysis approach using energetic carbon precursors. In situ compression experiments on individual nanospheres show that the amorphous carbon nanospheres with an optimized structure can sustain beyond 50% compressive strain. Both experiments and finite element analyses reveal that the buckling deformation of the outer spherical shell dominates the improvement of strength while the collapse of inner nanoscale pores driven by twisting, rotation, buckling and bending of pore walls contributes to the large deformation.

The Generation And Properties Of Solid Monodisperse Aerosols Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A monodisperse aerosol generator (MAGE) was used to generate calibration or monodisperse aerosols containing stearic acid and carnauba wax. Some of the factors affecting the size of aerosol particles generated with the MAGE were determined. The factors include: temperature of operation of the MAGE, type and purity ...

Polyethyleneglycol diacrylate hydrogels with plasmonic gold nanospheres incorporated via functional group optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Ponnuvelu, Dinesh Veeran; Kim, Seokbeom; Lee, Jungchul

2017-12-01

We present a facile method for the preparation of polyethyleneglycol diacrylate (PEG-DA) hydrogels with plasmonic gold (Au) nanospheres incorporated for various biological and chemical sensing applications. Plasmonic Au nanospheres were prepared ex situ using the standard citrate reduction method with an average diameter of 3.5 nm and a standard deviation of 0.5 nm, and evaluated for their surface functionalization process intended for uniform dispersion in polymer matrices. UV-Visible spectroscopy reveals the existence of plasmonic properties for pristine Au nanospheres, functionalized Au nanospheres, and PEG-DA with uniformly dispersed functionalized Au nanospheres (hybrid Au/PEG-DA hydrogels). Hybrid Au/PEG-DA hydrogels examined by using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) exhibit the characteristic bands at 1635, 1732 and 2882 cm-1 corresponding to reaction products of OH- originating from oxidized product of citrate, -C=O stretching from ester bond, and C-H stretching of PEG-DA, respectively. Thermal studies of hybrid Au/PEG-DA hydrogels show three-stage decomposition with their stabilities up to 500 °C. Optical properties and thermal stabilities associated with the uniform dispersion of Au nanospheres within hydrogels reported herein will facilitate various biological and chemical sensing applications.

Plasmonic nanospherical dimers for color pixels

KAUST Repository

Alrasheed, Salma

2018-04-20

Display technologies are evolving more toward higher resolution and miniaturization. Plasmonic color pixels can offer solutions to realize such technologies due to their sharp resonances and selective scattering and absorption at particular wavelengths. Metal nanosphere dimers are capable of supporting plasmon resonances that can be tuned to span the entire visible spectrum. In this article, we demonstrate numerically bright color pixels that are highly polarized and broadly tuned using periodic arrays of metal nanosphere dimers on a glass substrate. We show that it is possible to obtain RGB pixels in the reflection mode. The longitudinal plasmon resonance of nanosphere dimers along the axis of the dimer is the main contributor to the color of the pixel, while far-field diffractive coupling further enhances and tunes the plasmon resonance. The computational method used is the finite-difference time-domain method. The advantages of this approach include simplicity of the design, bright coloration, and highly polarized function. In addition, we show that it is possible to obtain different colors by varying the angle of incidence, the periodicity, the size of the dimer, the gap, and the substrate thickness.

Electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of biomarker using Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+}-encapsulated silica nanosphere labels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian Jing [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China); Zhou Zhenxian [Nanjing Second Hospital, Nanjing, 210003 (China); Cao Xiaodong [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China); Liu Songqin, E-mail: liusq@seu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China)

2010-04-14

Here, we describe a new approach for electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay with Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+}-encapsulated silica nanoparticle (SiO{sub 2}-Ru) as labels. A water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion method was employed for one-pot synthesis of SiO{sub 2}-Ru nanoparticles. The as-synthesized SiO{sub 2}-Ru nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution, which allows reproducible loading of Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} inside the silica shell and of {alpha}-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP), a model antibody, on the silica surface with glutaraldehyde as linkage. The silica shell effectively prevents leakage of Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} into the aqueous solution due to strong electrostatic interaction between the positively charged Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} and the negatively charged surface of silica. The porous structure of silica shell allowed the ion to move easily through the pore to exchange energy/electrons with the entrapped Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+}. The as-synthesized SiO{sub 2}-Ru can be used as a label for ultrasensitive detection of biomarkers through a sandwiched immunoassay process. The calibration range of AFP concentration was 0.05-30 ng mL{sup -1} with linear relation from 0.05 to 20 ng mL{sup -1} and a detection limit of 0.035 ng mL{sup -1} at 3{sigma}. The resulting immunosensors possess high sensitivity and good analytical performance.

Mesoporous Silica Nanomaterials for Applications in Catalysis, Sensing, Drug Delivery and Gene Transfection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radu, Daniela Rodica [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2004-01-01

The central theme of this dissertation is represented by the versatility of mesoporous silica nanomaterials in various applications such as catalysis and bio-applications, with main focus on biological applications of Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres (MSN). The metamorphosis that we impose to these materials from catalysis to sensing and to drug and gene delivery is detailed in this dissertation. First, we developed a synthetic method that can fine tune the amount of chemically accessible organic functional groups on the pores surface of MSN by exploiting electrostatic and size matching between the cationic alkylammonium head group of the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant and various anionic organoalkoxysilane precursors at the micelle-water interface in a base-catalyzed condensation reaction of silicate. Aiming nature imitation, we demonstrated the catalytic abilities of the MSNs, We utilized an ethylenediamine functional group for chelating Cu²⁺ as a catalytic functional group anchored inside the mesopores. Thus, a polyalkynylene-based conducting polymer (molecular wire) was synthesized within the Cu-functionalized MSNs silica catalyst. For sensing applications, we have synthesized a poly(lactic acid) coated mesoporous silica nanosphere (PLA-MSN) material that serves as a fluorescence sensor system for detection of amino-containing neurotransmitters in neutral aqueous buffer. We exploited the mesoporosity of MSNs for encapsulating pharmaceutical drugs. We examined bio-friendly capping molecules such as polyamidoamine dendrimers of generations G2 to G4, to prevent the drug leaching. Next, the drug delivery system employed MSNs loaded with Doxorubicin, an anticancer drug. The results demonstrated that these nano-Trojan horses have ability to deliver Doxorubicin to cancer cells and induce their death. Finally, to demonstrate the potential of MSN as an universal cellular transmembrane nanovehicle, we anchored positively charged dendrimers on

Nonlocal Response of Metallic Nanospheres Probed by Light, Electrons, and Atoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas; Yan, Wei; Raza, Søren

2014-01-01

Inspired by recent measurements on individual metallic nanospheres that cannot be explained with traditional classical electrodynamics, we theoretically investigate the effects of nonlocal response by metallic nanospheres in three distinct settings: atomic spontaneous emission, electron energy loss...... blueshifted surface plasmon but also an infinite series of bulk plasmons that have no counterpart in a local-response approximation. We show that these increasingly blueshifted multipole plasmons become spectrally more prominent at shorter probe-to-surface separations and for decreasing nanosphere radii...

Amperometric glucose sensor based on enhanced catalytic reduction of oxygen using glucose oxidase adsorbed onto core-shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-silica-Au magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Aijun [College of Geography and Environmental Science, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China); Li Yongfang [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003 (China); Li Zhonghua [Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China); Feng Jiuju, E-mail: jjfengnju@gmail.com [College of Geography and Environmental Science, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China); Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China); Sun Yanli [Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007 (China); Chen Jianrong [College of Geography and Environmental Science, College of Chemistry and Life Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China)

2012-08-01

Monodisperse Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared under facile solvothermal conditions and successively functionalized with silica and Au to form core/shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-silica-Au NPs. Furthermore, the samples were used as matrix to construct a glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase (GOD). The immobilized GOD retained its bioactivity with high protein load of 3.92 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -9} mol{center_dot}cm{sup -2}, and exhibited a surface-controlled quasi-reversible redox reaction, with a fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate of 7.98 {+-} 0.6 s{sup -1}. The glucose biosensor showed a broad linear range up to 3.97 mM with high sensitivity of 62.45 {mu}A{center_dot}mM{sup -1} cm{sup -2} and fast response (less than 5 s). - Graphical abstract: Core-shell structured Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-silica-Au nanoparticles were prepared and used as matrix to construct an amperometric glucose sensor based on glucose oxidase, which showed broad linear range, high sensitivity, and fast response. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis of monodispersed Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fabrication of core/shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-silica-Au nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Construction of a novel glucose sensor with wide linear range, high sensitivity and fast response.

Boiling of water in flow restricted areas modeled by colloidal silica deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peixinho, Jorge; Lefevre, Gregory; Coudert, Francois-Xavier; Hurisse, Olivier

2012-09-01

Understanding the effects of particle deposits on evaporation and boiling of water represents an important issue for EDF because it causes a severe reduction in efficiency particularly in steam generators of pressurized water reactor. These deposits are made of oxide metallic particles and the deposition process depends on multiple factors. Here we mimic deposits using a simple system made of hydrophilic silica particles. The present study reports experiments on evaporation or boiling of water confined in the pores of colloidal mono-dispersed silica micro-sphere deposits. The boiling of water confined in the pores of the colloidal crystal is studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, water adsorption through infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. By comparison of the results with silica deposits and alumina membranes with cylindrical pores, our study shows that the morphology of the pores contributes to the evaporation and boiling of water. The measurements suggest that particle resuspension and crust formation take place during drying at elevated temperature and are responsible for cracks formation within the deposit film. (authors)

Controlling pore morphology and properties of nanoporous silica films using the different architecture PS-b-P2VP as a template.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yang-Yen; Chien, Wen-Chen; Chen, Shih-Ting

2010-07-01

Nanoporous silica films were prepared through the templating of amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(styrene-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP), and monodispersed colloidal silica nanoparticles. The experimental and theoretical studies suggested that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding existes between the colloidal silica nanoparticles and PS-b-P2VP. The effects of the loading ratio and P2VP chain length on the morphology and properties of the prepared nanoporous silica films were investigated. TEM and AFM studies showed that the uniform pore size could be achieved and the pore size increased with increasing porogen loading. The refractive index and dielectric constant of the prepared nanoporous films decreased with an increase in PS-b-P2VP loading. On the other hand, the porosity increased with an increasing PS-b-P2VP loading. This study demonstrated a methodology to control pore morphology and properties of the nanoporous silica films through the templating of PS-b-P2VP.

A Capillary Electrochromatographic Microchip Packed with Self-Assembly Colloidal Carboxylic Silica Beads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, In Sun; Kim, Shin Seon; Park, Jong Man [Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-04-15

An electrochromatographic microchip with carboxyl-group-derivatized mono-disperse silica packing was prepared from the corresponding colloidal silica solution by utilizing capillary action and self-assembly behavior. The silica beads in water were primed by the capillary action toward the ends of cross-patterned microchannel on a cyclic olefinic copolymer (COC) substrate. Slow evaporation of water at the front of packing promoted the self-assembled packing of the beads. After thermally binding a cover plate on the chip substrate, reservoirs for sample solutions were fabricated at the ends of the microchannel. The packing at the entrances of the microchannel was silver coated to fix utilizing an electroless silver-plating technique to prevent the erosion of the packed structure caused by the sudden switching of a high voltage DC power source. The electrochromatographic behavior of the microchip was explored and compared to that of the microchip with bare silica packing in basic borate buffer. Electrophoretic migration of Rhodamine B was dominant in the microchip with the carboxyl-derivatized silica packing that resulted in a migration approximated twice as fast, while the reversible adsorption was dominant in the bare silica-packed microchip. Not only the faster migration rates of the negatively charged FITC-derivatives of amino acids but also the different migration due to the charge interaction at the packing surface were observed. The electrochromatographic characteristics were studied in detail and compared with those of the bare silica packed microchip in terms of the packing material, the separation potential, pH of the running buffer, and also the separation channel length

Bio-inspired nanobowl/nanoball structures fabricated via solvent etching/swelling on nanosphere assembly patterns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Wan-Yi; Liu, Pang-Hsin; Wu, You [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chung, Yi-Chang, E-mail: ycchung@nuk.edu.tw [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, ROC (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2014-11-03

Ordered self-assembled nanopatterns have attracted much attention for their ability to mimic moth-eye structures and display unique optical properties. In the study, emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization was performed to prepare polystyrene nanospheres with uniform size distribution. Various hydrophilic monomers were added to copolymerize with styrene, including 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, and methyl acrylic acid, respectively, to enhance the self-assembling ability of nanospheres. The nanosphere suspension was injected into an air–water interface to self-assemble a nanosphere array, and then the resulting photonic crystal film was deposited on a substrate using a scooping transfer technique. The layer-by-layer scooping transfer technique can be applied to produce 2D and 3D assembled nanosphere layers on an area as large as a 4-inch wafer. The pattern of the 2D nanosphere array was attached to a UV-curable precursor surface and then encapsulated and transferred to the crosslinked resin after UV irradiation. The sample was then immersed into some solvents which could partially swell the resin surface to produce nanoball structures or etch the surface to generate nanobowl structures. The size of the as-prepared polystyrene spheres was about 360 nm, while the feature size of the nanoballs was about 230 nm after undergoing acetonitrile swelling. The facile and inexpensive technique can be applied to produce ordered nanoball patterns for various applications, such as optical coatings, superhydrophobic coatings, biophotosensors, antireflection films, dry adhesives, and so on. - Highlights: • We prepared core-shell PS nanosphere suspensions with narrow-size-distribution. • We employed a scooping technique to fabricate large-area nanosphere monolayers. • Swelling by acetonitrile formed nanoballs on a UV resin/nanosphere laminated layer. • Etching by toluene produced nanobowl on the UV resin/nanosphere laminated layer. • The parted nanoball

Progammed synthesis of magnetic mesoporous silica coated carbon nanotubes for organic pollutant adsorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tong, Yue; Zhang, Min, E-mail: congmingyang123@163.com; Xia, Peixiong; Wang, Linlin; Zheng, Jing; Li, Weizhen; Xu, Jingli, E-mail: xujingli@sues.edu.cn

2016-05-15

Magnetic mesoporous silica coated carbon nanotubes were produced from hydrophilic monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotubes using well controlled programmed synthesis method and were characterized by TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption and VSM. The well-designed mesoporous magnetic nanotubes had a large specific area, a highly open mesoporous structure and high magnetization. Firstly, SiO{sub 2}-coated maghemite/CNTs nanoparticles (CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} composites) were synthesized by the combination of high temperature decomposition process and an sol–gel method, in which the iron acetylacetonate as well as TEOS acted as the precursor for maghemite and SiO{sub 2}, respectively. The CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} composites revealed a core–shell structure, Then, CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@mSiO{sub 2} was obtained by extracting cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) via an ion-exchange procedure. The resulting composites show not only a magnetic response to an externally applied magnetic field, but also can be a good adsorbent for the organic pollutant in the ambient temperature. - Graphical abstract: Magnetic mesoporous silica coated carbon nanotubes were produced from hydrophilic monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotubes using well controlled programmed synthesis, which can be a good adsorbent for the organic pollutant in the ambient temperature. - Highlights: • The surface of CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} is hydrophilic, which facilitates the silica coating. • The CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@mSiO{sub 2} was synthesized by a facile method. • The CNTs/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@mSiO{sub 2} can be a good adsorbent for the organic pollutant.

Estrone specific molecularly imprinted polymeric nanospheres: synthesis, characterization and applications for electrochemical sensor development.

Science.gov (United States)

Congur, Gulsah; Senay, Hilal; Turkcan, Ceren; Canavar, Ece; Erdem, Arzum; Akgol, Sinan

2013-06-28

The aim of this study is (i) to prepare estrone-imprinted nanospheres (nano-EST-MIPs) and (ii) to integrate them into the electrochemical sensor as a recognition layer. N-methacryloyl-(l)-phenylalanine (MAPA) was chosen as the complexing monomer. Firstly, estrone (EST) was complexed with MAPA and the EST-imprinted poly(2-hyroxyethylmethacrylate-co-N-methacryloyl-(l)-phenylalanine) [EST-imprinted poly(HEMA-MAPA)] nanospheres were synthesized by surfactant- free emulsion polymerization method. The specific surface area of the EST-imprinted poly(HEMA-MAPA) nanospheres was found to be 1275 m2/g with a size of 163.2 nm in diameter. According to the elemental analysis results, the nanospheres contained 95.3 mmole MAPA/g nanosphere. The application of EST specific MIP nanospheres for the development of an electrochemical biosensor was introduced for the first time in our study by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. This nano-MIP based sensor presented a great specificity and selectivity for EST.

Nanoparticle and nanosphere mask for etching of ITO nanostructures and their reflection properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Cigang; Deng, Ligang; Holder, Adam; Bailey, Louise R.; Proudfoot, Gary; Thomas, Owain; Gunn, Robert; Cooke, Mike; Leendertz, Caspar; Bergmann, Joachim

2015-01-01

Au nanoparticles and polystyrene nanospheres were used as mask for plasma etching of indium tin oxide (ITO) layer. By reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, the morphology of polystyrene nanospheres can be tuned through chemical or physical etching, and Au nanoparticle mask can result in ITO nanostructures with larger aspect ratio than nanosphere mask. During inductively coupled plasma (ICP) processes, Au nanoparticle mask was not affected by the thermal effect of plasma, whereas temperature of the substrate was essential to protect nanospheres from the damaging effect of plasma. Physical bombardment in the plasma can also modify the nanospheres. It was observed that under the same process conditions, the ratio of CH 4 and H 2 in the process gas can affect the etching rate of ITO without completely etching the nanospheres. The morphology of ITO nanostructures also depends on process conditions. The resulting ITO nanostructures show lower reflection in a spectral range of 400-1000 nm than c-Si and conventional antireflection layer of SiN x film. ITO nanostructures obtained after etching (scale bar = 200 nm). (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Synthesis of surface imprinted nanospheres for selective removal of uranium from simulants of Sambhar salt lake and ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milja, Thazhathuparambil Elias; Prathish, Krishnapillai Padmajakumari; Prasada Rao, Talasila

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: Surface imprinted nanospheres synthesized by modified precipitation polymerization method offer higher retention capacity and imprinting coefficients for removal of uranium from natural waters. - Abstract: Imprinted polymer nanospheres for uranium were prepared by complexing uranyl ion on to quinoline-8-ol functionalized 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane modified silica nanoparticles followed by surface imprinting with 4-VP (4-vinyl pyridine), HEMA (2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) and EGDMA (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) as the functional monomers and cross linking agent respectively with AIBN (2,2'-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile) as initiator and 2-methoxyethanol as the porogen. Non-imprinted polymer material was also prepared under similar conditions omitting uranyl ion. The above materials were used for solid phase extraction of uranium. Recent realization that its chemical toxicity is dominant than radiation hazards makes decontamination a relevant topic for environmental point of view, particularly in the light of projected global thrust for uranium fuel based atomic power plants. The material offers high retention capacity of 97.1 μmol g -1 for 10 mg L -1 of uranium that does not require tedious grinding and sieving steps, is water compatible and works in the pH range of 5-7, making it ideal for possible use in decontamination of polluted natural water samples or front end effluents of nuclear power reactors.

Large-scale synthesis of monodisperse SiC nanoparticles with adjustable size, stoichiometric ratio and properties by fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Rongzheng; Liu, Malin, E-mail: liumalin@tsinghua.edu.cn; Chang, Jiaxing [Tsinghua University, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology (China)

2017-02-15

A facile fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition method was proposed for the synthesis of monodisperse SiC nanoparticles by using the single precursor of hexamethyldisilane (HMDS). SiC nanoparticles with average particle size from 10 to 200 nm were obtained by controlling the temperature and the gas ratio. An experimental chemical vapor deposition phase diagram of SiC in the HMDS-Ar-H{sub 2} system was obtained and three regions of SiC-Si, SiC and SiC-C can be distinguished. The BET surface area and the photoluminescence properties of the SiC nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the nanoparticle size. For the SiC nanospheres with free carbon, a novel hierarchical structure with 5 ~ 8 nm SiC nanoparticles embedded into the graphite matrix was obtained. The advantages of fluidized bed technology for the preparation of SiC nanoparticles were proposed based on the features of homogenous reaction zone, narrow temperature distribution, ultra-short reactant residence time and mass production.

Large-scale synthesis of monodisperse SiC nanoparticles with adjustable size, stoichiometric ratio and properties by fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Rongzheng; Liu, Malin; Chang, Jiaxing

2017-01-01

A facile fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition method was proposed for the synthesis of monodisperse SiC nanoparticles by using the single precursor of hexamethyldisilane (HMDS). SiC nanoparticles with average particle size from 10 to 200 nm were obtained by controlling the temperature and the gas ratio. An experimental chemical vapor deposition phase diagram of SiC in the HMDS-Ar-H_2 system was obtained and three regions of SiC-Si, SiC and SiC-C can be distinguished. The BET surface area and the photoluminescence properties of the SiC nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the nanoparticle size. For the SiC nanospheres with free carbon, a novel hierarchical structure with 5 ~ 8 nm SiC nanoparticles embedded into the graphite matrix was obtained. The advantages of fluidized bed technology for the preparation of SiC nanoparticles were proposed based on the features of homogenous reaction zone, narrow temperature distribution, ultra-short reactant residence time and mass production.

Large-scale preparation of hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Jun; Li, Fu; Bai, Yu-Jun; Han, Fu-Dong; Qi, Yong-Xin; Lun, Ning; Lu, Xi-Feng

2013-01-01

Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres (HGCNSs) were synthesized on large scale by a simple reaction between glucose and Mg at 550 °C in an autoclave. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrates the formation of HGCNSs with an average diameter of 10 nm or so and a wall thickness of a few graphenes. The HGCNSs exhibit a reversible capacity of 391 mAh g −1 after 60 cycles when used as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. -- Graphical abstract: Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres could be prepared on large scale by the simple reaction between glucose and Mg at 550 °C, which exhibit superior electrochemical performance to graphite. Highlights: ► Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres (HGCNSs) were prepared on large scale at 550 °C ► The preparation is simple, effective and eco-friendly. ► The in situ yielded MgO nanocrystals promote the graphitization. ► The HGCNSs exhibit superior electrochemical performance to graphite.

Europium-doped amorphous calcium phosphate porous nanospheres: preparation and application as luminescent drug carriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Kui-Hua

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Calcium phosphate is the most important inorganic constituent of biological tissues, and synthetic calcium phosphate has been widely used as biomaterials. In this study, a facile method has been developed for the fabrication of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP/polylactide-block-monomethoxy(polyethyleneglycol hybrid nanoparticles and ACP porous nanospheres. Europium-doping is performed to enable photoluminescence (PL function of ACP porous nanospheres. A high specific surface area of the europium-doped ACP (Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres is achieved (126.7 m2/g. PL properties of Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are investigated, and the most intense peak at 612 nm is observed at 5 mol% Eu3+ doping. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments indicate that the as-prepared Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are biocompatible. In vitro drug release experiments indicate that the ibuprofen-loaded Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres show a slow and sustained drug release in simulated body fluid. We have found that the cumulative amount of released drug has a linear relationship with the natural logarithm of release time (ln(t. The Eu3+:ACP porous nanospheres are bioactive, and can transform to hydroxyapatite during drug release. The PL properties of drug-loaded nanocarriers before and after drug release are also investigated.

Synthesis and characterization of hollow magnetic nanospheres modified with Au nanoparticles for bio-encapsulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seisno, Satoshi, E-mail: seino@mit.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp; Suga, Kent; Nakagawa, Takashi; Yamamoto, Takao A.

2017-04-01

Hollow magnetic nanospheres modified with Au nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. Au/SiO{sub 2} nanospheres fabricated by a radiochemical process were used as templates for ferrite templating. After the ferrite plating process, Au/SiO{sub 2} templates were fully coated with magnetite nanoparticles. Dissolution of the SiO{sub 2} core lead to the formation of hollow magnetic nanospheres with Au nanoparticles inside. The hollow magnetic nanospheres consisted of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} grains, with an average diameter of 60 nm, connected to form the sphere wall, inside which Au grains with an average diameter of 7.2 nm were encapsulated. The Au nanoparticles immobilized on the SiO{sub 2} templates contributed to the adsorption of the Fe ion precursor and/or Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} seeds. These hollow magnetic nanospheres are proposed as a new type of nanocarrier, as the Au grains could specifically immobilize biomolecules inside the hollow sphere. - Highlights: • A procedure to synthesize hollow magnetic nanospheres with Au inside was reported. • The Au nanoparticles inside the hollow showed high Au-S binding affinity. • The nanospheres are expected to be suitable as a new magnetic carrier for DDS.

Synthesis and Characteristics of ZnS Nanospheres for Heterojunction Photovoltaic Device

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Sheng-Hung; Hsiao, Yu-Jen; Fang, Te-Hua; Chou, Po-Hsun

2015-06-01

The synthesis of ZnS nanospheres produced using the microwave hydrothermal method was studied. The microstructure and surface and optical properties of ZnS nanospheres on glass were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The influence of deposition time on the transmission and photovoltaic performance was determined. The power conversion efficiency of an Al-doped ZnO/ZnS nanosphere/textured p-Si device improved from 0.93 to 1.77% when the thickness of the ZnS nanostructured film was changed from 75 to 150 nm.

Magnetic hyaluronic acid nanospheres via aqueous Diels-Alder chemistry to deliver dexamethasone for adipose tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yang; Fan, Ming; Chen, Huinan; Miao, Yuting; Xing, Lian; Jiang, Bohong; Cheng, Qifan; Liu, Dongwei; Bao, Weikang; Qian, Bin; Wang, Jionglu; Xing, Xiaodong; Tan, Huaping; Ling, Zhonghua; Chen, Yong

2015-11-15

Biopolymer-based nanospheres have great potential in the field of drug delivery and tissue regenerative medicine. In this work, we present a flexible way to conjugate a magnetic hyaluronic acid (HA) nanosphere system that are capable of vectoring delivery of adipogenic factor, e.g. dexamethasone, for adipose tissue engineering. Conjugation of nanospheres was established by aqueous Diels-Alder chemistry between furan and maleimide of HA derivatives. Simultaneously, a furan functionalized dexamethasone peptide, GQPGK, was synthesized and covalently immobilized into the nanospheres. The magnetic HA nanospheres were fabricated by encapsulating super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, which exhibited quick magnetic sensitivity. The aqueous Diels-Alder chemistry made nanospheres high binding efficiency of dexamethasone, and the vectoring delivery of dexamethasone could be easily controlled by a external magnetic field. The potential application of the magnetic HA nanospheres on vectoring delivery of adipogenic factor was confirmed by co-culture of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). In vitro cytotoxicity tests demonstrated that incorporation of dexamethasone into magnetic HA nanospheres showed high efficiency to promote ASCs viabilities, in particular under a magnetic field, which suggested a promising future for adipose regeneration applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hollow Nanospheres with Fluorous Interiors for Transport of Molecular Oxygen in Water

KAUST Repository

Vu, Khanh B.; Chen, Tianyou; Almahdali, Sarah; Bukhriakov, Konstantin; Rodionov, Valentin

2016-01-01

are gas-permeable and feature reactive functional groups for easy modification of the exterior. These features make the SFC-filled nanospheres promising vehicles for respiratory oxygen storage and transport. Uptake of molecular oxygen into nanosphere

Efficiency Enhancement of InGaN-Based Solar Cells via Stacking Layers of Light-Harvesting Nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Alamri, Amal M.

2016-06-24

An effective light-harvesting scheme for InGaN-based multiple quantum well solar cells is demonstrated using stacking layers of polystyrene nanospheres. Light-harvesting efficiencies on the solar cells covered with varied stacks of nanospheres are evaluated through numerical and experimental methods. The numerical simulation reveals that nanospheres with 3 stacking layers exhibit the most improved optical absorption and haze ratio as compared to those obtained by monolayer nanospheres. The experimental demonstration, agreeing with the theoretical analyses, shows that the application of 3-layer nanospheres improves the conversion efficiency of the solar cell by ~31%.

Efficiency Enhancement of InGaN-Based Solar Cells via Stacking Layers of Light-Harvesting Nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Alamri, Amal M.; Fu, Po-Han; Lai, Kun-Yu; Wang, Hsin-Ping; Li, Lain-Jong; He, Jr-Hau

2016-01-01

An effective light-harvesting scheme for InGaN-based multiple quantum well solar cells is demonstrated using stacking layers of polystyrene nanospheres. Light-harvesting efficiencies on the solar cells covered with varied stacks of nanospheres are evaluated through numerical and experimental methods. The numerical simulation reveals that nanospheres with 3 stacking layers exhibit the most improved optical absorption and haze ratio as compared to those obtained by monolayer nanospheres. The experimental demonstration, agreeing with the theoretical analyses, shows that the application of 3-layer nanospheres improves the conversion efficiency of the solar cell by ~31%.

Dispersion of Functionalized Silica Micro- and Nanoparticles into Poly(nonamethylene Azelate by Ultrasonic Micro-Molding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angélica Díaz

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Ultrasound micro-molding technology has proved useful in processing biodegradable polymers with minimum material loss. This makes this technology particularly suitable for the production of biomedical microdevices. The use of silica (SiO2 nanoparticles is also interesting because of advantages like low cost and enhancement of final properties. Evaluation of the capacity to create a homogeneous dispersion of particles is crucial. Specifically, this feature was explored taking into account micro- and nano-sized silica particles and a biodegradable polyester derived from 1,9-nonanodiol and azelaic acid as a matrix. Results demonstrated that composites could be obtained with up to 6 wt. % of silica and that no degradation occurred even if particles were functionalized with a compatibilizer like (3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane. Incorporation of nanoparticles should have a great influence on properties. Specifically, the effect on crystallization was evaluated by calorimetric and optical microscopy analyses. The overall crystallization rate was enhanced upon addition of functionalized silica nanospheres, even at the low percentage of 3 wt. %. This increase was mainly due to the ability of nanoparticles to act as heterogeneous nuclei during crystallization. However, the enhancement of the secondary nucleation process also played a significant role, as demonstrated by Lauritzen and Hoffmann analysis.

Quantum dots-hyperbranched polyether hybrid nanospheres towards delivery and real-time detection of nitric oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shuiping; Gu, Tianxun; Fu, Jiajia [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Li, Xiaoqiang, E-mail: leecaiwei@163.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Technical University of Denmark, DTU Food, Søltofts plads, B227, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Chronakis, Ioannis S. [Technical University of Denmark, DTU Food, Søltofts plads, B227, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Ge, Mingqiao [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

2014-12-01

In this work, novel hybrid nanosphere vehicles were synthesized for nitric oxide (NO) donating and real-time detection. The hybrid nanosphere vehicles consist of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) as NO fluorescent probes, and the modified hyperbranched polyether (mHP)-based diazeniumdiolates as NO donors, respectively. The nanospheres have spherical outline with dimension of ∼ 127 nm. The data of systematic characterization demonstrated that the mHP-based hybrid nanosphere vehicles (QDs-mHP-NO) can release and real-time detect NO with the low limit of 25 nM, based on fluorescence quenching mechanism. The low cell-toxicity of QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres was verified by means of MTT assay on L929 cells viability. The QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres provide perspectives for designing a new class of biocompatible NO donating and imaging systems. - Highlights: • QDs-mHP-NO fluorescent probe was prepared. • The QDs-mHP-NO probe is capable of releasing NO. • The QDs-mHP-NO probe can quantitatively detecting the release of NO in real time. • The low cell-toxicity of QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres was verified.

Photocatalytic action of cerium molybdate and iron-titanium oxide hollow nanospheres on Escherichia coli

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kartsonakis, I. A., E-mail: ikartsonakis@ims.demokritos.gr; Kontogiani, P.; Pappas, G. S.; Kordas, G. [NCSR ' DEMOKRITOS' , Sol-Gel Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Materials, Physicochemical Processes, Nanotechnology and Microsystems (Greece)

2013-06-15

This study is focused on the production of hollow nanospheres that reveal antibacterial action. Cerium molybdate and iron-titanium oxide hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 175 {+-} 15 and 221 {+-} 10 nm, respectively, were synthesized using emulsion polymerization and the sol-gel process. Their morphology characterization was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy. Their antibacterial action was examined on pure culture of Escherichia coli considering the loss of their viability. Both hollow nanospheres presented photocatalytic action after illumination with blue-black light, but those of cerium molybdate also demonstrated photocatalytic action in the dark. Therefore, the produced nanospheres can be used for antibacterial applications.

Efficient Overall Water-Splitting Electrocatalysis Using Lepidocrocite VOOH Hollow Nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Shi, Huanhuan

2016-11-29

Herein we report the control synthesis of lepidocrocite VOOH hollow nanospheres and further their applications in electrocatalytic water splitting for the first time. By tuning the surface area of the nanospheres, the optimal performance can be achieved with low overpotentials of 270 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 164 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at 10 mA cm-2 in 1 m KOH, respectively. Furthermore, when used as both the anode and cathode for overall water splitting, a low cell voltage of 1.62 V is required to reach the current density of 10 mA cm-2 , making the VOOH hollow nanospheres an efficient alternative to water splitting.

Storage and sustained release of volatile substances from a hollow silica matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Jiexin [Key Lab for Nanomaterials, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029 (China); Ding Haomin [Research Center of the Ministry of Education for High Gravity Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Tao Xia [Key Lab for Nanomaterials, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029 (China); Chen Jianfeng [Key Lab for Nanomaterials, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100029 (China)

2007-06-20

Porous hollow silica nanospheres (PHSNSs) prepared by adopting a nanosized CaCO{sub 3} template were utilized for the first time as a novel carrier for the storage and sustained release of volatile substances. Two types of volatile substances, Indian pipal from perfumes and peroxyacetic acid from disinfectants, were selected and then tested by one simple adsorption process with two separate comparative carriers, i.e. activated carbon and solid porous silica. It was demonstrated that a high storage capacity (9.6 ml{sub perfume}/mg{sub carrier}) of perfume could be achieved in a PHSNS matrix, which was almost 14 times as much as that of activated carbon. The perfume release profiles showed that PHSNSs exhibited sustained multi-stage release behaviour, while the constant release of activated carbon at a low level was discerned. Further, a Higuchi model study proved that the release process of perfume in both carriers followed a Fickian diffusion mechanism. For peroxyacetic acid as a disinfectant model, PHSNSs also displayed a much better delayed-delivery process than a solid porous silica system owing to the existence of unique hollow frameworks. Therefore, the aforementioned excellent sustained-release behaviours would make PHSNSs a promising carrier for storage and sustained delivery applications of volatile substances.

High quality gold nanorods and nanospheres for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Jinliang; Xu Hanhong; Zhang Guirong; Hu Zhun; Xu Boqing

2012-01-01

Nearly monodisperse Au nanorods (NRs) with different aspect ratios were separated from home-synthesized polydisperse samples using a gradient centrifugation method. The morphology, size and its distribution, and photo-absorption property were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy. Subsequently, using colloidal Au NRs (36.2 nm ×10.7 nm) with 97.4% yield after centrifugation and Au nanospheres (NSs) (22.9 ± 1.0 nm in diameter) with 97.6% yield as Au substrates, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were recorded using laser excitation at 632.8 nm. Results show that surface enhancement factors (EF) for Au NRs and NSs are 6.2 × 10 5 and 5.7 × 10 4 using 1.0 × 10 −6 M 2,4-D, respectively, illustrating that EF value is a factor of ∼10 greater for Au NRs substrates than for Au NSs substrates. As a result, large EF are a mainly result of chemical enhancement mechanisms. Thus, it is expected that Au NPs can find a comprehensive SERS application in the trace detection of pesticide residues. (paper)

A highly flexible polymerization technique to prepare fluorescent nanospheres for trace ammonia detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waich, K.; Sandholzer, M.; Mayr, T.; Slugovc, C.; Klimant, I.

2010-01-01

The preparation of pH-sensitive nanospheres by emulsion polymerization for the detection of trace levels of ammonia is described. A fluorescent, polymerizable xanthene dye was copolymerized with styrene, crosslinkers and further copolymers aimed at enhancing the sensitivity to obtain materials for sensing of ammonia. A half-seeded technique was used to obtain stable emulsions of the monomers which were cured to obtain nanospheres with covalently attached active components. The nanospheres were embedded in a silicon matrix and the sensor films obtained were investigated regarding their response to ammonia at concentrations between 25 and 1,000 ppb. Sensors containing polystyrene nanospheres crosslinked with divinylbenzene showed the best performance in ammonia measurements exhibiting detection limits (LODs) of less than 25 ppb ammonia.

Quantum dots-hyperbranched polyether hybrid nanospheres towards delivery and real-time detection of nitric oxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Shuiping; Gu, Tianxun; Fu, Jiajia

2014-01-01

In this work, novel hybrid nanosphere vehicles were synthesized for nitric oxide (NO) donating and real-time detection. The hybrid nanosphere vehicles consist of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) as NO fluorescent probes, and the modified hyperbranched polyether (mHP)-based diazeniumdiolates...... as NO donors, respectively. The nanospheres have spherical outline with dimension of ~ 127 nm. The data of systematic characterization demonstrated that the mHP-based hybrid nanosphere vehicles (QDs-mHP-NO) can release and real-time detect NO with the low limit of 25 nM, based on fluorescence quenching...

Photocatalytic action of cerium molybdate and iron-titanium oxide hollow nanospheres on Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kartsonakis, I. A.; Kontogiani, P.; Pappas, G. S.; Kordas, G.

2013-01-01

This study is focused on the production of hollow nanospheres that reveal antibacterial action. Cerium molybdate and iron-titanium oxide hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 175 ± 15 and 221 ± 10 nm, respectively, were synthesized using emulsion polymerization and the sol–gel process. Their morphology characterization was accomplished using scanning electron microscopy. Their antibacterial action was examined on pure culture of Escherichia coli considering the loss of their viability. Both hollow nanospheres presented photocatalytic action after illumination with blue–black light, but those of cerium molybdate also demonstrated photocatalytic action in the dark. Therefore, the produced nanospheres can be used for antibacterial applications.

Large-scale preparation of hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Jun; Li, Fu [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Bai, Yu-Jun, E-mail: byj97@126.com [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); State Key laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Han, Fu-Dong; Qi, Yong-Xin; Lun, Ning [Key Laboratory for Liquid-Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Lu, Xi-Feng [Lunan Institute of Coal Chemical Engineering, Jining 272000 (China)

2013-01-15

Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres (HGCNSs) were synthesized on large scale by a simple reaction between glucose and Mg at 550 Degree-Sign C in an autoclave. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrates the formation of HGCNSs with an average diameter of 10 nm or so and a wall thickness of a few graphenes. The HGCNSs exhibit a reversible capacity of 391 mAh g{sup -1} after 60 cycles when used as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. -- Graphical abstract: Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres could be prepared on large scale by the simple reaction between glucose and Mg at 550 Degree-Sign C, which exhibit superior electrochemical performance to graphite. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hollow graphitic carbon nanospheres (HGCNSs) were prepared on large scale at 550 Degree-Sign C Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The preparation is simple, effective and eco-friendly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The in situ yielded MgO nanocrystals promote the graphitization. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The HGCNSs exhibit superior electrochemical performance to graphite.

Optical properties of an atom in the presence of a two-nanosphere cluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimov, Vasilii V; Guzatov, D V

2007-01-01

The optical properties of an atom located near a cluster of two arbitrarily arranged nanospheres of an arbitrary composition are studied. Changes in the spontaneous decay rates of excited states and emission frequency shifts are considered for different orientations of the dipole moment and different positions of the atom with respect to the cluster. It is shown that a two-nanosphere cluster can be used to control efficiently the spontaneous decay rates of excited states of the atom by changing the distance between spheres. It is found that spontaneous decay rates of the excited states of an atom located between silver nanospheres and having the dipole moment directed along the axis connecting the centres of spheres can increase by a factor of 10 5 and more when nanospheres are brought closer together. (invited paper)

Shape-dependent surface-enhanced Raman scattering in gold–Raman-probe–silica sandwiched nanoparticles for biocompatible applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ming; Cushing, Scott K; Lankford, Jessica; Wu, Nianqiang; Zhang Jianming; Ma Dongling; Aguilar, Zoraida P

2012-01-01

To meet the requirement of Raman probes (labels) for biocompatible applications, a synthetic approach has been developed to sandwich the Raman-probe (malachite green isothiocyanate, MGITC) molecules between the gold core and the silica shell in gold–SiO 2 composite nanoparticles. The gold–MGITC–SiO 2 sandwiched structure not only prevents the Raman probe from leaking out but also improves the solubility of the nanoparticles in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions even with high ionic strength. To amplify the Raman signal, three types of core, gold nanospheres, nanorods and nanostars, have been chosen as the substrates of the Raman probe. The effect of the core shape on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been investigated. The colloidal nanostars showed the highest SERS enhancement factor while the nanospheres possessed the lowest SERS activity under excitation with 532 and 785 nm lasers. Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulation showed significant differences in the local electromagnetic field distributions surrounding the nanospheres, nanorods, and nanostars, which were induced by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The electromagnetic field was enhanced remarkably around the two ends of the nanorods and around the sharp tips of the nanostars. This local electromagnetic enhancement made the dominant contribution to the SERS enhancement. Both the experiments and the simulation revealed the order nanostars > nanorods > nanospheres in terms of the enhancement factor. Finally, the biological application of the nanostar–MGITC–SiO 2 nanoparticles has been demonstrated in the monitoring of DNA hybridization. In short, the gold–MGITC–SiO 2 sandwiched nanoparticles can be used as a Raman probe that features high sensitivity, good water solubility and stability, low-background fluorescence, and the absence of photobleaching for future biological applications. (paper)

Synthesis and characterization of fluorescence-labelled silica core-shell and noble metal-decorated ceria nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf Herrmann

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The present review article covers work done in the cluster NPBIOMEM in the DFG priority programme SPP 1313 and focuses on synthesis and characterization of fluorescent silica and ceria nanoparticles. Synthetic methods for labelling of silica and polyorganosiloxane/silica core–shell nanoparticles with perylenediimide derivatives are described, as well as the modification of the shell with thiol groups. Photometric methods for the determination of the number of thiol groups and an estimate for the number of fluorescent molecules per nanoparticles, including a scattering correction, have been developed. Ceria nanoparticles decorated with noble metals (Pt, Pd, Rh are models for the decomposition products of automobile catalytic converters which appear in the exhaust gases and finally interact with biological systems including humans. The control of the degree of agglomeration of small ceria nanoparticles is the basis for their synthesis. Almost monodisperse agglomerates (40 ± 4–260 ± 40 nm diameter can be prepared and decorated with noble metal nanoparticles (2–5 nm diameter. Fluorescence labelling with ATTO 647N gave the model particles which are now under biophysical investigation.

Formulation of Sodium Alginate Nanospheres Containing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Patrick Erah

controlled gellification method and to evaluate the role of the nanospheres as a ... method, and the particle size analysis was carried out by scanning electron ... capacity of sodium alginate was evaluated in terms of drug to polymer ratio.

Synthesis of silica nanoparticles for the manufacture of porous carbon membrane and particle size analysis by sedimentation field-flow fractionation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seung Ho; Eum, Chul; Hun; Choi, Seong Ho; Kim, Woon Jung [Dept. of Chemistry, Hannam University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-15

Silica nanoparticles were synthesized by emulsion polymerization by mixing ethanol, ammonium hydroxide, water, and tetraethyl orthosilicate. An apparatus was designed and assembled for a large-scale synthesis of silica nanospheres, which was aimed for uniform mixing of the reactants. Then sedimentation field-flow fractionation (SdFFF) was used to determine the size distribution of the silica nanoparticles. SdFFF provided mass-based separation where the retention time increased with the particle size, thus the size distribution of silica nanoparticles obtained from SdFFF appeared more accurate than that from dynamic light scattering, particularly for those having broad and multimodal size distributions. A disk-shaped porous carbon membrane (PCM) was manufactured for application as an adsorbent by pressurizing the silica particles, followed by calcination. Results showed that PCM manufactured in this study has relatively high surface area and temperature stability. The PCM surface was modified by attaching a carboxyl group (PCM-COOH) and then by incorporating silver (PCM-COOH-Ag). The amount of COOH group on PCM was measured electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry, and the surface area, pore size, pore volume of PCM-COOH-Ag by Brunauer–Emmet–Teller measurement. The surface area was 40.65 and reduced to 13.02 after loading a COOH group then increased up to 30.37 after incorporating Ag.

Resorcinol–formaldehyde based carbon nanospheres by ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Department of Chemical Engineering and DST Unit on Nanosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, ... Carbon nanospheres were synthesized using sol–gel processing of organic and ... various process parameters including needle diameter, applied electric ... are various approaches reported in the literature to syn-.

Comparison of FDTD numerical computations and analytical multipole expansion method for plasmonics-active nanosphere dimers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhawan, Anuj; Norton, Stephen J; Gerhold, Michael D; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

2009-06-08

This paper describes a comparative study of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and analytical evaluations of electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of dimers of metallic nanospheres of plasmonics-active metals. The results of these two computational methods, to determine electromagnetic field enhancement in the region often referred to as "hot spots" between the two nanospheres forming the dimer, were compared and a strong correlation observed for gold dimers. The analytical evaluation involved the use of the spherical-harmonic addition theorem to relate the multipole expansion coefficients between the two nanospheres. In these evaluations, the spacing between two nanospheres forming the dimer was varied to obtain the effect of nanoparticle spacing on the electromagnetic fields in the regions between the nanostructures. Gold and silver were the metals investigated in our work as they exhibit substantial plasmon resonance properties in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regimes. The results indicate excellent correlation between the two computational methods, especially for gold nanosphere dimers with only a 5-10% difference between the two methods. The effect of varying the diameters of the nanospheres forming the dimer, on the electromagnetic field enhancement, was also studied.

Poly(ester-anhydride):poly(beta-amino ester) micro- and nanospheres: DNA encapsulation and cellular transfection.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeifer, Blaine A; Burdick, Jason A; Little, Steve R; Langer, Robert

2005-11-04

Poly(ester-anhydride) delivery devices allow flexibility regarding carrier dimensions (micro- versus nanospheres), degradation rate (anhydride versus ester hydrolysis), and surface labeling (through the anhydride functional unit), and were therefore tested for DNA encapsulation and transfection of a macrophage P388D1 cell line. Poly(l-lactic acid-co-sebacic anhydride) and poly(l-lactic acid-co-adipic anhydride) were synthesized through melt condensation, mixed with 25 wt.% poly(beta-amino ester), and formulated with plasmid DNA (encoding firefly luciferase) into micro- and nanospheres using a double emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. The micro- and nanospheres were then characterized (size, morphology, zeta potential, DNA release) and assayed for DNA encapsulation and cellular transfection over a range of poly(ester-anhydride) copolymer ratios. Poly(ester-anhydride):poly(beta-amino ester) composite microspheres (6-12 microm) and nanospheres (449-1031 nm), generated with copolymers containing between 0 and 25% total polyanhydride content, encapsulated plasmid DNA (>or=20% encapsulation efficiency). Within this polyanhydride range, poly(adipic anhydride) copolymers provided DNA encapsulation at an increased anhydride content (10%, microspheres; 10-25%, nanospheres) compared to poly(sebacic anhydride) copolymers (1%, microspheres and nanospheres) with cellular transfection correlating with the observed DNA encapsulation.

Shaping surface of palladium nanospheres through the control of reaction parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Lianmeng; Tan Enzhong; Guo Lin; Wang Lihua; Han Xiaodong

2011-01-01

Solid, cracked, and flower-shaped surfaces of palladium nanospheres with high yields and good uniformity were successfully prepared by a wet chemical method. On the basis of the experimental data, the same size of palladium nanosphere with different surface morphologies can be regulated only by changing the amount of ammonium hydroxide and reductant in one experimental system. The as-prepared products were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra on the as-prepared different surface of palladium nanospheres exhibit high activity towards p-aminothiophenol (PATP) detection, and the result further reveals that the predominance of the a1 vibration mode in the SERS spectra via an electromagnetic (EM) mechanism is significant.

Sympathetic cooling of nanospheres with cold atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Cris; Witherspoon, Apryl; Ranjit, Gambhir; Casey, Kirsten; Kitching, John; Geraci, Andrew

2016-05-01

Ground state cooling of mesoscopic mechanical structures could enable new hybrid quantum systems where mechanical oscillators act as transducers. Such systems could provide coupling between photons, spins and charges via phonons. It has recently been shown theoretically that optically trapped dielectric nanospheres could reach the ground state via sympathetic cooling with trapped cold atoms. This technique can be beneficial in cases where cryogenic operation of the oscillator is not practical. We describe experimental advances towards coupling an optically levitated dielectric nanosphere to a gas of cold Rubidium atoms. The sphere and the cold atoms are in separate vacuum chambers and are coupled using a one-dimensional optical lattice. This work is partially supported by NSF, Grant Nos. PHY-1205994,PHY-1506431.

Preparation of silica coated and 90Y-radiolabeled β-NaYF4 upconverting nanophosphors for multimodal tracing

Science.gov (United States)

Najmr, Stan; Lu, Tianfeng; Keller, Austin W.; Zhang, Mingyue; Lee, Jennifer D.; Makvandi, Mehran; Pryma, Daniel A.; Kagan, Cherie R.; Murray, Christopher B.

2018-06-01

Rare-earth (RE) compounds have been actively pursued for therapeutic and diagnostic applications due to their ability to upconvert near infrared light into the UV–vis range. Through nanoengineering and bottom-up synthesis, additional functionality can be added to these upconverting systems. Herein, we report the synthesis of 90Y-doped β-NaYF4:Er, Yb upconverting nanophosphors (UCNPs) to enable β-particle emission and upconversion by the same UCNP. To homogenously incorporate the radionuclides, we employ a hydroxide metathesis method to produce the RE precursor required for the solvothermal synthesis of monodisperse UCNPs. Once incorporated, we find that the β-emitting 90Y dopants do not influence the energy pathways required for upconversion, enabling simultaneous radio- and optical-tracing. The resulting large (>100 nm in height and width), anisotropic, 90Y-radiolabeled β-NaYF4 UCNPs are then coated with silica using a modified, micelle-driven Stöber process to enable their dispersion in polar solvents. Doing so highlights the importance of surfactant (Igepal CO-520) and silica source (tetraethyl orthosilicate) interactions to the continuity of the silica shell and makes the vast library of silica surface chemistry and functionality accessible to upconverting radiotracers.

Organic Dye Degradation Under Solar Irradiation by Hydrothermally Synthesized ZnS Nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Samanta, Dhrubajyoti; Chanu, T. Inakhunbi; Basnet, Parita; Chatterjee, Somenath

2018-02-01

The green synthesis of ZnS nanospheres using Citrus limetta (sweet lime) juice as a capping agent through a conventional hydrothermal method was studied. The particle size, morphology, chemical composition, band gap, and optical properties of the synthesized ZnS nanospheres were characterized using x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnS nanospheres was evaluated by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) under solar irradiation. Upon 150 min of solar irradiation, the extent of degradation was 94% and 77% for RhB and MO, respectively.

Preparation and characterization of PLGA nanospheres encapsulated with Autoclaved Leishmania Major (ALM) and Quillaja Saponin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tafaghodi, M.; Tabasi, S. Abolghasem Sajadi; Kharazizdeh, M.

2008-01-01

Several antigens, adjuvants and delivery systems have been evaluated for induction of protective immune responses against leishmaniasis, but have mostly been inefficient. In this study, poly (d,1-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanospheres as antigen delivery system and Quillaja saponins (QS) as an immunoadjuvant have been used to increase the immune responses against Autoclaved Lieshmania major (ALM). PLGA nanospheres were prepared using a double emulsion (W/O/W) technique. The internal aqueous phase contained ALM and saponin, while the oily phase contained the solution of PLGA in dichloromethane and the external aqueous phase was polyvinylacohol (PVA) 7.5% (W/V) solution. Particulate characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscope and particle size analyzer. The encapsulation efficiency was determined by Lowry method and the release profile of antigen and saponin from nanospheres was evaluated for one week. Nanospheres were spherical in shape having smooth surfaces. Mean diameters for nanospheres loaded with ALM and ALM+QS were 300+-123 nm and 294+-106 nm respectively. Encapsulation efficiencies for ALM and QS were found 71+-14.8% and 55.8+- 23.1% respectively. Evaluation of the release profiles of ALM and QS from nanospheres in one week showed that 44.8 +-0.8% of ALM and 29.5+- 0.21% of QS had been released from naospheres. In conclusion, the prepared nanospheres with desirable size, encapsulation efficiency, and slow rate of release, had acceptable features for future in vivo studies. (author)

Size-controllable polypyrrole nanospheres synthesized in the presence of phosphorylated chitosan and their size effect in different applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jing; Cao, Yi; Lu, Yun, E-mail: yunlu@nju.edu.cn [Nanjing University, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

2015-05-15

The size-controllable polypyrrole (PPy) nanospheres are successfully synthesized by oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using N-methylene phosphonic chitosan (NMPC) as a structure-directing agent. By simply changing the amount of NMPC, the size of the PPy nanospheres can be adjusted from 190 to 50 nm in diameter. The spectrometric results suggest that the electrostatic interactions of phosphate groups in NMPC molecule with pyrrole ring might be a driving force for formation of the uniform and size-controllable PPy nanospheres. The PPy nanospheres with the diameter of 100 nm exhibit the largest capacity and a good cycling stability as electrode materials of supercapacitors. The as-prepared PPy nanospheres also can be combined with carbon dots to form composite nanospheres presenting enhanced fluorescence intensity, which show potential application in fluorescence detection.

C@Fe 3 O 4 /NTA-Ni magnetic nanospheres purify histidine-tagged ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study reports synthesis of Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) modified carbon nanospheres containing magnetic Fe3O4 particles (C@Fe3O4), which can act as a general tool to separate and purify histidine-tagged fetidin. In this experiment, C nanospheres are prepared from glucose using the hydrothermal process, ...

Fluorescent QDs-polystyrene composite nanospheres for highly efficient and rapid protein antigen detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Changhua; Mao, Mao [Henan University, Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education (China); Yuan, Hang [Tsinghua University, Life Science Division, Graduate School at Shenzhen (China); Shen, Huaibin [Henan University, Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education (China); Wu, Feng; Ma, Lan, E-mail: malan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn [Tsinghua University, Life Science Division, Graduate School at Shenzhen (China); Li, Lin Song, E-mail: lsli@henu.edu.cn [Henan University, Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education (China)

2013-09-15

In this paper, high-quality carboxyl-functionalized fluorescent (red, green, and blue emitting) nanospheres (46-103 nm) consisting of hydrophobic quantum dots (QDs) and polystyrene were prepared by a miniemulsion polymerization approach. This miniemulsion polymerization approach induced a homogeneous distribution and high aqueous-phase transport efficiency of fluorescent QDs in composite nanospheres, which proved the success of our encoding QDs strategy. The obtained fluorescent nanospheres exhibited high stability in aqueous solution under a wide range of pH, different salt concentrations, PBS buffer, and thermal treatment at 80 Degree-Sign C. Based on the red emitting composite nanosphere, we performed fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) strips for high-sensitivity and rapid alpha-fetal protein detection. The detection limit reached 0.1 ng/mL, which was 200 times higher than commercial colloidal gold-labeled LFIA strips, and it reached similar detection level in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Fabrication and application of advanced functional materials from lignincellulosic biomass

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Sixiao

This dissertation explored the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into advanced functional materials and their potential applications. Lignocellulosic biomass represents an as-of-yet underutilized renewable source for not only biofuel production but also functional materials fabrication. This renewable source is a great alternative for fossil fuel based chemicals, which could be one of the solutions to energy crisis. In this work, it was demonstrated a variety of advanced materials including functional carbons, metal and silica nanoparticles could be derived from lignocellulosic biomass. Chapter 1 provided overall reviewed of the lignin structures, productions and its utilizations as plastics, absorbents and carbons, as well as the preparation of nano-structured silver, silica and silicon carbide/nitride from biomass. Chapter 2, 3 and 4 discussed the fabrication of highly porous carbons from isolated lignin, and their applications as electric supercapacitors for energy storage. In chapter 2, ultrafine porous carbon fibers were prepared via electrospinning followed by simultaneous carbonization and activation. Chapter 3 covered the fabrication of supercapacitor based on the porous carbon fibers and the investigation of their electrochemical performances. In chapter 4, porous carbon particulates with layered carbon nano plates structures were produced by simple oven-drying followed by simultaneous carbonization and activation. The effects of heat processing parameters on the resulting carbon structures and their electrochemical properties were discussed in details. Chapter 5 and 6 addressed the preparation of silver nanoparticles using lignin. Chapter 5 reported the synthesis, underlying kinetics and mechanism of monodispersed silver nanospheres with diameter less than 25 nm in aqueous solutions using lignin as dual reducing and capping agents. Chapter 6 covered the preparation of silver nanoparticles on electrospun celluloses ultrafine fibers using lignin as both

Radiolytic syntheses of hollow UO2 nanospheres in Triton X-100-based lyotropic liquid crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yongming; Chen, Qingde; Shen, Xinghai

2017-01-01

Hollow nanospheres (φ: 60-80 nm, wall thickness: 10-20 nm), consisted of UO 2 nanoparticles (φ: 3-5 nm), were successfully prepared in a Triton X-100-water (50:50, w/w) hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) by γ-irradiation, where water soluble ammonium uranyl tricarbonate was added as precursor. The product was stable at least up to 300 C. Furthermore, whether the nanospheres were hollow or not, and the wall thickness of the hollow nanospheres could be easily controlled via adjusting dose rate. While in the Triton X-100 based micellar systems, only solid nanospheres were obtained. At last, a possible combination mechanism containing adsorption, aggregation and fracturing processes was proposed.

Integrated carbon nanospheres arrays as anode materials for boosted sodium ion storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wangjia Tang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Developing cost-effective advanced carbon anode is critical for innovation of sodium ion batteries. Herein, we develop a powerful combined method for rational synthesis of free-standing binder-free carbon nanospheres arrays via chemical bath plus hydrothermal process. Impressively, carbon spheres with diameters of 150–250 nm are randomly interconnected with each other forming highly porous arrays. Positive advantages including large porosity, high surface and strong mechanical stability are combined in the carbon nanospheres arrays. The obtained carbon nanospheres arrays are tested as anode material for sodium ion batteries (SIBs and deliver a high reversible capacity of 102 mAh g−1 and keep a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.25 A g−1 and good rate performance (65 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 2 A g−1. The good electrochemical performance is attributed to the stable porous nanosphere structure with fast ion/electron transfer characteristics.

Preparation and photocatalytic properties of hybrid core–shell reusable CoFe2O4–ZnO nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, A.; Mishra, S.R.; Gupta, R.; Ghosh, K.

2012-01-01

Magnetically separable and reusable core–shell CoFe 2 O 4 –ZnO photocatalyst nanospheres were prepared by the hydrothermal synthesis technique using glucose derived carbon nanospheres as the template. The morphology and the phase of core–shell hybrid structure of CoFe 2 O 4 –ZnO were assessed via TEM, SEM and XRD. The magnetic composite showed high UV photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue in water. The photocatalytic activity was found to be ZnO shell thickness dependent. Thicker ZnO shells lead to higher rate of photocatalytic activity. Hybrid nanospheres recovered using an external magnetic field demonstrated good repeatability of photocatalytic activity. These results promise the reusability of the hybrid nanospheres for photocatalytic activity. - Highlights: ► Synthesis of novel hybrid magnetic-ZnO core–shell composite nanospheres. ► High photocatalytic activity of hybrid nanospheres was noted as compared to that of pure ZnO nanoparticles. ► The hybrid nanospheres could be easily retrieved using an external magnet for repeated use. ► Repeated use of hybrid nanospheres did not show any degradation in the photocatalytic activity. ► The photocatalysis rate was observed to be ZnO shell thickness dependent.

Plasmon-Polariton Properties in Metallic Nanosphere Chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witold Aleksander Jacak

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The propagation of collective wave type plasmonic excitations along infinite chains of metallic nanospheres has been analyzed, including near-, medium- and far-field contributions to the plasmon dipole interaction with all retardation effects taken into account. It is proven that there exist weakly-damped self-modes of plasmon-polaritons in the chain for which the propagation range is limited by relatively small Ohmic losses only. In this regime, the Lorentz friction irradiation losses on each nanosphere in the chain are ideally compensated by the energy income from the rest of the chain. The completely undamped collective waves were identified in the case of the presence of persistent external excitation of some fragment of the chain. The obtained characteristics of these excitations fit the experimental observations well.

A co-flow-focusing monodisperse microbubble generator

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Jiaming; Li, Erqiang; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2014-01-01

We use a simple and inexpensive microfluidic device, which is based on microscope glass slides and two tapered glass capillaries, to produce monodisperse microbubbles. The innermost capillary used for transporting the gas is inserted into the second capillary, with its 2 μm sharp tip aligned with the center of the converging-diverging throat of the second capillary. This configuration provides a small and smooth gas flow rate, and a high velocity gradient at the tube outlet. Highly monodisperse microbubbles with diameters ranging from 3.5 to 60 microns have been successfully produced at a rate of up to 40 kHz. A simple scaling law, which is based on the capillary number and liquid-to-gas flow rate ratio, successfully predicts the bubble size. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

A co-flow-focusing monodisperse microbubble generator

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Jiaming

2014-02-14

We use a simple and inexpensive microfluidic device, which is based on microscope glass slides and two tapered glass capillaries, to produce monodisperse microbubbles. The innermost capillary used for transporting the gas is inserted into the second capillary, with its 2 μm sharp tip aligned with the center of the converging-diverging throat of the second capillary. This configuration provides a small and smooth gas flow rate, and a high velocity gradient at the tube outlet. Highly monodisperse microbubbles with diameters ranging from 3.5 to 60 microns have been successfully produced at a rate of up to 40 kHz. A simple scaling law, which is based on the capillary number and liquid-to-gas flow rate ratio, successfully predicts the bubble size. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Potentiating the antibacterial effect of silver nanospheres by surface-capping with chlorhexidine gluconate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Priyadarshini, Balasankar Meera; Fawzy, Amr S., E-mail: denasfmf@nus.edu.sg [National University of Singapore, Discipline of Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry (Singapore)

2017-04-15

In this work, the commercial polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-capped silver nanospheres (Ag-NSP) were surface decorated with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHXg) for potentiating the antibacterial properties of Ag-NSP. Different formulations of CHXg-loaded Ag-NSP (Ag-NSP/CHXg) were prepared by varying the incubation times (0.5, 1.5, and 3 h). A thorough characterization of Ag-NSP/CHXg nanospheres has been carried out by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive surface elemental composition spectral analysis (SEM/EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), percentage (%) CHXg loading efficiency (LE), in vitro CHXg and Ag{sup +} ion release, antibacterial/biofilm inhibition assay, and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cytotoxicity evaluation. DLS measured nanospheres to be <160 nm and indicated that CHXg treatment drastically shifted the surface charge from negative to high positive values, with homogenous distribution. TEM revealed spherical Ag-NSP/CHXg nanospheres with a clearly visible surface coating of CHXg. FTIR confirmed association of CHXg with Ag-NSP nanospheres, whereas SEM/EDX data verified presence of spectral peaks specific to silver (Ag), CHXg, and PVP. The %LE gradually increased with increasing incubation times. In vitro CHXg release exhibited a bi-phasic fashion showing maximum release of ~74.83 ± 20.67% from Ag-NSP/CHXg-3h at 14 days. A slow release of Ag{sup +} ions was detected; however, the surface decoration of Ag-NSP substantially hampered/restricted the liberation of ions. Agar well diffusion, MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl) -2H–tetrazolium), and crystal violet assay suggested good antibacterial/antibiofilm activity of Ag-NSP/CHXg that correlated with the increasing %LE of nanospheres. hMSCs cytotoxicity study showed low toxicity properties of all nanosphere formulations, except for Ag-NSP/CHXg-3h, affecting the cell viability at all

Improving hydrogen storage in Ni-doped carbon nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zubizarreta, L.; Menendez, J.A.; Pis, J.J.; Arenillas, A. [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo (Spain)

2009-04-15

The effect of nickel distribution and content in Ni-doped carbon nanospheres on hydrogen storage capacity under conditions of moderate temperature and pressure was studied. It was found that the nickel distribution, obtained by using different doping techniques and conditions, has a noticeable influence on hydrogen storage capacity. The samples with the most homogeneous nickel distribution, obtained by pre-oxidising the carbon nanospheres, displayed the highest storage capacity. In addition, storage capacity is influenced by the amount of nickel. It was found a higher storage capacity in samples containing 5 wt.% of Ni. This is due to the greater interactions between the nickel and the support that produce a higher activation of the solid through a spillover effect. (author)

Carbon nanospheres derived from Lablab purpureus for high performance supercapacitor electrodes: a green approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Gomaa A M; Divyashree, A; Supriya, S; Chong, Kwok Feng; Ethiraj, Anita S; Reddy, M V; Algarni, H; Hegde, Gurumurthy

2017-10-17

Carbon nanospheres derived from a natural source using a green approach were reported. Lablab purpureus seeds were pyrolyzed at different temperatures to produce carbon nanospheres for supercapacitor electrode materials. The synthesized carbon nanospheres were analyzed using SEM, TEM, FTIR, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, BET and XRD. They were later fabricated into electrodes for cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy testing. The specific capacitances were found to be 300, 265 and 175 F g -1 in 5 M KOH electrolyte for carbon nanospheres synthesized at 800, 700 and 500 °C, respectively. These are on a par with those of prior electrodes made of biologically derived carbon nanospheres but the cycle lives were remarkably higher than those of any previous efforts. The electrodes showed 94% capacitance retention even after 5200 charge/discharge cycles entailing excellent recycling durability. In addition, the practical symmetrical supercapacitor showed good electrochemical behaviour under a potential window up to 1.7 V. This brings us one step closer to fabricating a commercial green electrode which exhibits high performance for supercapacitors. This is also a waste to wealth approach based carbon material for cost effective supercapacitors with high performance for power storage devices.

Template synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse iron oxide pigments of nanosize

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreeram, Kalarical Janardhanan; Indumathy, Ramasamy; Rajaram, Ananthanarayanan; Nair, Balachandran Unni; Ramasami, Thirumalachari

2006-01-01

Synthesis of highly crystalline and monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles is reported. The separation of Fe centers through site-specific binding to a polysaccharide-alginate matrix enables the generation of particles with a monodisperse or narrow size distribution character, resulting in transparent pigments. Site-specific interactions coupled with gel like character of alginate is proposed as the mechanism behind generation of lower particle sizes. Alginate-Fe complexes developed were subjected to heat treatment to provide for crystalline character and development of hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). Conditions most ideal for achieving monodispersity and lower sizes have been optimized and confirmed through microscopic and photon correlation spectroscopic measurements

Encapsulation of anticancer drug and magnetic particles in biodegradable polymer nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koneracka, M; Zavisova, V; Tomasovicova, N; Kopcansky, P; Timko, M; JurIkova, A; Csach, K; Kavecansky, V; Lancz, G [Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, Kosice (Slovakia); Muckova, M [Hameln rds a.s., Horna 36, Modra (Slovakia)], E-mail: konerack@saske.sk

2008-05-21

In this study, we have prepared PLGA (poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanospheres loaded with biocompatible magnetic fluid and anticancer drug taxol by a modified nanoprecipitation technique and investigated their magnetic properties. A magnetic fluid, MF-PEG, with a biocompatible layer of polyethylene glycol (PEG), was chosen as a magnetic carrier. The PLGA, whose copolymer ratio of D,L-lactide to glycolide is 85:15, was utilized as a capsulation material. Taxol, as an important anticancer drug, was chosen for its significant role against a wide range of tumours. The morphology and particle size distributions of the prepared nanospheres were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed a spherical shape of prepared nanospheres with size 250 nm. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA) analysis confirmed incorporation of magnetic particles and taxol into the PLGA polymer. The results showed good encapsulation with magnetite content 21.5 wt% and taxol 0.5 wt%. Magnetic properties of magnetic fluids and taxol within the PLGA polymer matrix were investigated by SQUID magnetometry from 4.2 to 300 K. The SQUID measurements showed superparamagnetism of prepared nanospheres with a blocking temperature of 160 K and saturation magnetization 1.4 mT.

Micro/Nanospheres Generation by Fluid-Fluid Interaction Technology: A Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Lei; Bergstrom, Don; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Hongbo; Yin, Ruixue; Song, Ki-Young; Zhang, Wenjun

2017-01-01

This review focuses on the fundamental fluid mechanics which governs the generation of micro/nanospheres. The micro/nanosphere generation process has gathered significant attention in the past two decades, since micro/nanospheres are widely used in drug delivery, food science, cosmetics, and other application areas. Many methods have been developed based on different operating principles, such as microfluidic methods, electrospray methods, chemical methods, and so forth. This paper focuses on microfluidic methods. Although the structure of the microfluidic devices may be different, the operating principles behind them are often very similar. Following an initial discussion of the fluid mechanics related to the generation of microspheres, various design approaches are discussed, including T-junction, flow focusing, membrane emulsification, modified T-junction, and double emulsification methods. The advantages and problems associated with each method are also discussed. Next, the most commonly used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods are reviewed at three different levels: microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic. Finally, the issues identified in the current literature are discussed, and some suggestions are offered regarding the future direction of technology development related to micro/nanosphere generation. Few relevant patents to the topic have been reviewed and cited. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Microwave hydrothermal synthesis of urchin-like NiO nanospheres as electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors with enhanced electrochemical performances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mondal, Anjon Kumar, E-mail: Anjon.K.Mondal@student.uts.edu.au [Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007 (Australia); Su, Dawei; Wang, Ying; Chen, Shuangqiang [Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007 (Australia); Liu, Qi [School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China); Wang, Guoxiu, E-mail: Guoxiu.wang@uts.edu.au [Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007 (Australia)

2014-01-05

Highlights: • Urchin-like NiO nanospheres were synthesised by a microwave hydrothermal method. • The NiO nanospheres consist of nanocrystals and porous structure. • NiO nanospheres exhibited a high reversible specific capacity of 1027 mA h g{sup −1}. • The NiO nanospheres also delivered a high supercapacitance of 736 F g{sup −1}. -- Abstract: Urchin-like NiO nanospheres were synthesised by a microwave hydrothermal method. The as-synthesised NiO nanospheres were characterised by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that NiO nanosphere consists of a nanoporous structure and nanosize crystals. When applied as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries, NiO nanospheres exhibited a high reversible specific capacity of 1027 mA h g{sup −1}, an excellent cycling performance and a good high rate capability. NiO nanospheres also showed a high specific capacitance as electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Bio-inspired synthesis of hybrid silica nanoparticles templated from elastin-like polypeptide micelles

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wei; MacEwan, Sarah R.; Chilkoti, Ashutosh; López, Gabriel P.

2015-07-01

The programmed self-assembly of block copolymers into higher order nanoscale structures offers many attractive attributes for the development of new nanomaterials for numerous applications including drug delivery and biosensing. The incorporation of biomimetic silaffin peptides in these block copolymers enables the formation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, which can potentially enhance the utility and stability of self-assembled nanostructures. We demonstrate the design, synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) diblock copolymers that undergo temperature-triggered self-assembly into well-defined spherical micelles. Genetically encoded incorporation of the silaffin R5 peptide at the hydrophilic terminus of the diblock ELP leads to presentation of the silaffin R5 peptide on the coronae of the micelles, which results in localized condensation of silica and the formation of near-monodisperse, discrete, sub-100 nm diameter hybrid ELP-silica particles. This synthesis method, can be carried out under mild reaction conditions suitable for bioactive materials, and will serve as the basis for the development and application of functional nanomaterials. Beyond silicification, the general strategies described herein may also be adapted for the synthesis of other biohybrid nanomaterials as well.The programmed self-assembly of block copolymers into higher order nanoscale structures offers many attractive attributes for the development of new nanomaterials for numerous applications including drug delivery and biosensing. The incorporation of biomimetic silaffin peptides in these block copolymers enables the formation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, which can potentially enhance the utility and stability of self-assembled nanostructures. We demonstrate the design, synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) diblock copolymers that undergo temperature-triggered self-assembly into well

Synthesis of Monodisperse Iron Oxide Nanoparticles without Surfactants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Chen Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles could be successfully synthesized with two kinds of precipitants through a precipitation method. As-prepared nanoparticles in the size around 10 nm with regular spherical-like shape were achieved by adjusting pH values. NaOH and NH3·H2O were used as two precipitants for comparison. The average size of nanoparticles with NH3·H2O precipitant got smaller and represented better dispersibility, while nanoparticles with NaOH precipitant represented better magnetic property. This work provided a simple method without using any organic solvents, organic metal salts, or surfactants which could easily obtain monodisperse nanoparticles with tunable morphology.

Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methacryloylglutamic acid) nanospheres for adsorption of Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Esen, Cem; Şenay, Raziye Hilal; Feyzioğlu, Esra; Akgöl, Sinan

2014-02-01

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co- N-methacryloyl-( l)-glutamic acid) p(HEMA-MAGA) nanospheres have been synthesized, characterized, and used for the adsorption of Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions. Nanospheres were prepared by surfactant free emulsion polymerization. The p(HEMA-MAGA) nanospheres were characterized by SEM, FTIR, zeta size, and elemental analysis. The specific surface area of nanospheres was found to be 1,779 m2/g. According to zeta size analysis results, average size of nanospheres is 147.3 nm with poly-dispersity index of 0.200. The goal of this study was to evaluate the adsorption performance of p(HEMA-MAGA) nanospheres for Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions by a series of batch experiments. The Cd2+ concentration was determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer. Equilibrium sorption experiments indicated a Cd2+ uptake capacity of 44.2 mg g-1 at pH 4.0 at 25 °C. The adsorption of Cd2+ ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value at around pH 4.0. The data were successfully modeled with a Langmuir equation. A series of kinetics experiments was then carried out and a pseudo-second order equation was used to fit the experimental data. Desorption experiments which were carried out with nitric acid showed that the p(HEMA-MAGA) nanospheres could be reused without significant losses of their initial properties in consecutive adsorption and elution operations.

Preparation of ultrasmall porous carbon nanospheres by reverse microemulsion-hydrothermal method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiasheng; Zhao, Yahong; Wang, Wan-Hui; Bao, Ming

Porous carbon nanospheres (CNSs) have wide applications. A big challenge in materials science is synthesis of discrete ultrasmall porous carbon nanospheres. Herein, we report a facile reverse microemulsion-hydrothermal method to prepare discrete porous CNSs. The obtained CNSs possess an average diameter of 20nm and pores of 0.7nm and 3.4nm. Our work has provided a convenient method for the controllable synthesis of ultrasmall porous CNSs with potential applications.

Auxiliary-cavity-assisted ground-state cooling of an optically levitated nanosphere in the unresolved-sideband regime

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jin-Shan; Tan, Lei; Gu, Huai-Qiang; Liu, Wu-Ming

2017-12-01

We theoretically analyze the ground-state cooling of an optically levitated nanosphere in the unresolved-sideband regime by introducing a coupled high-quality-factor cavity. On account of the quantum interference stemming from the presence of the coupled cavity, the spectral density of the optical force exerting on the nanosphere gets changed and then the symmetry between the heating and the cooling processes is broken. Through adjusting the detuning of a strong-dissipative cavity mode, one obtains an enhanced net cooling rate for the nanosphere. It is illustrated that the ground-state cooling can be realized in the unresolved sideband regime even if the effective optomechanical coupling is weaker than the frequency of the nanosphere, which can be understood by the picture that the effective interplay of the nanosphere and the auxiliary cavity mode brings the system back to an effective resolved regime. Besides, the coupled cavity refines the dynamical stability of the system.

Ion-Exchange-Induced Selective Etching for the Synthesis of Amino-Functionalized Hollow Mesoporous Silica for Elevated-High-Temperature Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin; Liu, Jian; Lu, Shanfu; Zhu, Haijin; Aili, David; De Marco, Roland; Xiang, Yan; Forsyth, Maria; Li, Qingfeng; Jiang, San Ping

2017-09-20

As differentiated from conventional synthetic processes, amino-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica (NH 2 -HMS) has been synthesized using a new and facile strategy of ion-exchange-induced selective etching of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica (NH 2 -meso-silica) by an alkaline solution. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and in situ time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveal that ion-exchange-induced selective etching arises from the gradient distribution of OH - in the NH 2 -meso-silica nanospheres. Moreover, the ion-exchange-induced selective etching mechanism is verified through a successful synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica. After infiltration with phosphotungstic acid (PWA), PWA-NH 2 -HMS nanoparticles are dispersed in the poly(ether sulfone)-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PES-PVP) matrix, forming a hybrid PWA-NH 2 -HMS/PES-PVP nanocomposite membrane. The resultant nanocomposite membrane with an optimum loading of 10 wt % of PWA-NH 2 -HMS showed an enhanced proton conductivity of 0.175 S cm -1 and peak power density of 420 mW cm -2 at 180 °C under anhydrous conditions. Excellent durability of the hybrid composite membrane fuel cell has been demonstrated at 200 °C. The results of this study demonstrated the potential of the facile synthetic strategy in the fabrication of NH 2 -HMS with controlled mesoporous structure for application in nanocomposite membranes as a technology platform for elevated-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Preparation and photocatalytic properties of hybrid core-shell reusable CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}-ZnO nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, A. [Department of Physics, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 (United States); Mishra, S.R., E-mail: srmishra@memphis.edu [Department of Physics, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 (United States); Gupta, R.; Ghosh, K. [Department of Physics, Materials Science, and Astronomy, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO (United States)

2012-08-15

Magnetically separable and reusable core-shell CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}-ZnO photocatalyst nanospheres were prepared by the hydrothermal synthesis technique using glucose derived carbon nanospheres as the template. The morphology and the phase of core-shell hybrid structure of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}-ZnO were assessed via TEM, SEM and XRD. The magnetic composite showed high UV photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue in water. The photocatalytic activity was found to be ZnO shell thickness dependent. Thicker ZnO shells lead to higher rate of photocatalytic activity. Hybrid nanospheres recovered using an external magnetic field demonstrated good repeatability of photocatalytic activity. These results promise the reusability of the hybrid nanospheres for photocatalytic activity. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synthesis of novel hybrid magnetic-ZnO core-shell composite nanospheres. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High photocatalytic activity of hybrid nanospheres was noted as compared to that of pure ZnO nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The hybrid nanospheres could be easily retrieved using an external magnet for repeated use. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Repeated use of hybrid nanospheres did not show any degradation in the photocatalytic activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The photocatalysis rate was observed to be ZnO shell thickness dependent.

Influence of silica nanospheres on corrosion behavior of magnesium matrix syntactic foam

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, W.; Kannan, S.; Vincent, S.; Eddine, N. N.; Muhammed, A.; Gupta, M.; Karthikeyan, R.; Badari, V.

2018-04-01

Over the years, the development of Magnesium alloys as biodegradable implants has seen significant advancements. Magnesium based materials tend to provide numerous advantages in the field of biomedical implants over existing materials such as titanium or stainless steel. The present research focuses on corrosive behavior of Magnesium reinforced with different volume percentages of Hollow Silica Nano Spheres (HSNS). These behaviors were tested in two different simulated body fluids (SBF) namely, Hank’s Buffered Saline Solution (HBSS) and Phosphate Buffered Solution (PBS). This corrosion study was done using the method of electrochemical polarization with a three-electrode configuration. Comparative studies were established by testing pure Mg which provided critical information on the effects of the reinforcing material. The HSNS reinforced Mg displayed desirable characteristics after corrosion experiments; increased corrosion resistance was witnessed with higher volume percentage of HSNS.

Application of monodisperse fibers and discs to evaluation of the aerodynamic particle sizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoover, M.D.; Lipowicz, P.J.; Hanson, R.W.; Yeh, H.C.; Casalnuovo, S.A.

1988-01-01

Monodisperse fibers, μm in width and lengths of 5, 10, 20, and 40 μm, as well as monodisperse discs, 2 4 8, or 12 μm in diameter, were prepared using an integrated circuit microchip fabrication technique. Particles were silicon dioxide with thickness of 1 μm. Examination of the particles using a scanning electron microscope showed that they were uniform in shape, with well-defined edges. The particles were suspended in distilled water and aerosolized with a Lovelace nebullizer. The monodisperse particles were used to evaluate the TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). Carbon fibers that were monodisperse in diameter (count median diameter 3.42 μm, geometric standard deviation 1.06) and polydisperse in length (count median length = 28 μm, geometric standard deviation 2.2) were also used. The APS was found to be insensitive to fiber length and only weakly sensitive to disc diameter. (author)

Synthesis of nickel oxide nanospheres by a facile spray drying method and their application as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Anguo, E-mail: hixiaoanguo@126.com; Zhou, Shibiao; Zuo, Chenggang; Zhuan, Yongbing; Ding, Xiang

2015-10-15

Graphical abstract: NiO nanospheres prepared by a facile spray drying method show high lithium ion storage performance as anode of lithium ion battery. - Highlights: • NiO nanospheres are prepared by a spray drying method. • NiO nanospheres are composed of interconnected nanoparticles. • NiO nanospheres show good lithium ion storage properties. - Abstract: Fabrication of advanced anode materials is indispensable for construction of high-performance lithium ion batteries. In this work, nickel oxide (NiO) nanospheres are fabricated by a facial one-step spray drying method. The as-prepared NiO nanospheres show diameters ranging from 100 to 600 nm and are composed of nanoparticles of 30–50 nm. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the electrochemical properties of the NiO nanospheres are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The specific reversible capacity of NiO nanospheres is 656 mA h g{sup −1} at 0.1 C, and 476 mA h g{sup −1} at 1 C. The improvement of electrochemical properties is attributed to nanosphere structure with large surface area and short ion/electron transfer path.

Synthesis of nickel oxide nanospheres by a facile spray drying method and their application as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Anguo; Zhou, Shibiao; Zuo, Chenggang; Zhuan, Yongbing; Ding, Xiang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: NiO nanospheres prepared by a facile spray drying method show high lithium ion storage performance as anode of lithium ion battery. - Highlights: • NiO nanospheres are prepared by a spray drying method. • NiO nanospheres are composed of interconnected nanoparticles. • NiO nanospheres show good lithium ion storage properties. - Abstract: Fabrication of advanced anode materials is indispensable for construction of high-performance lithium ion batteries. In this work, nickel oxide (NiO) nanospheres are fabricated by a facial one-step spray drying method. The as-prepared NiO nanospheres show diameters ranging from 100 to 600 nm and are composed of nanoparticles of 30–50 nm. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the electrochemical properties of the NiO nanospheres are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The specific reversible capacity of NiO nanospheres is 656 mA h g −1 at 0.1 C, and 476 mA h g −1 at 1 C. The improvement of electrochemical properties is attributed to nanosphere structure with large surface area and short ion/electron transfer path

Radiolytic syntheses of hollow UO{sub 2} nanospheres in Triton X-100-based lyotropic liquid crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yongming; Chen, Qingde; Shen, Xinghai [Peking Univ., Beijing (China). Fundamental Science on Radiochemistry and Radiation Chemistry Lab.

2017-08-01

Hollow nanospheres (φ: 60-80 nm, wall thickness: 10-20 nm), consisted of UO{sub 2} nanoparticles (φ: 3-5 nm), were successfully prepared in a Triton X-100-water (50:50, w/w) hexagonal lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) by γ-irradiation, where water soluble ammonium uranyl tricarbonate was added as precursor. The product was stable at least up to 300 C. Furthermore, whether the nanospheres were hollow or not, and the wall thickness of the hollow nanospheres could be easily controlled via adjusting dose rate. While in the Triton X-100 based micellar systems, only solid nanospheres were obtained. At last, a possible combination mechanism containing adsorption, aggregation and fracturing processes was proposed.

Nanodisk fabrication by nanosphere lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lozhkina, O. A.; Lozhkin, M. S., E-mail: maksim.lozhkin@spbu.ru; Kapitonov, Yu. V. [St.Petersburg State University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034 (Russian Federation)

2016-06-17

Top-down fabrication of regular nanodisk arrays from an A{sub 3}B{sub 5} epitaxial heterostructure containing quantum well is demonstrated. Dry ion etching through the mask was emloyed. The spin-coated monolayer of polystyrene nanospheres served as a mask. Nanodisk diameter could be precisely controlled by oxygen plasma resizing of spheres after deposition. Nanodisks with diameters down to 200 nm were made.

Use of specific polysaccharide-immobilized monodisperse poly(glycidyl methacrylate) core-silica shell microspheres for affinity purification of lectins

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonyuk, V.; Grama, Silvia; Plichta, Zdeněk; Magorivska, I.; Horák, Daniel; Stoika, R.

2015-01-01

Roč. 29, č. 5 (2015), s. 783-787 ISSN 0269-3879 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : polysaccharide-immobilized microspheres * core-silica shell with amino groups * yeast mannan Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 1.729, year: 2015

An identification of the soft polyelectrolyte gel-like layer on silica colloids using atomic force and electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Škvarla, Jiří; Škvarla, Juraj

2017-10-01

A procedure is introduced for measuring the radius of spherical colloid particles from the curvature of upper parts of their central cross-sectional profiles obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM). To minimize the possible compression and displacement of the spheres, AFM is operated in a mode rendering a constant ultralow pN force on the tip. The procedure allows us to evaluate the mean radius of nearly monodisperse submicrometer spheres of silica in their natively hydrated state in aqueous electrolyte solutions, irrespective of whether they are coagulated or not. A variation in the volume (swelling degree) of layers delimited by the AFM mean radii of these spheres in KCl solutions and their invariable mean radius in vacuum is obtained that follows a scaling power law derived in polymer physics for swellable polyelectrolyte gels and deduced previously by us from coagulation tests. This supports our former suggestion about the existence of soft polyelectrolyte gel-like layer developed spontaneously around silica surfaces and colloids. We discuss this finding in the context of recent knowledge about the structure of the silica/water interface obtained from direct surface force measurements between macroscopic silica surfaces and from particle size measurements of silica colloids and highlight its importance for colloid chemistry and condensed mattter physics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and characterization of DNA-loaded zein nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Regier, Mary C; Taylor, Jessica D; Borcyk, Tyler; Yang, Yiqi; Pannier, Angela K

2012-12-02

Particulates incorporating DNA are promising vehicles for gene delivery, with the ability to protect DNA and provide for controlled, localized, and sustained release and transfection. Zein, a hydrophobic protein from corn, is biocompatible and has properties that make it a promising candidate material for particulate delivery, including its ability to form nanospheres through coacervation and its insolubility under physiological conditions, making it capable of sustained release of encapsulated compounds. Due to the promise of this natural biomaterial for drug delivery, the objective of this study was to formulate zein nanospheres encapsulating DNA as the therapeutic compound, and to characterize size, charge, sustained release, cell cytotoxicity and cellular internalization of these particles. Zein nanospheres encapsulating DNA were fabricated using a coacervation technique, without the use of harsh solvents or temperatures, resulting in the preservation of DNA integrity and particles with diameters that ranged from 157.8 ± 3.9 nm to 396.8 ± 16.1 nm, depending on zein to DNA ratio. DNA encapsulation efficiencies were maximized to 65.3 ± 1.9% with a maximum loading of 6.1 ± 0.2 mg DNA/g zein. The spheres protected encapsulated DNA from DNase I degradation and exhibited sustained plasmid release for at least 7 days, with minimal burst during the initial phase of release. Zein/DNA nanospheres demonstrated robust biocompatibility, cellular association, and internalization. This study represents the first report on the formation of zein particles encapsulating plasmid DNA, using simple fabrication techniques resulting in preservation of plasmid integrity and tunable sizes. DNA encapsulation efficiencies were maximized to acceptable levels at higher zein to DNA ratios, while loading was comparable to that of other hydrophilic compounds encapsulated in zein and that of DNA incorporated into PLGA nano- and microspheres. The hydrophobic nature of zein resulted in

Synthesis of honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres/carbon nanoparticles/graphene composites as electrode materials for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Yachao; Zhou, Min; Chen, Hao; Feng, Lei; Wang, Zhao; Yan, Xinzhu; Guan, Shiyou

2015-12-01

Improving the electrochemical performance of manganese dioxide (MnO2) electrodes is of great significance for supercapacitors. In this study, a novel honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres/carbon nanoparticles/graphene composites has been fabricated through freeze-drying method. The honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres are well inserted and dispersed on the graphene. Carbon nanoparticles in the composites act as spacers to effectively prevent graphene from restacking and agglomeration, construct efficient 3D conducting architecture with graphene for honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres, and alleviate the aggregation of honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres by separating them from each other. As a result, such honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres/carbon nanoparticles/graphene composites display much improved electrochemical capacitive performance of 255 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1, outstanding rate capability (150 F g-1 remained at a current density of 20 A g-1) and good cycling stability (83% of the initial capacitance retained after 1000 charge/discharge cycles). The strategy for the synthesis of these composites is very effective.

Nanospheric Chemotherapeutic and Chemoprotective Agents

Science.gov (United States)

2008-09-01

Rutgers scientists led by Prof. Joachim Kohn and TyRx Pharma, Inc., announced the FDA’s clearance of a new medical device for hernia repair that...significant decrease of the cell metabolic activity of KB cervical carcinoma cells was detected, confirming that these nanospheres do not induce any short...term cytotoxicity. Cell viability was analyzed by MTS colorimetric assay after 3 days. Figure 11: Metabolic activity of KB cervical carcinoma cells

Surface functionalized biocompatible magnetic nanospheres for cancer hyperthermia.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, X.; Novosad, V.; Rozhkova, E. A.; Chen, H.; Yefremenko, V.; Pearson, J.; Torno, M.; Bader, S. D.; Rosengart, A. J.; Univ. Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

2007-06-01

We report a simplified single emulsion (oil-in-water) solvent evaporation protocol to synthesize surface functionalized biocompatible magnetic nanospheres by using highly concentrated hydrophobic magnetite (gel) and a mixture of poly(D,L lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid-block-polyethylene glycol-maleimide) (PLA-PEG-maleimide) (10:1 by mass) polymers. The as-synthesized particles are approximately spherical with an average diameter of 360-370 nm with polydispersity index of 0.12-0.18, are surface-functionalized with maleimide groups, and have saturation magnetization values of 25-40 emu/g. The efficiency of the heating induced by 400-kHz oscillating magnetic fields is compared for two samples with different magnetite loadings. Results show that these nanospheres have the potential to provide an efficient cancer-targeted hyperthermia.

Monodisperse Platinum and Rhodium Nanoparticles as Model Heterogeneous Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grass, Michael Edward [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2008-09-01

Model heterogeneous catalysts have been synthesized and studied to better understand how the surface structure of noble metal nanoparticles affects catalytic performance. In this project, monodisperse rhodium and platinum nanoparticles of controlled size and shape have been synthesized by solution phase polyol reduction, stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Model catalysts have been developed using these nanoparticles by two methods: synthesis of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) in the presence of nanoparticles (nanoparticle encapsulation, NE) to form a composite of metal nanoparticles supported on SBA-15 and by deposition of the particles onto a silicon wafer using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer deposition. The particle shapes were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and the sizes were determined by TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and in the case of NE samples, room temperature H₂ and CO adsorption isotherms. Catalytic studies were carried out in homebuilt gas-phase reactors. For the nanoparticles supported on SBA-15, the catalysts are in powder form and were studied using the homebuilt systems as plug-flow reactors. In the case of nanoparticles deposited on silicon wafers, the same systems were operated as batch reactors. This dissertation has focused on the synthesis, characterization, and reaction studies of model noble metal heterogeneous catalysts. Careful control of particle size and shape has been accomplished though solution phase synthesis of Pt and Rh nanoparticles in order to elucidate further structure-reactivity relationships in noble metal catalysis.

High-speed monodisperse droplet generation by ultrasonically controlled micro-jet breakup

Science.gov (United States)

Frommhold, Philipp Erhard; Lippert, Alexander; Holsteyns, Frank Ludwig; Mettin, Robert

2014-04-01

A liquid jet that is ejected from a nozzle into air will disintegrate into drops via the well-known Plateau-Rayleigh instability within a certain range of Ohnesorge and Reynolds numbers. With the focus on the micrometer scale, we investigate the control of this process by superimposing a suitable ultrasonic signal, which causes the jet to break up into a very precise train of monodisperse droplets. The jet leaves a pressurized container of liquid via a small orifice of about 20 μm diameter. The break-up process and the emerging droplets are recorded via high-speed imaging. An extended parameter study of exit speed and ultrasonic frequency is carried out for deionized water to evaluate the jet's state and the subsequent generation of monodisperse droplets. Maximum exit velocities obtained reach almost 120 m s-1, and frequencies have been applied up to 1.8 MHz. Functionality of the method is confirmed for five additional liquids for moderate jet velocities 38 m s-1. For the uncontrolled jet disintegration, the drop size spectra revealed broad distributions and downstream drop growth by collision, while the acoustic control generated monodisperse droplets with a standard deviation less than 0.5 %. By adjustment of the acoustic excitation frequency, drop diameters could be tuned continuously from about 30 to 50 μm for all exit speeds. Good agreement to former experiments and theoretical approaches is found for the relation of overpressure and jet exit speed, and for the observed stability regions of monodisperse droplet generation in the parameter plane of jet speed and acoustic excitation frequency. Fitting of two free parameters of the general theory to the liquids and nozzles used is found to yield an even higher precision. Furthermore, the high-velocity instability limit of regular jet breakup described by von Ohnesorge has been superseded by more than a factor of two without entering the wind-induced instability regime, and monodisperse droplet generation was

Graphene-wrapped sulfur nanospheres with ultra-high sulfur loading for high energy density lithium–sulfur batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Ya; Guo, Jinxin; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: zhangjun@zjnu.cn; Su, Qingmei; Du, Gaohui, E-mail: gaohuidu@zjnu.edu.cn

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A graphene-wrapped sulfur nanospheres composite with 91 wt% S is prepared. • It shows highly improved electrochemical performance as cathode for Li–S cell. • The PVP coating and conductive graphene minimize polysulfides dissolution. • The flexible coatings with void space accommodate the volume expansion of sulfur. - Abstract: Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery with high theoretical energy density is one of the most promising energy storage systems for electric vehicles and intermittent renewable energy. However, due to the poor conductivity of the active material, considerable weight of the electrode is occupied by the conductive additives. Here we report a graphene-wrapped sulfur nanospheres composite (S-nanosphere@G) with sulfur content up to 91 wt% as the high energy density cathode material for Li–S battery. The sulfur nanospheres with diameter of 400–500 nm are synthesized through a solution-based approach with the existence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Then the sulfur nanospheres are uniformly wrapped by conductive graphene sheets through the electrostatic interaction between graphene oxide and PVP, followed by reducing of graphene oxide with hydrazine. The design of graphene wrapped sulfur nanoarchitecture provides flexible conductive graphene coating with void space to accommodate the volume expansion of sulfur and to minimize polysulfide dissolution. As a result, the S-nanosphere@G nanocomposite with 91 wt% sulfur shows a reversible initial capacity of 970 mA h g{sup −1} and an average columbic efficiency > 96% over 100 cycles at a rate of 0.2 C. Taking the total mass of electrode into account, the S-nanosphere@G composite is a promising cathode material for high energy density Li–S batteries.

Polypropylene Nano composites Obtained by In Situ Polymerization Using Metallocenes Catalyst: Influence of the Nanoparticles on the Final Polymer Morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata, P.; Quijada, R.

2012-01-01

Polypropylene nano composites containing silica nanospheres based on the sol-gel methods were produced via in situ polymerization using a rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 /methylaluminoxane (MAO) system. Two different routes were used depending on the interaction between the silica nanoparticles with the catalytic system. In route 1 the nanoparticles were added together with the catalytic system (rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 )/(MAO) directly into the reactor, and in route 2 the metallocenes rac-Et(Ind) 2 ZrCl 2 was supported on silica nanospheres pretreated with (MAO). SEM images show that when the nanospheres were added by both routes, they were replicated in the final polymer particle morphology; this phenomenon was more pronounced for PP obtained by route 2. The polypropylene (PP) nano composites obtained by both routes had a slightly higher percent crystallinity and crystallinity temperatures than pure PP. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the nanospheres were well dispersed into the polypropylene matrix, particularly in the nano composites obtained by the support system (route 2).

Polypropylene Nanocomposites Obtained by In Situ Polymerization Using Metallocene Catalyst: Influence of the Nanoparticles on the Final Polymer Morphology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Zapata

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Polypropylene nanocomposites containing silica nanospheres based on the sol-gel methods were produced via in situ polymerization using a rac-Et(Ind2ZrCl2/methylaluminoxane (MAO system. Two different routes were used depending on the interaction between the silica nanoparticles with the catalytic system. In route 1 the nanoparticles were added together with the catalytic system (rac-Et(Ind2ZrCl2/(MAO directly into the reactor, and in route 2 the metallocene rac-Et(Ind2ZrCl2 was supported on silica nanospheres pretreated with (MAO. SEM images show that when the nanospheres were added by both routes, they were replicated in the final polymer particle morphology; this phenomenon was more pronounced for PP obtained by route 2. The polypropylene (PP nanocomposites obtained by both routes had a slightly higher percent crystallinities and crystallinity temperatures than pure PP. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM images show that the nanospheres were well dispersed into the polypropylene matrix, particularly in the nanocomposites obtained by the support system (route 2.

Ultrafast third-order nonlinearity of silver nanospheres and nanodiscs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayabalan, J; Singh, Asha; Chari, Rama; Oak, Shrikant M

2007-01-01

We have measured and compared the absolute values of nonlinear susceptibility of colloidal solutions containing silver nanospheres and nanodiscs at their respective plasmon peaks using a femtosecond laser. The nonlinear process responsible for the laser-induced grating formation in the sample is determined to be of third order. The ratio between the third-order susceptibility (|χ (3) |) and the linear absorption coefficient (α) of the nanodiscs at 590 nm is three times than that of the similar ratio for nanospheres at 398 nm. Using a randomly oriented ellipsoidal model, we have shown that the increase in |χ (3) |/α for a nanodisc at 590 nm can be attributed to the change in the field enhancement factor with shape

Biomimetic synthesis of selenium nanospheres by bacterial strain JS-11 and its role as a biosensor for nanotoxicity assessment: a novel se-bioassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, Sourabh; Alkhedhairy, Abdulaziz A; Ahamed, Maqusood; Musarrat, Javed

2013-01-01

Selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) were synthesized by green technology using the bacterial isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JS-11. The bacteria exhibited significant tolerance to selenite (SeO3(2-)) up to 100 mM concentration with an EC50 value of 140 mM. The spent medium (culture supernatant) contains the potential of reducing soluble and colorless SeO3(2-) to insoluble red elemental selenium (Se(0)) at 37°C. Characterization of red Se° product by use of UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX) analysis revealed the presence of stable, predominantly monodispersed and spherical selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) of an average size of 21 nm. Most likely, the metabolite phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) released by strain JS-11 in culture supernatant along with the known redox agents like NADH and NADH dependent reductases are responsible for biomimetic reduction of SeO3(2-) to Se° nanospheres. Based on the bioreduction of a colorless solution of SeO3(2-) to elemental red Se(0), a high throughput colorimetric bioassay (Se-Assay) was developed for parallel detection and quantification of nanoparticles (NPs) cytotoxicity in a 96 well format. Thus, it has been concluded that the reducing power of the culture supernatant of strain JS-11 could be effectively exploited for developing a simple and environmental friendly method of Se-NPs synthesis. The results elucidated that the red colored Se° nanospheres may serve as a biosensor for nanotoxicity assessment, contemplating the inhibition of SeO3(2-) bioreduction process in NPs treated bacterial cell culture supernatant, as a toxicity end point.

The rheological responds of the superparamagnetic fluid based on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan, Xiaohui; Pei, Lei; Xuan, Shouhu, E-mail: xuansh@ustc.edu.cn; Yan, Qifan; Gong, Xinglong, E-mail: gongxl@ustc.edu.cn

2017-05-01

In this work, a superparamagnetic fluid based on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres was developed and the influence of the particle structure on the rheological properties was investigated. The Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres which were prepared by using the hydrothermal method presented the superparamagnetic characteristic, and the magnetic fluid thereof showed well magnetorheological (MR) effect. The stable magnetic fluid had a high yield stress even at low shear rate and its maximal yield stress was dramatically influenced by the measurement gap. In comparison to the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles based magnetic fluid (MF), the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres based MF exhibited better MR effect and higher stability since the unique hollow nanostructure. The shear stress of the hollow nanospheres is about 1.85 times larger than the nanoparticles based MF because it formed stronger chains structure under applying a magnetic field. To further investigate the enhancing mechanism, a molecule dynamic simulation was conducted to analyze the shear stress and the structure evolution of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres based MF and the simulation matched well with the experimental results. - Highlights: • A superparamagnetic fluid based on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} hollow nanospheres was investigated. • The stable magnetic fluid had a high yield stress even at low shear rate. • The shear stress of the hollow nanospheres is large. • A molecule dynamic simulation was conducted to analyze the shear stress.

Ferroelectric behavior of a lead titanate nanosphere due to depolarization fields and mechanical stresses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrade Landeta, J.; Lascano, I.

2017-07-01

A theorical model has been developed based on the theory of Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire to study and predict the effects the decreasing of size particle in a nanosphere of PbTiO3 subjected to the action of depolarization fields and mechanical stress. It was considered that the nanosphere is surrounded by a layer of space charges on its surface, and containing 180° domains generated by minimizing free energy of depolarization. Energy density of depolarization, wall domain and electro-elastic energy have been incorporated into the free energy of the theory Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire. Free energy minimization was performed to determine the spontaneous polarization and transition temperature system. These results show that the transition temperature for nanosphere is substantially smaller than the corresponding bulk material. Also, it has been obtained that the stability of the ferroelectric phase of nanosphere is favored for configurations with a large number of 180° domains, with the decreasing of thickness space charge layer, and the application of tensile stress and decreases with compressive stress. (Author)

Extracellular biosynthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles by a SAM capping route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Li; Lin Zhonghua; Gu Pingying; Zhou Jianzhang; Yao Bingxing; Chen Guoliang; Fu Jinkun

2009-01-01

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles capped with a self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol were biosynthesized extracellularly by an efficient, simple, and environmental friendly procedure, which involved the use of Bacillus megatherium D01 as the reducing agent and the use of dodecanethiol as the capping ligand at 26 o C. The kinetics of gold nanoparticle formation was followed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was shown that reaction time was an important parameter in controlling the morphology of gold nanoparticles. The effect of thiol on the shape, size, and dispersity of gold nanoparticles was also studied. The results showed that the presence of thiol during the biosynthesis could induce the formation of small size gold nanoparticles (<2.5 nm), hold the shape of spherical nanoparticles, and promote the monodispersity of nanoparticles. Through the modulation of reaction time and the use of thiol, monodispersed spherical gold nanoparticles capped with thiol of 1.9 ± 0.8 nm size were formed by using Bacillus megatherium D01.

Extracellular biosynthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles by a SAM capping route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen Li [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Lin Zhonghua [Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (China); Gu Pingying [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Zhou Jianzhang [Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (China); Yao Bingxing [Xiamen University, School of Life Sciences (China); Chen Guoliang; Fu Jinkun, E-mail: wenli_1976@163.co [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

2009-02-15

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles capped with a self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol were biosynthesized extracellularly by an efficient, simple, and environmental friendly procedure, which involved the use of Bacillus megatherium D01 as the reducing agent and the use of dodecanethiol as the capping ligand at 26 {sup o}C. The kinetics of gold nanoparticle formation was followed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was shown that reaction time was an important parameter in controlling the morphology of gold nanoparticles. The effect of thiol on the shape, size, and dispersity of gold nanoparticles was also studied. The results showed that the presence of thiol during the biosynthesis could induce the formation of small size gold nanoparticles (<2.5 nm), hold the shape of spherical nanoparticles, and promote the monodispersity of nanoparticles. Through the modulation of reaction time and the use of thiol, monodispersed spherical gold nanoparticles capped with thiol of 1.9 {+-} 0.8 nm size were formed by using Bacillus megatherium D01.

Synthesis, characterization and adsorptive performance of MgFe2O4 nanospheres for SO2 removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ling; Li, Xinyong; Zhao, Qidong; Qu, Zhenping; Yuan, Deling; Liu, Shaomin; Hu, Xijun; Chen, Guohua

2010-12-15

A type of uniform Mg ferrite nanospheres with excellent SO(2) adsorption capacity could be selectively synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The size of the MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres was controlled to be 300-400 nm in diameter. The structural, textural, and surface properties of the adsorbent have been fully characterized by a variety of techniques (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET; X-ray diffraction analysis, XRD; scanning electron microscopy, SEM; and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, EDS). The valence states and the surface chemical compositions of MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres were further identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The behaviors of SO(2) oxidative adsorption on MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both the sulfite and sulfate species could be formed on the surface of MgFe(2)O(4). The adsorption equilibrium isotherm of SO(2) was analyzed using a volumetric method at 298 K and 473 K. The results indicate that MgFe(2)O(4) nanospheres possess a good potential as the solid-state SO(2) adsorbent for applications in hot fuel gas desulfurization. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel piroxicam-loaded nanospheres generated by the electrospraying technique: physicochemical characterisation and oral bioavailability evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mustapha, Omer; Din, Fakhar Ud; Kim, Dong Wuk; Park, Jong Hyuck; Woo, Kyu Bong; Lim, Soo-Jeong; Youn, Yu Seok; Cho, Kwan Hyung; Rashid, Rehmana; Yousaf, Abid Mehmood; Kim, Jong Oh; Yong, Chul Soon; Choi, Han-Gon

2016-06-01

To determine if a novel electrospraying technique could be applied to an oral drug delivery system for improving the solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble piroxicam; the nanospheres were generated with drug and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) using electrospraying technique; and their physicochemical properties, solubility, release and pharmacokinetics were evaluated in comparison with piroxicam powder. All nanospheres had significantly increased drug solubility and dissolution rates in comparison with the drug powder. In particular, the nanosphere composed of piroxicam and PVP at a weight ratio of 2:8 gave about 600-fold higher solubility, 15-fold higher release rate and 3-fold higher AUC in comparison to piroxicam powder, leading to significantly enhanced oral bioavailability in rats, due to the mingled effect of nanonisation along with transformation to the amorphous state. Thus, this electrospraying technique can be utilised to produce a novel oral nanosphere delivery system with enhanced solubility and oral bioavailability for poorly water-soluble piroxicam.

Efficient internalization of silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles of different sizes by primary human macrophages and dendritic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunzmann, Andrea; Andersson, Britta; Vogt, Carmen; Feliu, Neus; Ye Fei; Gabrielsson, Susanne; Toprak, Muhammet S.; Buerki-Thurnherr, Tina; Laurent, Sophie; Vahter, Marie; Krug, Harald; Muhammed, Mamoun; Scheynius, Annika; Fadeel, Bengt

2011-01-01

Engineered nanoparticles are being considered for a wide range of biomedical applications, from magnetic resonance imaging to 'smart' drug delivery systems. The development of novel nanomaterials for biomedical applications must be accompanied by careful scrutiny of their biocompatibility. In this regard, particular attention should be paid to the possible interactions between nanoparticles and cells of the immune system, our primary defense system against foreign invasion. On the other hand, labeling of immune cells serves as an ideal tool for visualization, diagnosis or treatment of inflammatory processes, which requires the efficient internalization of the nanoparticles into the cells of interest. Here, we compare novel monodispersed silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles with commercially available dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. The silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles displayed excellent magnetic properties. Furthermore, they were non-toxic to primary human monocyte-derived macrophages at all doses tested whereas dose-dependent toxicity of the smaller silica-coated nanoparticles (30 nm and 50 nm) was observed for primary monocyte-derived dendritic cells, but not for the similarly small dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. No macrophage or dendritic cell secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed upon administration of nanoparticles. The silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were taken up to a significantly higher degree when compared to the dextran-coated nanoparticles, irrespective of size. Cellular internalization of the silica-coated nanoparticles was through an active, actin cytoskeleton-dependent process. We conclude that these novel silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles are promising materials for medical imaging, cell tracking and other biomedical applications.

Ultrafast third-order nonlinearity of silver nanospheres and nanodiscs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayabalan, J; Singh, Asha; Chari, Rama; Oak, Shrikant M [Ultrafast Studies Section, Laser Physics Application Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore-452013 (India)

2007-08-08

We have measured and compared the absolute values of nonlinear susceptibility of colloidal solutions containing silver nanospheres and nanodiscs at their respective plasmon peaks using a femtosecond laser. The nonlinear process responsible for the laser-induced grating formation in the sample is determined to be of third order. The ratio between the third-order susceptibility (|{chi}{sup (3)}|) and the linear absorption coefficient ({alpha}) of the nanodiscs at 590 nm is three times than that of the similar ratio for nanospheres at 398 nm. Using a randomly oriented ellipsoidal model, we have shown that the increase in |{chi}{sup (3)}|/{alpha} for a nanodisc at 590 nm can be attributed to the change in the field enhancement factor with shape.

Impact of Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles on a Living Organism: Morphological, Behavioural and Molecular Biology Implications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfredo eAmbrosone

2014-09-01

Full Text Available It is generally accepted that silica (SiO2 is not toxic. But the increasing use of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs in many different industrial fields has prompted the careful investigation of its toxicity in biological systems. In this report, we describe the effects elicited by SiO2NPs on animal and cell physiology. Stable and monodisperse amorphous silica nanoparticles 25nm in diameter, were administered to living Hydra vulgaris (Cnidaria. The dose-related effects were defined by morphological and behavioural assays. The results revealed an all-or-nothing lethal toxicity with a rather high threshold (35nM NPs and a LT50 of 38h. At sub lethal doses the morpho-physiological effects included: animal morphology alterations, paralysis of the gastric region, disorganization and depletion of tentacle specialized cells, increase of apoptotic and collapsed cells and reduction of the epithelial cell proliferation rate. Transcriptome analysis (RNAseq revealed 45 differentially expressed genes, mostly involved in stress response and cuticle renovation. Our results show that Hydra reacts to SiO2NPs, is able to rebalance the animal homeostasis up to a relatively high doses of SiO2NPs and that the physiological modifications are transduced to gene expression modulation.

Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Sonali; Banerjee, Chandan; Kundu, Avra; Dey, Prasenjit; Saha, Hiranmay; Datta, Swapan K.

2013-10-01

Antireflective coating on front glass of superstrate-type single junction amorphous silicon solar cells (SCs) has been applied using highly monodispersed and stable silica nanoparticles (NPs). The silica NPs having 300 nm diameter were synthesized by Stober technique where the size of the NPs was controlled by varying the alcohol medium. The synthesized silica NPs were analysed by dynamic light scattering technique and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The NPs were spin coated on glass side of fluorinated tin oxide (SnO2: F) coated glass superstrate and optimization of the concentration of the colloidal solution, spin speed and number of coated layers was done to achieve minimum reflection characteristics. An estimation of the distribution of the NPs for different optimization parameters has been done using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the transparent conducting oxide coated glass with the layer having the minimum reflectance is used for fabrication of amorphous silicon SC. Electrical analysis of the fabricated cell indicates an improvement of 6.5% in short-circuit current density from a reference of 12.40 mA cm-2 while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor remains unaltered. A realistic optical model has also been proposed to gain an insight into the system.

Silica nanoparticles on front glass for efficiency enhancement in superstrate-type amorphous silicon solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Sonali; Kundu, Avra; Dey, Prasenjit; Saha, Hiranmay; Datta, Swapan K; Banerjee, Chandan

2013-01-01

Antireflective coating on front glass of superstrate-type single junction amorphous silicon solar cells (SCs) has been applied using highly monodispersed and stable silica nanoparticles (NPs). The silica NPs having 300 nm diameter were synthesized by Stober technique where the size of the NPs was controlled by varying the alcohol medium. The synthesized silica NPs were analysed by dynamic light scattering technique and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The NPs were spin coated on glass side of fluorinated tin oxide (SnO 2 : F) coated glass superstrate and optimization of the concentration of the colloidal solution, spin speed and number of coated layers was done to achieve minimum reflection characteristics. An estimation of the distribution of the NPs for different optimization parameters has been done using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the transparent conducting oxide coated glass with the layer having the minimum reflectance is used for fabrication of amorphous silicon SC. Electrical analysis of the fabricated cell indicates an improvement of 6.5% in short-circuit current density from a reference of 12.40 mA cm −2 while the open circuit voltage and the fill factor remains unaltered. A realistic optical model has also been proposed to gain an insight into the system. (paper)

Effect of the Fabrication Parameters of the Nanosphere Lithography Method on the Properties of the Deposited Au-Ag Nanoparticle Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Chen, Chaoyang; Yang, Guangsong; Chen, Yushan; Yang, Cheng-Fu

2017-04-03

The nanosphere lithography (NSL) method can be developed to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays for the generation of localized surface plasmon resonance. Previously, we have found that the parameters used to form the NSL masks and the physical methods required to deposit the Au-Ag thin films had large effects on the geometry properties of the nanoparticle arrays. Considering this, the different parameters used to grow the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays were investigated. A single-layer NSL mask was formed by using self-assembly nano-scale polystyrene (PS) nanospheres with an average radius of 265 nm. At first, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 6 wt %. Two coating methods, drop-coating and spin-coating, were used to coat the nano-scale PS nanospheres as a single-layer NSL mask. From the observations of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), we found that the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks fabricated by using the drop-coating method were more uniform and exhibited a smaller gap than those fabricated by the spin-coating method. Next, the drop-coating method was used to form the single-layer NSL mask and the concentration of nano-scale PS nanospheres in a solution that was changed from 4 to 10 wt %, for further study. The SEM images showed that when the concentrations of PS nanospheres in the solution were 6 and 8 wt %, the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks were more uniform than those of 4 and 10 wt %. The effects of the one-side lifting angle of substrates and the vaporization temperature for the solvent of one-layer self-assembly PS nanosphere thin films, were also investigated. Finally, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 8 wt % to form the PS nanosphere masks by the drop-coating method. Three different physical deposition methods, including thermal evaporation, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and e-gun deposition, were used to

Effect of the Fabrication Parameters of the Nanosphere Lithography Method on the Properties of the Deposited Au-Ag Nanoparticle Arrays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Liu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The nanosphere lithography (NSL method can be developed to deposit the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays for the generation of localized surface plasmon resonance. Previously, we have found that the parameters used to form the NSL masks and the physical methods required to deposit the Au-Ag thin films had large effects on the geometry properties of the nanoparticle arrays. Considering this, the different parameters used to grow the Au-Ag triangle hexagonal nanoparticle arrays were investigated. A single‐layer NSL mask was formed by using self‐assembly nano-scale polystyrene (PS nanospheres with an average radius of 265 nm. At first, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 6 wt %. Two coating methods, drop-coating and spin-coating, were used to coat the nano-scale PS nanospheres as a single‐layer NSL mask. From the observations of scanning electronic microscopy (SEM, we found that the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks fabricated by using the drop-coating method were more uniform and exhibited a smaller gap than those fabricated by the spin-coating method. Next, the drop-coating method was used to form the single‐layer NSL mask and the concentration of nano-scale PS nanospheres in a solution that was changed from 4 to 10 wt %, for further study. The SEM images showed that when the concentrations of PS nanospheres in the solution were 6 and 8 wt %, the matrixes of the PS nanosphere masks were more uniform than those of 4 and 10 wt %. The effects of the one-side lifting angle of substrates and the vaporization temperature for the solvent of one-layer self-assembly PS nanosphere thin films, were also investigated. Finally, the concentration of the nano-scale PS nanospheres in the solution was set at 8 wt % to form the PS nanosphere masks by the drop-coating method. Three different physical deposition methods, including thermal evaporation, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, and e

Research on the biological activity and doxorubicin release behavior in vitro of mesoporous bioactive SiO2-CaO-P2O5 glass nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiang; Wang, Gen; Zhang, Ying

2017-10-01

Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) nanospheres have been synthesized by a facile method of sacrificing template using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant. The prepared MBG nanospheres possess high specific surface area (632 m2 g-1) as well as uniform size (∼100 nm). In addition, MBG nanospheres exhibited a quick in vitro bioactive response in simulated body fluids (SBF) and excellent bioactivity of inducing hydroxyapatite (HA) forming on the surface of MBG nanospheres. Furthermore, MBG nanospheres can sustain release of doxorubicin (DOX) with a higher encapsulation efficiency (63.6%) and show distinct degradation in PBS by releasing Si and Ca ions. The encapsulation efficiency and DOX release of MBG nanospheres could be controlled by mesoporous structure and local pH environment. The greater surface area and pore volumes of prepared MBG nanospheres are conducive to bioactive response and drug release in vitro. The amino groups in DOX can be easily protonated at acidic medium to become positively charged NH+3, which allow these drug molecules to be desorbed from the surface of MBG nanospheres via electrostatic effect. Therefore, the synthesized MBG nanospheres have a pH-sensitive drug release capability. In addition, the cytotoxicity of MBG nanospheres was assessed using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), and results showed that the synthesized MBG nanospheres had no significant cytotoxicity to MC3T3 cells. These all indicated that as-prepared MBG nanospheres are promising candidates for bone tissue engineering.

Hyperbranched polyether hybrid nanospheres with CdSe quantum dots incorporated for selective detection of nitric oxide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Shuiping; Jin, Lanming; Chronakis, Ioannis S.

2014-01-01

In this work, hybrid nanosphere vehicles consisting of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) were synthesized for nitric oxide (NO) donating and real-time detecting. The nanospheres with QDs being encapsulation have spherical outline with dimension of ~127 nm. The fluorescence properties...

Hydrothermal synthesis of flower-like MoS2 nanospheres for electrochemical supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaoping; Xu, Bin; Lin, Zhengfeng; Shu, Dong; Ma, Lin

2014-09-01

Flower-like MoS2 nanospheres were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. The structure and surface morphology of the as-prepared MoS2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The supercapacitive behavior of MoS2 in 1 M KCl electrolyte was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV), constant current charge-discharge cycling (CD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XRD results indicate that the as-prepared MoS2 has good crystallinity. SEM images show that the MoS2 nanospheres have uniform sizes with mean diameter about 300 nm. Many nanosheets growing on the surface make the MoS2 nanospheres to be a flower-like structure. The specific capacitance of MoS2 is 122 F x g(-1) at 1 A x g(-1) or 114 F x g(-1) at 2 mv s(-1). All the experimental results indicate that MoS2 is a promising electrode material for electrochemical supercapacitors.

Hollow raspberry-like PdAg alloy nanospheres: High electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Cheng; Hu, Yongli; Liu, Mingrui; Zheng, Yixiong

2015-03-01

Palladium-silver (PdAg) alloy nanospheres with unique structure were prepared using a one-pot procedure based on the galvanic replacement reaction. Their electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media was evaluated. The morphology and crystal structure of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical characterization techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements were used to analyze the electrochemical performance of the PdAg alloy nanospheres. The SEM and TEM images showed that the PdAg alloy nanospheres exhibit a hierarchical nanostructure with hollow interiors and porous walls. Compared to the commercial Pd/C catalyst, the as-prepared PdAg alloy nanospheres exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity and stability towards ethanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media, showing its potential as a new non-Pt electro-catalyst for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs).

Fabrication and characterization of DNA-loaded zein nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regier Mary C

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Particulates incorporating DNA are promising vehicles for gene delivery, with the ability to protect DNA and provide for controlled, localized, and sustained release and transfection. Zein, a hydrophobic protein from corn, is biocompatible and has properties that make it a promising candidate material for particulate delivery, including its ability to form nanospheres through coacervation and its insolubility under physiological conditions, making it capable of sustained release of encapsulated compounds. Due to the promise of this natural biomaterial for drug delivery, the objective of this study was to formulate zein nanospheres encapsulating DNA as the therapeutic compound, and to characterize size, charge, sustained release, cell cytotoxicity and cellular internalization of these particles. Results Zein nanospheres encapsulating DNA were fabricated using a coacervation technique, without the use of harsh solvents or temperatures, resulting in the preservation of DNA integrity and particles with diameters that ranged from 157.8 ± 3.9 nm to 396.8 ± 16.1 nm, depending on zein to DNA ratio. DNA encapsulation efficiencies were maximized to 65.3 ± 1.9% with a maximum loading of 6.1 ± 0.2 mg DNA/g zein. The spheres protected encapsulated DNA from DNase I degradation and exhibited sustained plasmid release for at least 7 days, with minimal burst during the initial phase of release. Zein/DNA nanospheres demonstrated robust biocompatibility, cellular association, and internalization. Conclusions This study represents the first report on the formation of zein particles encapsulating plasmid DNA, using simple fabrication techniques resulting in preservation of plasmid integrity and tunable sizes. DNA encapsulation efficiencies were maximized to acceptable levels at higher zein to DNA ratios, while loading was comparable to that of other hydrophilic compounds encapsulated in zein and that of DNA incorporated

Multifunctional magnetic core–shell dendritic mesoporous silica nanospheres decorated with tiny Ag nanoparticles as a highly active heterogeneous catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Zebin; Li, Haizhen; Cui, Guijia; Tian, Yaxi; Yan, Shiqiang

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A multifunctional magnetic core–shell dendritic silica nanocatalyst was successfully fabricated by an oil–water biphase stratification coating strategy. • The magnetic core–shell dendritic silica nanomaterials Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Dendritic-SiO_2 were chosen as the catalyst's support for the first time. • The as-synthesized nanocatalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity and reusability due to easy accessibility of active sites and superparamagnetism. • The novel catalyst could be conveniently recovered by magnetic separation from the reaction system. - Abstract: In present work, a multifunctional magnetic core–shell dendritic silica nanocatalyst Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Dendritic-SiO_2-NH_2-Ag with easy accessibility of active sites and convenient recovery was successfully fabricated by an oil–water biphase stratification coating strategy, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N_2 adsorption–desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The as-synthesized nanocatalyst Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Dendritic-SiO_2-NH_2-Ag displayed excellent catalytic activity for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitroaniline using sodium borohydride in aqueous solution at room temperature due to easy accessibility of active sites. Interestingly, the novel catalyst could be conveniently recovered by magnetic separation from the reaction system and recycled for at least five times without significant loss in activity. These results indicate that the above mentioned approach based on magnetic core–shell dendritic silica Fe_3O_4@SiO_2@Dendritic-SiO_2 provided a useful platform for the preparation of noble metal nanocatalysts with easy accessibility, excellent catalytic activity and convenient recovery.

Self-propelled micromotors based on Au-mesoporous silica nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying-Shuai; Xia, Hong; Lv, Chao; Wang, Lei; Dong, Wen-Fei; Feng, Jing; Sun, Hong-Bo

2015-07-01

Here, a chemical powered micromotor from the assembly of Au-SiO2 nanorods is presented. This new micromotor can be propelled efficiently by hydrogen bubbles generated from a hydrolysis reaction of aqueous NaBH4 and KBH4 and by oxygen bubbles produced by decomposition of H2O2. The monodisperse Au nanoparticles in mesoporous silica particles could catalyze the decomposition of two different kinds of fuels and produce bubbles. High speeds of 80 μm s-1 and recycles of more than 30 times are achieved in both NaBH4 and H2O2 media. Locomotion and rolling forms of movement were found. The locomotion forms can be obtained in a larger proportion by patterning the Au-SiO2 nanorods and a PDMS membrane. These micromotors that use multiple fuel sources to power them offer a broader scope of preparation and show considerable promise for diverse applications of nanomotors in different chemical environments.Here, a chemical powered micromotor from the assembly of Au-SiO2 nanorods is presented. This new micromotor can be propelled efficiently by hydrogen bubbles generated from a hydrolysis reaction of aqueous NaBH4 and KBH4 and by oxygen bubbles produced by decomposition of H2O2. The monodisperse Au nanoparticles in mesoporous silica particles could catalyze the decomposition of two different kinds of fuels and produce bubbles. High speeds of 80 μm s-1 and recycles of more than 30 times are achieved in both NaBH4 and H2O2 media. Locomotion and rolling forms of movement were found. The locomotion forms can be obtained in a larger proportion by patterning the Au-SiO2 nanorods and a PDMS membrane. These micromotors that use multiple fuel sources to power them offer a broader scope of preparation and show considerable promise for diverse applications of nanomotors in different chemical environments. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: More electronic microscopy graphs, UV-Vis spectra and N2 adsorption isotherms. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02545a

Syringe-vacuum microfluidics: A portable technique to create monodisperse emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Abate, Adam R; Weitz, David A

2011-03-16

We present a simple method for creating monodisperse emulsions with microfluidic devices. Unlike conventional approaches that require bulky pumps, control computers, and expertise with device physics to operate devices, our method requires only the microfluidic device and a hand-operated syringe. The fluids needed for the emulsion are loaded into the device inlets, while the syringe is used to create a vacuum at the device outlet; this sucks the fluids through the channels, generating the drops. By controlling the hydrodynamic resistances of the channels using hydrodynamic resistors and valves, we are able to control the properties of the drops. This provides a simple and highly portable method for creating monodisperse emulsions.

Effect of Pore Size on the Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Behavior of Porous Liquids Based on Hollow Silica.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Ting; Zheng, Yaping; Wang, Tianyu; Li, Peipei; Wang, Yudeng; Yao, Dongdong

2018-01-05

Porous liquids are an expanding class of material that has huge potential in gas separation and gas adsorption. Pore size has a dramatic influence on the gas adsorption of porous liquids. In this article, we chose hollow silica nanoparticles as cores, 3-(trihydroxysilyl)-1-propanesulfonic acid (SIT) as corona, and inexpensive industrial reagent polyether amine (M2070) as canopy to obtain a new type of porous liquids. Hollow silica nanospheres with different pore sizes were chosen to investigate the influence of porosity size on CO 2 adsorption capacity of porous liquids. Their chemical structure, morphology, thermal behavior and possible adsorption mechanism are discussed in detail. It was proved that with similar grafting density, porous liquid that has bigger pore size possesses a better CO 2 adsorption capacity (2.182 mmol g -1 under 2.5 MPa at 298 K). More than that, this article demonstrates a more facile and low-cost method to obtain porous liquids with good CO 2 adsorption capacity, recyclability, and huge variability. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrospun bioactive mats enriched with Ca-polyphosphate/retinol nanospheres as potential wound dressing

OpenAIRE

Müller, Werner E.G.; Tolba, Emad; Dorweiler, Bernhard; Schröder, Heinz C.; Diehl-Seifert, Bärbel; Wang, Xiaohong

2015-01-01

Background While electrospun materials have been frequently used in tissue engineering no wound dressings exist that significantly improved wound healing effectively. Methods We succeeded to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) electrospun poly(D,l-lactide) (PLA) fiber mats into which nanospheres, formed from amorphous calcium polyphosphate (polyP) nanoparticles (NP) and encapsulated retinol (“retinol/aCa-polyP-NS” nanospheres [NS]), had been incorporated. Results Experiments with MC3T3-E1 cells ...

Biomolecule-assisted construction of cadmium sulfide hollow spheres with structure-dependent photocatalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Chengzhen; Zang, Wenzhe; Yin, Jingzhou; Lu, Qingyi; Chen, Qun; Liu, Rongmei; Gao, Feng

2013-02-25

In this study, we report the synthesis of monodispersive solid and hollow CdS spheres with structure-dependent photocatalytic abilities for dye photodegradation. The monodispersive CdS nanospheres were constructed with the assistance of the soulcarboxymthyi chitosan biopolymer under hydrothermal conditions. The solid CdS spheres were corroded by ammonia to form hollow CdS nanospheres through a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Their visible-light photocatalytic activities were investigated, and the results show that both the solid and the hollow CdS spheres have visible-light photocatalytic abilities for the photodegradation of dyes. The photocatalytic properties of the CdS spheres were demonstrated to be structure dependent. Although the nanoparticles comprising the hollow spheres have larger sizes than those comprising the solid spheres, the hollow CdS spheres have better photocatalytic performances than the solid CdS spheres, which can be attributed to the special hollow structure. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Controlled synthesis of mesoporous β-Ni(OH)2 and NiO nanospheres with enhanced electrochemical performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Shengtao; Wang, Qian; Ma, Zichuan; Wu, Yinsu; Gao, Yuanzhe

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Uniform mesoporous β-Ni(OH) 2 and NiO nanospheres with hierarchical structures were synthesized by a simple complexation–precipitation method. ► Both ammonia and citrate played an important role for the formation of mesoporous nanospheres. ► β-Ni(OH) 2 and NiO nanospheres showed excellent capacitive properties due to their mesoporous structures and larger surface areas. -- Abstract: Uniform mesoporous β-Ni(OH) 2 and NiO nanospheres with hierarchical structures were synthesized by a facile complexation–precipitation method. The effects of ammonia and citrate on the structure and morphology of the products were thoroughly investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The results indicated that ammonia played an important role for the formation of flowerlike spheres assembled from nanosheets. The addition of citrate could remarkably reduce the particle sizes and increase the specific surface areas of flowerlike spheres. A possible formation mechanism based on the experimental results was proposed to understand their growing procedures. β-Ni(OH) 2 and NiO nanospheres prepared with the addition of citrate showed excellent capacitive properties due to their mesoporous structures and large surface areas, suggesting the importance of controlled synthesis of hierarchical nanostructures for their applications.

The pH-controlled morphology transition of polyaniline from nanofibers to nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jiahua; Wu Qiang; Li Runming; Zhu Yinxu; Qiao Congzhen; Qin Yujun

2013-01-01

To explore the dependences of polyaniline (PANI) morphology on the oxidant and the initial pH value (referred to as ‘pH-initial’) of the reaction system, a series of oxidative polymerization experiments on aniline using chloroaurate acid (HAuCl 4 ) as the oxidant are carried out in aqueous solutions with different values of pH-initial. The smooth morphology transition of PANI nanostructures from nanofibers to solid and hollow nanospheres can be controlled by simply changing pH-initial for the reaction solution using HAuCl 4 as the oxidant. In aqueous solutions with different values of pH-initial, the anilinium ions and neutral aniline molecules coexist in different proportions, leading to different PANI nanostructures under different nucleation mechanisms. In strongly acidic media (pH-initial < 2), the homogeneous nucleation of PANI will result in PANI nanofibers. When pH-initial is raised to 2 or above, the heterogeneous nucleation will lead to solid or hollow PANI nanospheres. The solid PANI nanospheres are obtained in mildly acidic media (pH-initial=2–4) and the diameter decreases as the initial pH value of the reaction solution increases from 2 to 4. However, in weakly acidic and neutral media (pH-initial=5–7), hollow PANI nanospheres are formed and the diameter increases with the increase of pH-initial for the solution from 5 to 7. (paper)

Physical and Chemical Changes of Polystyrene Nanospheres Irradiated with Laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustafa, Mohd Ubaidillah; Juremi, Nor Rashidah Md.; Mohamad, Farizan; Wibawa, Pratama Jujur; Agam, Mohd Arif; Ali, Ahmad Hadi

2011-01-01

It has been reported that polymer resist such as PMMA (Poly(methyl methacrylate) which is a well known and commonly used polymer resist for fabrication of electronic devices can show zwitter characteristic due to over exposure to electron beam radiation. Overexposed PMMA tend to changes their molecular structure to either become negative or positive resist corresponded to electron beam irradiation doses. These characteristic was due to crosslinking and scissors of the PMMA molecular structures, but till now the understanding of crosslinking and scissors of the polymer resist molecular structure due to electron beam exposure were still unknown to researchers. Previously we have over exposed polystyrene nanospheres to various radiation sources, such as electron beam, solar radiation and laser, which is another compound that can act as polymer resist. We investigated the physical and chemical structures of the irradiated polystyrene nanospheres with FTIR analysis. It is found that the physical and chemical changes of the irradiated polystyrene were found to be corresponded with the radiation dosages. Later, combining Laser irradiation and Reactive Ion Etching manipulation, created a facile technique that we called as LARIEA NSL (Laser and Reactive Ion Etching Assisted Nanosphere Lithography) which can be a facile technique to fabricate controllable carbonaceous nanoparticles for applications such as lithographic mask, catalysts and heavy metal absorbers.

Controlled Release from Core-Shell Nano porous Silica Particles for Corrosion Inhibition of Aluminum Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, X.; Rathod, Sh.; Shah, P.; Brinker, C.J.; Jiang, X.; Jiang, Y.; Liu, N.; Xu, H.; Brinker, C.J.

2011-01-01

Cerium (Ce) corrosion inhibitors were encapsulated into hexagonally ordered nanoporous silica particles via single-step aerosol-assisted self-assembly. The core/shell structured particles are effective for corrosion inhibition of aluminum alloy AA2024-T3. Numerical simulation proved that the core-shell nanostructure delays the release process. The effective diffusion coefficient elucidated from release data for monodisperse particles in water was 1.0x10-14 m 2 s for Ce 3+ compared to 2.5x10-13 m 2 s for NaCl. The pore size, pore surface chemistry, and the inhibitor solubility are crucial factors for the application. Microporous hydrophobic particles encapsulating a less soluble corrosion inhibitor are desirable for long-term corrosion inhibition.

Naproxen-imprinted xerogels in the micro- and nanospherical formsby emulsion technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Ornelas, Mariana; Azenha, Manuel; Pereira, Carlos; Silva, A Fernando

2015-11-27

Naproxen-imprinted xerogels in the microspherical and nanospherical forms were prepared by W/O emulsion and microemulsion, respectively. The work evolved from a sol–gel mixture previously reported for bulk synthesis. It was relatively simple to convert the original sol–gel mixture to one amenable to emulsion technique. The microspheres thus produced presented mean diameter of 3.7 μm, surface area ranging 220–340 m2/g, selectivity factor 4.3 (against ibuprofen) and imprinting factor 61. A superior capacity (9.4 μmol/g) was found, when comparing with imprints obtained from similar pre-gelification mixtures. However, slow mass transfer kinetics was deduced from column efficiency results. Concerning the nanospherical format, which constituted the first example of the production of molecularly imprinted xerogels in that format by microemulsion technique, adapting the sol–gel mixture was troublesome. In the end, nanoparticles with diameter in the order of 10 nm were finally obtained, exhibiting good indications of an efficient molecular imprinting process. Future refinements are necessary to solve serious aggregation issues, before moving to more accurate characterization of the binding characteristics or to real applications of the nanospheres.

Facile Synthesis of Uniform Zinc-blende ZnS Nanospheres with Excellent Photocatalytic Activity toward Methylene Blue Degradation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

PENG Si-Yan; YANG Liu-Sai; LV Ying-Ying; YU Le-Shu; HUANG Hai-Jin; WU Li-Dan

2017-01-01

Uniform and well-dispersed ZnS nanospheres have been successfully synthesized via a facile chemical route.The crystal structure,morphology,surface area and photocatalytic properties of the sample were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD),scanning electron microscopy (SEM),Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum.The results of characterizations indicate that the products are identified as mesoporous zinc-blende ZnS nanospheres with an average diameter of 200 nm,which are comprised of nanoparticles with the crystallite size of about 3.2 nm calculated by XRD.Very importantly,photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB)shows that the as-prepared ZnS nanospheres exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity with nearly 100％ of MB decomposed after UV-light irradiation for 25 min.The excellent photocatalytic activity of ZnS nanospheres can be ascribed to the large specific surface area and hierarchical mesoporous structure.

Elongational viscosity of monodisperse and bidisperse polystyrene melts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Kromann; Rasmussen, Henrik Koblitz; Hassager, Ole

2005-01-01

The startup and steady uniaxial elongational viscosity have been measured for two monodisperse polystyrene melts with molecular weights of 52 kg/mole (PS52K) and 103 kg/mole (PS103K), and for three bidisperse polystyrene melts. The bidisperse melts consist of PS103K or PS52K and a monodisperse...... (closed loop proportional regulator) using the laser in such a way that the stretch rate at the neck is kept constant. The rheometer has been described in more detail in (A. Bach, H.K. Rasmussen and O. Hassager, Journal of Rheology, 47 (2003) 429). PS390K show a decrease in the steady viscosity as a power......-law function of the elongational rate (A. Bach, K. Almdal, H.K. Rasmussen and O. Hassager, Macromolecules 36 (2003) 5174). PS52K and PS103K show that the steady viscosity has a maximum that is respectively 100% and 50% above 3 times the zero-shear-rate viscosity. The bidisperse melts show a significant...

Fabrication of carbon nanospheres by the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile–poly(methyl methacrylate core–shell composite nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dafu Wei

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Carbon nanospheres with a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET specific surface area were fabricated via the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile–poly(methyl methacrylate (PAN–PMMA core–shell nanoparticles. Firstly, PAN–PMMA nanoparticles at high concentration and low surfactant content were controllably synthesized by a two-stage azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN-initiated semicontinuous emulsion polymerization. The carbon nanospheres were obtained after the PAN core domain was converted into carbon and the PMMA shell was sacrificed via the subsequent heat treatment steps. The thickness of the PMMA shell can be easily adjusted by changing the feeding volume ratio (FVR of methyl methacrylate (MMA to acrylonitrile (AN. At an FVR of 1.6, the coarse PAN cores were completely buried in the PMMA shells, and the surface of the obtained PAN–PMMA nanoparticles became smooth. The thick PMMA shell can inhibit the adhesion between carbon nanospheres caused by cyclization reactions during heat treatment. The carbon nanospheres with a diameter of 35–65 nm and a high BET specific surface area of 612.8 m2/g were obtained from the PAN–PMMA nanoparticles synthesized at an FVR of 1.6. The carbon nanospheres exhibited a large adsorption capacity of 190.0 mg/g for methylene blue, thus making them excellent adsorbents for the removal of organic pollutants from water.

Electrical bistability and charge-transport mechanisms in cuprous sulfide nanosphere-poly(N-vinylcarbazole) composite films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Aiwei; Teng Feng; Liu Jie; Wang Yichao; Peng Hongshang; Hou Yanbing; Wang Yongsheng

2011-01-01

In this study, electrically bistable devices were fabricated by incorporating cuprous sulfide (Cu 2 S) nanospheres with mean size less than 10 nm into a poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) matrix. A remarkable electrical bistability was clearly observed in the current–voltage curves of the devices due to an electric-field-induced charge transfer between the dodecanethiol-capped Cu 2 S nanospheres and PVK. The maximum ON/OFF current ratio reached up to value as large as 10 4 , which was dependent on the mass ratios of Cu 2 S nanospheres to PVK, the amplitude of the scanning voltages, and the film thickness. The charge-transport mechanisms of the electrically bistable devices were described on the basis of the experimental results using different theoretical models of organic electronics.

Polymeric micelle assembly for the smart synthesis of mesoporous platinum nanospheres with tunable pore sizes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunqi; Bastakoti, Bishnu Prasad; Malgras, Victor; Li, Cuiling; Tang, Jing; Kim, Jung Ho; Yamauchi, Yusuke

2015-09-14

A facile method for the fabrication of well-dispersed mesoporous Pt nanospheres involves the use of a polymeric micelle assembly. A core-shell-corona type triblock copolymer [poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine-b-ethylene oxide), PS-b-P2VP-b-PEO] is employed as the pore-directing agent. Negatively charged PtCl4 (2-) ions preferably interact with the protonated P2VP(+) blocks while the free PEO chains prevent the aggregation of the Pt nanospheres. The size of the mesopores can be finely tuned by varying the length of the PS chain. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the metallic mesoporous nanospheres thus obtained are promising candidates for applications in electrochemistry. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Controlled synthesis of mesoporous β-Ni(OH){sub 2} and NiO nanospheres with enhanced electrochemical performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Shengtao; Wang, Qian [College of Chemistry and Material Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Ma, Zichuan, E-mail: mazc@vip.163.com [College of Chemistry and Material Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China); Wu, Yinsu; Gao, Yuanzhe [College of Chemistry and Material Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016 (China)

2012-09-15

Highlights: ► Uniform mesoporous β-Ni(OH){sub 2} and NiO nanospheres with hierarchical structures were synthesized by a simple complexation–precipitation method. ► Both ammonia and citrate played an important role for the formation of mesoporous nanospheres. ► β-Ni(OH){sub 2} and NiO nanospheres showed excellent capacitive properties due to their mesoporous structures and larger surface areas. -- Abstract: Uniform mesoporous β-Ni(OH){sub 2} and NiO nanospheres with hierarchical structures were synthesized by a facile complexation–precipitation method. The effects of ammonia and citrate on the structure and morphology of the products were thoroughly investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The results indicated that ammonia played an important role for the formation of flowerlike spheres assembled from nanosheets. The addition of citrate could remarkably reduce the particle sizes and increase the specific surface areas of flowerlike spheres. A possible formation mechanism based on the experimental results was proposed to understand their growing procedures. β-Ni(OH){sub 2} and NiO nanospheres prepared with the addition of citrate showed excellent capacitive properties due to their mesoporous structures and large surface areas, suggesting the importance of controlled synthesis of hierarchical nanostructures for their applications.

Three-dimensional immobilization of beta-galactosidase on a silicon surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Betancor, Lorena; Luckarift, Heather R; Seo, Jae H; Brand, Oliver; Spain, Jim C

2008-02-01

Many alternative strategies to immobilize and stabilize enzymes have been investigated in recent years for applications in biosensors. The entrapment of enzymes within silica-based nanospheres formed through silicification reactions provides high loading capacities for enzyme immobilization, resulting in high volumetric activity and enhanced mechanical stability. Here we report a strategy for chemically associating silica nanospheres containing entrapped enzyme to a silicon support. beta-galactosidase from E. coli was used as a model enzyme due to its versatility as a biosensor for lactose. The immobilization strategy resulted in a three-dimensional network of silica attached directly at the silicon surface, providing a significant increase in surface area and a corresponding 3.5-fold increase in enzyme loading compared to enzyme attached directly at the surface. The maximum activity recovered for a silicon square sample of 0.5 x 0.5 cm was 0.045 IU using the direct attachment of the enzyme through glutaraldehyde and 0.16 IU when using silica nanospheres. The immobilized beta-galactosidase prepared by silica deposition was stable and retained more than 80% of its initial activity after 10 days at 24 degrees C. The ability to generate three-dimensional structures with enhanced loading capacity for biosensing molecules offers the potential to substantially amplify biosensor sensitivity. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimization of Broadband Optical Response of Multilayer Nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-27

D. Levit , P. Nordlander, and N. J. Halas, “Nanosphere-in-a-nanoshell: A simple nanomatryushka,” J. Phys. Chem. C 114, 7378–7383 (2010). #169722...metal nanoparticles coated with a dye j-aggregate monolayer,” Quantum Electron. 40, 246–248 (2010). 1. Introduction Nanoparticles with strong optical

Controlled Release from Core-Shell Nanoporous Silica Particles for Corrosion Inhibition of Aluminum Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingmao Jiang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cerium (Ce corrosion inhibitors were encapsulated into hexagonally ordered nanoporous silica particles via single-step aerosol-assisted self-assembly. The core/shell structured particles are effective for corrosion inhibition of aluminum alloy AA2024-T3. Numerical simulation proved that the core-shell nanostructure delays the release process. The effective diffusion coefficient elucidated from release data for monodisperse particles in water was 1.0×10−14 m2s for Ce3+ compared to 2.5×10−13 m2s for NaCl. The pore size, pore surface chemistry, and the inhibitor solubility are crucial factors for the application. Microporous hydrophobic particles encapsulating a less soluble corrosion inhibitor are desirable for long-term corrosion inhibition.

Synthesis and characterization of titania-based monodisperse fluorescent europium nanoparticles for biolabeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Mingqian; Wang Guilan; Ye Zhiqiang; Yuan Jingli

2006-01-01

Inorganic-organic hybrid titania-based nanoparticles covalently bound to a fluorescent Eu 3+ chelate of 4,4'-bis(1'',1'',1'',2'',2'',3'',3''-heptafluoro-4'',6''-hexanedion-6''-yl) chlorosulfo-o-terphenyl (BHHCT-Eu 3+ ) were synthesized by a sol-gel technique. A conjugate of BHHCT with 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino) ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (APTS) was used as a precursor for the nanoparticle preparation and monodisperse nanoparticles consisting of titania network and silica sub-network covalently bound to the Eu 3+ chelate were prepared by the copolymerization of APTS-BHHCT conjugate, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and free APTS in EuCl 3 water-alcohol solution. The effects of reaction conditions on size and fluorescence lifetime of the nanoparticles were investigated. The characterizations by transmission electron microscopy and fluorometric methods indicate that the nanoparticles are near spherical and strongly fluorescent having a fluorescence quantum yield of 11.6% and a long fluorescence lifetime of ∼0.4 ms. The direct-introduced amino groups on the nanoparticle's surface by using free APTS in nanoparticle preparation facilitated the biolabeling process of the nanoparticles. The nanoparticle-labeled streptavidin (SA) was prepared and used in a sandwich-type time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) of human prostate-specific antigen (PSA) by using a 96-well microtiter plate as the solid phase carrier. The method gives a detection limit of 66 pg/ml for the PSA assay

Angular reflectance of suspended gold, aluminum and silver nanospheres on a gold film: Effects of concentration and size distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslan, Mustafa M.; Wriedt, Thomas

2010-01-01

In this article, we describe a parametric study of the effects of the size distribution (SD) and the concentration of nanospheres in ethanol on the angular reflectance. Calculations are based on an effective medium approach in which the effective dielectric constant of the mixture is obtained using the Maxwell-Garnett formula. The detectable size limits of gold, aluminum, and silver nanospheres on a 50-nm-thick gold film are calculated to investigate the sensitivity of the reflectance to the SD and the concentration of the nanospheres. The following assumptions are made: (1) the total number of particles in the unit volume of suspension is constant, (2) the nanospheres in the suspension on a gold film have a SD with three different concentrations, and (3) there is no agglomeration and the particles have a log-normal SD, where the effective diameter, d eff and the effective variance, ν eff are given. The dependence of the reflectance on the d eff , ν eff , and the width of the SD are also investigated numerically. The angular variation of the reflectance as a function of the incident angle shows a strong dependence on the effective size of the metallic nanospheres. The results confirm that the size of the nanospheres (d eff o and 75 o for a given concentration with a particular SD.

Silica supported TiO{sub 2} nanostructures for highly efficient photocatalytic application under visible light irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, A.; Jana, T.K.; Chatterjee, K., E-mail: kuntal2k@gmail.com

2016-04-15

Highlights: • Synthesis of silica–titania nanocomposite by simple and facile chemical route and characterization of the materials. • Excellent catalytic activity on organic pollutant methylene blue under the visible light irradiation. • Photocatalytic rate is much higher than commercial P25 TiO{sub 2} catalyst powder. • The higher activity is attributed to the special structure and synergistic effect of the materials which has immense application potential. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide decorated silica nanospheres have been synthesized by a simple wet chemical approach. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis revealed that anatase phase of TiO{sub 2} nanostructures, with exposed {0 0 1} and {1 0 1} facets, are anchored onto the amorphous silica spheres of ∼60 nm diameter. The photocatalytic activity of the sample under visible light irradiation was examined. It is found that photocatalytic efficiency of the material is better than commercial P25 TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst and the result is attributed to the unique synergistic effect of SiO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2} nanocomposite structure resulting enhanced charge separation and charge transfer.

Porous TiNb2O7 Nanospheres as ultra Long-life and High-power Anodes for Lithium-ion Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Qiushi; Liang, Jianwen; Lin, Ning; Guo, Cong; Zhu, Yongchun; Qian, Yitai

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Due to the combinative merits of porosity and nanostructure, porous TiNb 2 O 7 nanospheres exhibit ultra long cyclic life and excellent rate performance for lithium ion batteries. - Highlights: • Porous TiNb 2 O 7 nanospheres have been fabricated with the assistance of block copolymer P123. • The as-prepared TiNb 2 O 7 anodes present a reversible capacity of 160 mA h/g after 10000 cycles at 5 C with a capacity loss of only 0.0033% per cycle. • The TiNb 2 O 7 anodes show good rate performance of 167 mA h/g at 50C. • The TiNb 2 O 7 materials maintain the morphology of nanospheres and the porous structure even after 10000 cycles. - Abstract: Porous TiNb 2 O 7 nanospheres comprised of nanoparticles have been synthesized with the assistance of block copolymer P123 (EO 20 PO 70 EO 20 ). Such porous TiNb 2 O 7 nanospheres, with diameter of 500 nm, exhibit a BET surface area of 23.4 m 2 /g and pore volume of 0.155 cm 3 /g. As the anodes for lithium-ion batteries, the TiNb 2 O 7 nanospheres present a reversible capacity of 160 mA h/g after 10000 cycles at 5 C with a capacity loss of only 0.0033% per cycle, and good rate performance of 167 mA h/g at 50 C. Furthermore, the TiNb 2 O 7 materials still maintain the morphology of nanospheres and the porous structure even after 10000 cycles

Influence of two different template removal methods on the micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Han; Jin, Tingting; Zheng, Xing; Jiang, Bo; Zhu, Chaosheng; Yuan, Xiangdong; Zheng, Jingtang; Wu, Mingbo

2016-11-01

Hollow cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres of about 260 nm average diameters and about 30 nm shell thickness can be easily synthesized via a sonochemical process, in which polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles were employed as templates. In order to remove the PS templates, both etching and calcination were applied in this paper. The influence of the two different template removal methods on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres was carefully performed a comparative study. Results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, diffused reflectance spectra, and decolorization experiments showed that the different template removal methods exhibited a significant influence on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres. The CdS hollow nanospheres as-prepared by etching had pure cubic sphalerite structure, higher -OH content, less defects and exhibited good photocatalytic activity for rhodamine-B, Methylene Blue and methyl orange under UV-vis light irradiation. However, CdS hollow nanospheres obtained by calcination with a hexagonal crystal structure, less -OH content, more defects have shown worse photocatalytic activity. This indicated that surface micromorphology and crystalline phase were mainly factors influencing photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres.

A DNA biosensor for molecular diagnosis of Aeromonas hydrophila using zinc sulfide nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Negahdary

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Today, identification of pathogenic bacteria using modern and accurate methods is inevitable. Integration in electrochemical measurements with nanotechnology has led to the design of efficient and sensitive DNA biosensors against bacterial agents. Here, efforts were made to detect Aeromonas hydrophila using aptamers as probes and zinc sulfide (ZnS nanospheres as signal enhancers and electron transfer facilitators. After modification of the working electrode area (in a screen-printed electrode with ZnS nanospheres through electrodeposition, the coated surface of a modified electrode with ZnS nanospheres was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The size of synthesized ZnS nanospheres was estimated at about 20–50 nm and their shape was in the form of porous plates in microscopic observations. All electrochemical measurements were performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS, and constant potential amperometry (CPA techniques. The designed DNA biosensor was able to detect deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA of Aeromonas hydrophila in the range 1.0  ×  10−4 to 1.0  ×  10−9 mol L−1; the limit of detection (LOD in this study was 1  ×  10−13 mol L−1. This DNA biosensor showed satisfactory thermal and pH stability. Reproducibility for this DNA biosensor was measured and the relative standard deviation (RSD of the performance of this DNA biosensor was calculated as 5 % during 42 days.

Segmented block copolymers with monodisperse aramide end-segments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Araichimani, A.; Gaymans, R.J.

2008-01-01

Segmented block copolymers were synthesized using monodisperse diaramide (TT) as hard segments and PTMO with a molecular weight of 2 900 g · mol-1 as soft segments. The aramide: PTMO segment ratio was increased from 1:1 to 2:1 thereby changing the structure from a high molecular weight multi-block

Fano resonances in heterogeneous dimers of silicon and gold nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qian; Yang, Zhong-Jian; He, Jun

2018-06-01

We theoretically investigate the optical properties of dimers consisting of a gold nanosphere and a silicon nanosphere. The absorption spectrum of the gold sphere in the dimer can be significantly altered and exhibits a pronounced Fano profile. Analytical Mie theory and numerical simulations show that the Fano profile is induced by constructive and destructive interference between the incident electric field and the electric field of the magnetic dipole mode of the silicon sphere in a narrow wavelength range. The effects of the silicon sphere size, distance between the two spheres, and excitation configuration on the optical responses of the dimers are studied. Our study reveals the coherent feature of the electric fields of magnetic dipole modes in dielectric nanostructures and the strong interactions of the coherent fields with other nanophotonic structures.

A facile hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and magnetic properties of mesoporous CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reddy, M. Penchal, E-mail: reddy@nimte.ac.cn [Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha 2713 (Qatar); Mohamed, A.M.A. [Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha 2713 (Qatar); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez 4372 (Egypt); Zhou, X.B.; Du, S.; Huang, Q. [Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang, RP China (China)

2015-08-15

Mesoporous CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres with an average size of 180 nm were fabricated via a facile hydrothermal process using ethylene glycol as solvent and sodium acetate (NaAc) as electrostatic stabilizer. In this method, ethylene glycol plays a vital role in the formation of cobalt nanoospheres as a solvent and reducing agent. The structure and morphology of the prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The nanospheres exhibited ferromagnetic properties with high saturation magnetization value of about 60.19 emu/g at room temperature. The BET surface area of the nanospheres was determined using the nitrogen absorption method. The porous CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres displayed good magnetic properties, which may provide a very promising candidate for their applications in target drug delivery. - Highlights: • CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis for the first time. • Average grain size was found to be 180 nm. • Its structural, morphological, magnetic behavior was studied. • TEM observations confirmed the spherical morphology of the mesoporous ferrites.

Direct synthesis of solid and hollow carbon nanospheres over NaCl crystals using acetylene by chemical vapour deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandra Kishore, S.; Anandhakumar, S.; Sasidharan, M., E-mail: sasidharan.m@res.srmuniv.ac.in

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Hollow and solid carbon nanospheres were synthesized by CVD method. • NaCl was used as template for direct growth of carbon nanospheres. • Separation of NaCl from the mixture is made easy by dissolving in water. • The hollow carbon nanospheres exhibit high specific capacity in Li-ion batteries than the graphite anodes. - Abstract: Carbon nanospheres (CNS) with hollow and solid morphologies have been synthesised by a simple chemical vapour deposition method using acetylene as a carbon precursor. Sodium chloride (NaCl) powder as a template was used for the direct growth of CNS via facile and low-cost approach. The effect of various temperatures (500 °C, 600 °C and 700 °C) and acetylene flow rates were investigated to study the structural evolution on the carbon products. The purified CNS thus obtained was characterized by various physicochemical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and cyclicvoltametry. The synthesised hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. After 25 cycles of repeated charge/discharge cycles, the discharge and charge capacities were found to be 574 mAh/g and 570 mAh/g, respectively which are significantly higher than the commercial graphite samples.

Nanosphere Lithography of Chitin and Chitosan with Colloidal and Self-Masking Patterning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakkiyappan Chandran

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Complex surface topographies control, define, and determine the properties of insect cuticles. In some cases, these nanostructured materials are a direct extension of chitin-based cuticles. The cellular mechanisms that generate these elaborate chitin-based structures are unknown, and involve complicated cellular and biochemical “bottom-up” processes. We demonstrated that a synthetic “top-down” fabrication technique—nanosphere lithography—generates surfaces of chitin or chitosan that mimic the arrangement of nanostructures found on the surface of certain insect wings and eyes. Chitin and chitosan are flexible and biocompatible abundant natural polymers, and are a sustainable resource. The fabrication of nanostructured chitin and chitosan materials enables the development of new biopolymer materials. Finally, we demonstrated that another property of chitin and chitosan—the ability to self-assemble nanosilver particles—enables a novel and powerful new tool for the nanosphere lithographic method: the ability to generate a self-masking thin film. The scalability of the nanosphere lithographic technique is a major limitation; however, the silver nanoparticle self-masking enables a one-step thin-film cast or masking process, which can be used to generate nanostructured surfaces over a wide range of surfaces and areas.

Carbon-coated mesoporous SnO2 nanospheres as anode material for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Fei; Song, Xiaoping; Yao, Gang; Zhao, Mingshu; Liu, Rui; Xu, Minwei; Sun, Zhanbo

2012-01-01

In this paper mesoporous SnO 2 nanospheres with an average diameter of about 83 nm, composed of many tiny primary particles (∼10 nm) and holes, are synthesized on a large scale by a simple hydrothermal route. The as-prepared mesoporous SnO 2 nanospheres were uniformly coated with carbon by a further hydrothermal treatment in glucose aqueous solution. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the core–shell SnO 2 /C nanocomposites exhibit a markedly improved cycling performance.

Reactive Pad-Steam Dyeing of Cotton Fabric Modified with Cationic P(St-BA-VBT Nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuanjun Fang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The Poly[Styrene-Butyl acrylate-(P-vinylbenzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride] P(St-BA-VBT nanospheres with N+(CH33 functional groups were successfully prepared and applied to modify cotton fabrics using a pad-dry process. The obtained cationic cotton fabrics were dyed with pad-steam dyeing with reactive dye. The results show that the appropriate concentration of nanospheres was 4 g/L. The sodium carbonate of 25 g/L and steaming time of 3 min were suitable for dyeing cationic cotton with 25 g/L of C.I. Reactive Blue 222. The color strength and dye fixation rates of dyed cationic cotton fabrics increased by 39.4% and 14.3% compared with untreated fabrics. Moreover, sodium carbonate and steaming time were reduced by 37.5% and 40%, respectively. The rubbing and washing fastness of dyed fabrics were equal or higher 3 and 4–5 grades, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM images revealed that the P(St-BA-VBT nanospheres randomly distributed and did not form a continuous film on the cationic cotton fiber surfaces. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS analysis further demonstrated the presence of cationic nanospheres on the fiber surfaces. The cationic modification did not affect the breaking strength of cotton fabrics.

Influence of two different template removal methods on the micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Han; Jin, Tingting; Zheng, Xing; Jiang, Bo; Zhu, Chaosheng; Yuan, Xiangdong; Zheng, Jingtang; Wu, Mingbo

2016-01-01

Hollow cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres of about 260 nm average diameters and about 30 nm shell thickness can be easily synthesized via a sonochemical process, in which polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles were employed as templates. In order to remove the PS templates, both etching and calcination were applied in this paper. The influence of the two different template removal methods on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres was carefully performed a comparative study. Results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, diffused reflectance spectra, and decolorization experiments showed that the different template removal methods exhibited a significant influence on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres. The CdS hollow nanospheres as-prepared by etching had pure cubic sphalerite structure, higher –OH content, less defects and exhibited good photocatalytic activity for rhodamine-B, Methylene Blue and methyl orange under UV–vis light irradiation. However, CdS hollow nanospheres obtained by calcination with a hexagonal crystal structure, less –OH content, more defects have shown worse photocatalytic activity. This indicated that surface micromorphology and crystalline phase were mainly factors influencing photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres.

Influence of two different template removal methods on the micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Han; Jin, Tingting [China University of Petroleum, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing (China); Zheng, Xing, E-mail: znhk113@163.com [Beijing ZNHK Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. (China); Jiang, Bo; Zhu, Chaosheng [China University of Petroleum, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing (China); Yuan, Xiangdong [Baotou Light Industry and Vocational Technical College (China); Zheng, Jingtang, E-mail: jtzheng03@163.com; Wu, Mingbo [China University of Petroleum, State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing (China)

2016-11-15

Hollow cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres of about 260 nm average diameters and about 30 nm shell thickness can be easily synthesized via a sonochemical process, in which polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles were employed as templates. In order to remove the PS templates, both etching and calcination were applied in this paper. The influence of the two different template removal methods on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres was carefully performed a comparative study. Results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, diffused reflectance spectra, and decolorization experiments showed that the different template removal methods exhibited a significant influence on the surface micromorphology, crystal structure, and photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres. The CdS hollow nanospheres as-prepared by etching had pure cubic sphalerite structure, higher –OH content, less defects and exhibited good photocatalytic activity for rhodamine-B, Methylene Blue and methyl orange under UV–vis light irradiation. However, CdS hollow nanospheres obtained by calcination with a hexagonal crystal structure, less –OH content, more defects have shown worse photocatalytic activity. This indicated that surface micromorphology and crystalline phase were mainly factors influencing photocatalytic activity of hollow CdS nanospheres.

Cellulase immobilization on magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in polymer nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Janaina S; Araújo, Pedro H H; Sayer, Claudia; Souza, Antonio A U; Viegas, Alexandre C; de Oliveira, Débora

2017-04-01

Immobilization of cellulases on magnetic nanoparticles, especially magnetite nanoparticles, has been the main approach studied to make this enzyme, economically and industrially, more attractive. However, magnetite nanoparticles tend to agglomerate, are very reactive and easily oxidized in air, which has strong impact on their useful life. Thus, it is very important to provide proper surface coating to avoid the mentioned problems. This study aimed to investigate the immobilization of cellulase on magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in polymeric nanospheres. The support was characterized in terms of morphology, average diameter, magnetic behavior and thermal decomposition analyses. The polymer nanospheres containing encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior and intensity average diameter about 150 nm. Immobilized cellulase exhibited broader temperature stability than in the free form and great reusability capacity, 69% of the initial enzyme activity was maintained after eight cycles of use. The magnetic support showed potential for cellulase immobilization and allowed fast and easy biocatalyst recovery through a single magnet.

Optical coupling of cold atoms to a levitated nanosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Cris; Witherspoon, Apryl; Fausett, Jacob; Lim, Jason; Kitching, John; Geraci, Andrew

2017-04-01

Cooling mechanical oscillators to their quantum ground state enables the study of quantum phenomena at macroscopic levels. In many cases, the temperature required to cool a mechanical mode to the ground state is below what current cryogenic systems can achieve. As an alternative to cooling via cryogenic systems, it has been shown theoretically that optically trapped nanospheres could reach the ground state by sympathetically cooling the spheres via cold atoms. Such cooled spheres can be used in quantum limited sensing and matter-wave interferometry, and could also enable new hybrid quantum systems where mechanical oscillators act as transducers. In our setup, optical fields are used to couple a sample of cold Rubidium atoms to a nanosphere. The sphere is optically levitated in a separate vacuum chamber, while the atoms are trapped in a 1-D optical lattice and cooled using optical molasses. This work is partially supported by NSF, Grant No. PHY-1506431.

Synthesis of monodisperse silver nanoparticles for ink-jet printed flexible electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Zhiliang; Zhang Xingye; Xin Zhiqing; Deng Mengmeng; Wen Yongqiang; Song Yanlin, E-mail: zhangxy@iccas.ac.cn, E-mail: ylsong@iccas.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Lab of Organic Solids, Laboratory of New Materials, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2011-10-21

In this study, monodisperse silver nanoparticles were synthesized with a new reduction system consisting of adipoyl hydrazide and dextrose at ambient temperature. By this facile and rapid approach, high concentration monodisperse silver nanoparticles were obtained on a large scale at low protectant/AgNO{sub 3} mass ratio which was highly beneficial to low cost and high conductivity. Based on the synthesized monodisperse silver nanoparticles, conductive inks were prepared with water, ethanol and ethylene glycol as solvents, and were expected to be more environmentally friendly. A series of electrocircuits were fabricated by ink-jet printing silver nanoparticle ink on paper substrate with a commercial printer, and they had low resistivity in the range of 9.18 x 10{sup -8}-8.76 x 10{sup -8} {Omega} m after thermal treatment at 160 {sup 0}C for 30 min, which was about five times that of bulk silver (1.586 x 10{sup -8} {Omega} m). Moreover, a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna was fabricated by ink-jet printing, and 6 m wireless identification was realized after an Alien higgs-3 chip was mounted on the printed antenna by the flip-chip method. These flexible electrocircuits produced by ink-jet printing would have enormous potential for low cost electrodes and sensor devices.

Synthesis of monodisperse silver nanoparticles for ink-jet printed flexible electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhiliang; Zhang Xingye; Xin Zhiqing; Deng Mengmeng; Wen Yongqiang; Song Yanlin

2011-01-01

In this study, monodisperse silver nanoparticles were synthesized with a new reduction system consisting of adipoyl hydrazide and dextrose at ambient temperature. By this facile and rapid approach, high concentration monodisperse silver nanoparticles were obtained on a large scale at low protectant/AgNO 3 mass ratio which was highly beneficial to low cost and high conductivity. Based on the synthesized monodisperse silver nanoparticles, conductive inks were prepared with water, ethanol and ethylene glycol as solvents, and were expected to be more environmentally friendly. A series of electrocircuits were fabricated by ink-jet printing silver nanoparticle ink on paper substrate with a commercial printer, and they had low resistivity in the range of 9.18 x 10 -8 -8.76 x 10 -8 Ω m after thermal treatment at 160 0 C for 30 min, which was about five times that of bulk silver (1.586 x 10 -8 Ω m). Moreover, a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna was fabricated by ink-jet printing, and 6 m wireless identification was realized after an Alien higgs-3 chip was mounted on the printed antenna by the flip-chip method. These flexible electrocircuits produced by ink-jet printing would have enormous potential for low cost electrodes and sensor devices.

Rapid continuous flow synthesis of high-quality silver nanocubes and nanospheres

KAUST Repository

Mehenni, Hakim

2013-01-01

We report a biphasic-liquid segmented continuous flow method for the synthesis of high-quality plasmonic single crystal silver nanocubes and nanospheres. The nanocubes were synthesized with controllable edge lengths from 20 to 48 nm. Single crystal nanospheres with a mean size of 29 nm were obtained by in-line continuous-flow etching of as-produced 39 nm nanocubes with an aqueous solution of FeNO3. In comparison to batch synthesis, the demonstrated processes represent highly scalable reactions, in terms of both production rate and endurance. The reactions were conducted in a commercially available flow-reactor system that is easily adaptable to industrial-scale production, facilitating widespread utilization of the procedure and the resulting nanoparticles. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.

Nb2O5 hollow nanospheres as anode material for enhanced performance in lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasidharan, Manickam; Gunawardhana, Nanda; Yoshio, Masaki; Nakashima, Kenichi

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Nb 2 O 5 hollow nanosphere constructed electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g −1 after 250 cycles and maintains structural integrity and excellent cycling stability. Highlights: ► Nb 2 O 5 hollow nanospheres synthesis was synthesized by soft-template. ► Nb 2 O 5 hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode material in Li-ion battery. ► Nanostructured electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g −1 after 250 cycles. ► The electrode maintains the structural integrity and excellent cycling stability. ► Nanosized shell domain facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation. -- Abstract: Nb 2 O 5 hollow nanospheres of average diameter ca. ∼29 nm and hollow cavity size ca. 17 nm were synthesized using polymeric micelles with core–shell–corona architecture under mild conditions. The hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal (TG/DTA) and nitrogen adsorption analyses. Thus obtained Nb 2 O 5 hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries for the first time. The nanostructured electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g −1 after 250 cycles of charge/discharge at a rate of 0.5 C. More importantly, the hollow particles based electrodes maintains the structural integrity and excellent cycling stability even after exposing to high current density 6.25 A g −1 . The enhanced electrochemical behavior is ascribed to hollow cavity coupled with nanosized Nb 2 O 5 shell domain that facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation kinetics.

Fabrication of biodegradable PEG-PLA nanospheres for solubility, stabilization, and delivery of curcumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Hongying; Friedman, Joel M; Nacharaju, Parimala

2017-03-01

Curcumin is an effective and safe anticancer agent, and also known to induce vasodilation, but its hydrophobicity limits its clinical application. In this study, a simple emulsion method was developed to prepare biodegradable poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (lactic acid) (PEG-PLA) nanospheres to encapsulate curcumin to improve its solubility and stability. The nanoparticle size was around 150 nm with a narrow size distribution. Fluorescence microscopy showed that curcumin encapsulated PEG-PLA nanospheres were taken up rapidly by Hela and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. This novel nanoparticulate carrier may improve the bioavailability of curcumin without affecting its anticancer properties.

Effect of reaction parameters on photoluminescence and photocatalytic activity of zinc sulfide nanosphere synthesized by hydrothermal route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chanu, T. Inakhunbi; Samanta, Dhrubajyoti [Centre for Material Science and Nanotechnology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim 737136 (India); Tiwari, Archana [Department of Physics, Sikkim University, 737102 Sikkim (India); Chatterjee, Somenath, E-mail: somenath@gmail.com [Centre for Material Science and Nanotechnology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim 737136 (India); Electronics & Communication Engineering Department, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim 737136 (India)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • ZnS nanosphere synthesis in hydrothermal method with biomolecule as capping ligand. • Effect of reaction parameters to tune the size of ZnS nanoparticles. • Obtain multiple defect emission, which arises from interstitials/vacancies. • 87% degradation of Rh-B in the presence of ZnS nanoparticles under solar radiation. - Abstract: Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) nanospheres have been synthesized using amino acid, L-Histidine as a capping agent by hydrothermal method. The as prepared ZnS have been characterised using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Photoluminescence (PL), Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray Photo Electron Spectroscopy (XPS). Effect of reaction parameters on particle size has been investigated. The morphology and size of the ZnS can be tuned based on the reaction parameters. ZnS nanosphere with a particle size of 5 nm is obtained when the reaction parameters are kept at 120 °C for 3 h. The PL of ZnS shows multiple defect emissions arising from interstitials/vacancies. Particle size of ZnS nanoparticles plays an important role in determining the photo catalytic activity. A chronological study on synthesis of ZnS nanosphere and its photo catalytic activity under the sunlight are discussed here, which reveals the photo degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) upto 87% as observed with ZnS nanosphere having a particle size of 5 nm.

Porphyrin coordination polymer nanospheres and nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhongchun; Shelnutt, John A.; Medforth, Craig J.

2012-12-04

A porphyrin coordination polymer nanostructure comprising a network of pyridyl porphyrin molecules and coordinating metal ions coordinatively bound through the pyridyl groups. In some embodiments, the porphyrins are metalloporphyrins. A variety of nanostructures are formed by the network polymer, including nanospheres, polygonal nanostructures, nanorods, and nanofibers, depending on a variety of factors including coordination metal ion, porphyrin type, metal of the metalloporphyrin, and degree of agitation during nanostructure formation. Reduction of coordinating metal ions may be used to form metal nanoparticles on the coordination polymer nanostructure.

Development of polymethacrylate nanospheres as targeted delivery systems for catechin within the gastrointestinal tract

Science.gov (United States)

Pool, Hector; Luna-Barcenas, Gabriel; McClements, David Julian; Mendoza, Sandra

2017-09-01

In this study, pH-sensitive nanospheres were fabricated using a polymethacrylate-based copolymer to encapsulate, protect, and release catechin, and thereby overcome its poor water solubility and low oral bioaccessibility. The polymer used was a polymethacrylic acid-co-ethyl acrylate 1:1 copolymer that dissolves above pH 5.5, and so can be used to retain and protect bioactives within the stomach but releases them in the small intestine. Catechin-loaded nanospheres were fabricated using the solvent displacement method. Physicochemical characterization of the nanospheres indicated that they were relatively small ( d = 160 nm) and had a high negative charge ( ζ = - 36 mV), which meant that they had good stability to aggregation under physiological conditions (pH 7.2). Catechin was trapped within the nanospheres at an encapsulation efficiency of about 51% in an amorphous state. A simulated gastrointestinal study showed that catechin was slowly released under gastric conditions (pH 2.5), but rapidly released under small intestine conditions (pH 7.2). The observed improvement in the antioxidant activity and bioaccessibility of catechin after encapsulation was attributed to the fact that it was in an amorphous state and had good water dispersibility. This study provides useful information for the formulation of novel delivery systems to improve the dispersibility, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity of catechin and potentially other active components. These delivery systems could be used to improve the efficacy of bioactive components in foods, supplements, and pharmaceutical products.

Calculations of light scattering matrices for stochastic ensembles of nanosphere clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunkin, N.F.; Shkirin, A.V.; Suyazov, N.V.; Starosvetskiy, A.V.

2013-01-01

Results of the calculation of the light scattering matrices for systems of stochastic nanosphere clusters are presented. A mathematical model of spherical particle clustering with allowance for cluster–cluster aggregation is used. The fractal properties of cluster structures are explored at different values of the model parameter that governs cluster–cluster interaction. General properties of the light scattering matrices of nanosphere-cluster ensembles as dependent on their mean fractal dimension have been found. The scattering-matrix calculations were performed for finite samples of 10 3 random clusters, made up of polydisperse spherical nanoparticles, having lognormal size distribution with the effective radius 50 nm and effective variance 0.02; the mean number of monomers in a cluster and its standard deviation were set to 500 and 70, respectively. The implemented computation environment, modeling the scattering matrices for overall sequences of clusters, is based upon T-matrix program code for a given single cluster of spheres, which was developed in [1]. The ensemble-averaged results have been compared with orientation-averaged ones calculated for individual clusters. -- Highlights: ► We suggested a hierarchical model of cluster growth allowing for cluster–cluster aggregation. ► We analyzed the light scattering by whole ensembles of nanosphere clusters. ► We studied the evolution of the light scattering matrix when changing the fractal dimension

Synthesis, characterization and adsorptive performance of MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres for SO{sub 2} removal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao Ling [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Li Xinyong, E-mail: xyli@dlut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Zhao Qidong; Qu Zhenping; Yuan Deling [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Liu Shaomin [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Hu Xijun; Chen Guohua [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong)

2010-12-15

A type of uniform Mg ferrite nanospheres with excellent SO{sub 2} adsorption capacity could be selectively synthesized via a facile solvothermal method. The size of the MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres was controlled to be 300-400 nm in diameter. The structural, textural, and surface properties of the adsorbent have been fully characterized by a variety of techniques (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET; X-ray diffraction analysis, XRD; scanning electron microscopy, SEM; and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, EDS). The valence states and the surface chemical compositions of MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres were further identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The behaviors of SO{sub 2} oxidative adsorption on MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Both the sulfite and sulfate species could be formed on the surface of MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The adsorption equilibrium isotherm of SO{sub 2} was analyzed using a volumetric method at 298 K and 473 K. The results indicate that MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanospheres possess a good potential as the solid-state SO{sub 2} adsorbent for applications in hot fuel gas desulfurization.

Characterization of a monodispersed aerosol exposure system for beagle dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cannon, W.C.; Herring, J.P.; Craig, D.K.

1978-01-01

A monodispersed aerosol exposure system for dogs is described and data are presented on aerosol depositions in the exposure system which could affect the aerosol presented to the animals by reducing the concentration and changing the particle size distribution

Development of pH-Dependent Nanospheres for Nebulisation- In vitro Diffusion, Aerodynamic and Cytotoxicity Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ige, Pradum P; Pardeshi, Sagar R; Sonawane, Raju O

2018-04-17

The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vitro performance of nebulized nanosuspension formulation when nebulized using ultrasonic nebulizer. The present investigation deals with successful formulation of Beclomethasone dipropionate loaded HPMCP nanospheres prepared by solvent evaporation technique using PEG 400 as a stabilizer. Beclomethasone dipropionate is a water insoluble drug molecule was encapsulated in HPMCP nanospheres to have pH dependent solubility at basic pH for targeted drug delivery in lung and studied for in vitro cytotoxicity and immediate release capability. The synthesized nanospheres were characterized through drug excipient compatibility, surface topography; mean particle size , zeta potential, PDI, entrapment efficiency and drug loading, in vitro diffusion, aerodynamic, in vitro cytotoxicity and stability studies. The mean particle size and PDI of the optimized batch (F1) had 197.6±0.40 nm and 0.324 ±0.35, respectively. The % entrapment efficiency and % drug loading was found to be 86.56±1.32 and 8.30±0.27, respectively. The optimized batch F1 showed % cumulative drug release 94.77±0.24 at 1 h. The formulation showed cell viability up to 91.28%. It can be concluded that, Beclomethasone dipropionate loaded HPMCP nanospheres was found to be safe, stable with significant increase in solubility and bypass the liver. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Hydrothermal stability of silica, hybrid silica and Zr-doped hybrid silica membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Hove, Marcel; Luiten-Olieman, Mieke W.J.; Huiskes, Cindy; Nijmeijer, Arian; Winnubst, Louis

2017-01-01

Hybrid silica membranes have demonstrated to possess a remarkable hydrothermal stability in pervaporation and gas separation processes allowing them to be used in industrial applications. In several publications the hydrothermal stability of pure silica or that of hybrid silica membranes are

Synthesis of sulfonated porous carbon nanospheres solid acid by a facile chemical activation route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Binbin, E-mail: changbinbin806@163.com; Guo, Yanzhen; Yin, Hang; Zhang, Shouren; Yang, Baocheng, E-mail: baochengyang@yahoo.com

2015-01-15

Generally, porous carbon nanospheres materials are usually prepared via a template method, which is a multi-steps and high-cost strategy. Here, we reported a porous carbon nanosphere solid acid with high surface area and superior porosity, as well as uniform nanospheical morphology, which prepared by a facile chemical activation with ZnCl{sub 2} using resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) resins spheres as precursor. The activation of RF resins spheres by ZnCl{sub 2} at 400 °C brought high surface area and large volume, and simultaneously retained numerous oxygen-containing and hydrogen-containing groups due to the relatively low processing temperature. The presence of these functional groups is favorable for the modification of –SO{sub 3}H groups by a followed sulfonation treating with sulphuric acid and organic sulfonic acid. The results of N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption and electron microscopy clearly showed the preservation of porous structure and nanospherical morphology. Infrared spectra certified the variation of surface functional groups after activation and the successful modification of –SO{sub 3}H groups after sulfonation. The acidities of catalysts were estimated by an indirect titration method and the modified amount of –SO{sub 3}H groups were examined by energy dispersive spectra. The results suggested sulfonated porous carbon nanospheres catalysts possessed high acidities and –SO{sub 3}H densities, which endowed their significantly catalytic activities for biodiesel production. Furthermore, their excellent stability and recycling property were also demonstrated by five consecutive cycles. - Graphical abstract: Sulfonated porous carbon nanospheres with high surface area and superior catalytic performance were prepared by a facile chemical activation route. - Highlights: • Porous carbon spheres solid acid prepared by a facile chemical activation. • It owns high surface area, superior porosity and uniform spherical morphology. • It possesses

Fumed silica. Fumed silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sukawa, T.; Shirono, H. (Nippon Aerosil Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-10-18

The fumed silica is explained in particulate superfineness, high purity, high dispersiveness and other remarkable characteristics, and wide application. The fumed silica, being presently produced, is 7 to 40nm in average primary particulate diameter and 50 to 380m{sup 2}/g in specific surface area. On the surface, there coexist hydrophilic silanol group (Si-OH) and hydrophobic siloxane group (Si-O-Si). There are many characteristics, mutually different between the fumed silica, made hydrophobic by the surface treatment, and untreated hydrophilic silica. The treated silica, if added to the liquid product, serves as agent to heighten the viscosity, prevent the sedimentation and disperse the particles. The highest effect is given to heighten the viscosity in a region of 4 to 9 in pH in water and alcohol. As filling agent to strengthen the elastomer and polymer, and powder product, it gives an effect to prevent the consolidation and improve the fluidity. As for its other applications, utilization is made of particulate superfineness, high purity, thermal insulation properties and adsorption characteristics. 2 to 3 patents are published for it as raw material of quartz glass. 38 refs., 16 figs., 4 tabs.

Large-scale nanofabrication of periodic nanostructures using nanosphere-related techniques for green technology applications (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Chen-Chung; Wu, Jyun-De; Chien, Yi-Hsin; Wang, Chang-Han; Liu, Chi-Ching; Ku, Chen-Ta; Chen, Yen-Jon; Chou, Meng-Cheng; Chang, Yun-Chorng

2016-09-01

Nanotechnology has been developed for decades and many interesting optical properties have been demonstrated. However, the major hurdle for the further development of nanotechnology depends on finding economic ways to fabricate such nanostructures in large-scale. Here, we demonstrate how to achieve low-cost fabrication using nanosphere-related techniques, such as Nanosphere Lithography (NSL) and Nanospherical-Lens Lithography (NLL). NSL is a low-cost nano-fabrication technique that has the ability to fabricate nano-triangle arrays that cover a very large area. NLL is a very similar technique that uses polystyrene nanospheres to focus the incoming ultraviolet light and exposure the underlying photoresist (PR) layer. PR hole arrays form after developing. Metal nanodisk arrays can be fabricated following metal evaporation and lifting-off processes. Nanodisk or nano-ellipse arrays with various sizes and aspect ratios are routinely fabricated in our research group. We also demonstrate we can fabricate more complicated nanostructures, such as nanodisk oligomers, by combining several other key technologies such as angled exposure and deposition, we can modify these methods to obtain various metallic nanostructures. The metallic structures are of high fidelity and in large scale. The metallic nanostructures can be transformed into semiconductor nanostructures and be used in several green technology applications.

Preparation of yolk-shell MoS2 nanospheres covered with carbon shell for excellent lithium-ion battery anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Bangjun; Feng, Yu; Chen, Xiaofan; Li, Bo; Yu, Ke

2018-03-01

Molybdenum disulfide is regarded as one of the most promising electrode materials for high performance lithium-ion batteries. Designing firm basal structure is a key point to fully utilize the high capacity of layered MoS2 nanomaterials. Here, yolk-shell structured MoS2 nanospheres is firstly designed and fabricated to meet this needs. This unique yolk-shell nanospheres are transformed from solid nanospheres by a simply weak alkaline etching method. Then, the yolk-shell MoS2/C is synthesized by a facile process to protect the outside MoS2 shell and promote the conductivity. Taking advantages of high capacity and well-defined cavity space, allowing the core MoS2 to expand freely without breaking the outer shells, yolk-shell MoS2/C nanospheres delivers long cycle life (94% of capacity retained after 200 cycles) and high rate behaviour (830 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1). This design of yolk-shell structure may set up a new strategy for preparing next generation anode materials for LIBs.

SnO2@C@VO2 Composite Hollow Nanospheres as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wenbin; Wang, Yong; Li, Qingyuan; Wang, Dongxia; Zhang, Fanchao; Yang, Yiqing; Yu, Yang

2018-05-02

Porous SnO 2 @C@VO 2 composite hollow nanospheres were ingeniously constructed through the combination of layer-by-layer deposition and redox reaction. Moreover, to optimize the electrochemical properties, SnO 2 @C@VO 2 composite hollow nanospheres with different contents of the external VO 2 were also studied. On the one hand, the elastic and conductive carbon as interlayer in the SnO 2 @C@VO 2 composite can not only buffer the huge volume variation during repetitive cycling but also effectively improve electronic conductivity and enhance the utilizing rate of SnO 2 and VO 2 with high theoretical capacity. On the other hand, hollow nanostructures of the composite can be consolidated by the multilayered nanocomponents, resulting in outstanding cyclic stability. In virtue of the above synergetic contribution from individual components, SnO 2 @C@VO 2 composite hollow nanospheres exhibit a large initial discharge capacity (1305.6 mAhg -1 ) and outstanding cyclic stability (765.1 mAhg -1 after 100 cycles). This design of composite hollow nanospheres may be extended to the synthesis of other nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage.

Carbonization-dependent nitrogen-doped hollow porous carbon nanospheres synthesis and electrochemical study for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lingyun; Xie, Guohong; Chen, Xiling

2018-05-01

In this paper, a nitrogen-doped hollow microporous carbon nanospheres was synthesized via the combination of hyper-crosslinking mediated self-assembly and further pyrolysis using polylactide-b-polystyrene (PLA-b-PS) copolymers and aniline monomers as precursor. The pore structure and the correlative electrochemical performance of nitrogen-doped hollow microporous carbon nanospheres were affected by the molar mass ratio of aniline and PS in block copolymers and the carbonization conditions. The electrochemical measurements results showed that the obtained PLA150-PS250-N4-900-10H sample with nitrogen content of 3.57% and the BET surface area of 945 m2 g-1 displays the best capacitance performance. At a current density of 1.0 Ag-1, the resultant specific capacitance is 250 Fg-1. In addition, it also exhibits high capacitance retention of 98% after charging-discharging 1500 times at 25 Ag-1. The results demonstrate the nitrogen-doped hollow microporous carbon nanospheres can be used as promising supercapacitor electrode materials for high performance energy storage devices.

Room temperature vortex fluidic synthesis of monodispersed amorphous proto-vaterite.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Wenhong; Chen, Xianjue; Zhu, Shenmin; Guo, Cuiping; Raston, Colin L

2014-10-11

Monodispersed particles of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) 90 to 200 nm in diameter are accessible at room temperature in ethylene glycol and water using a vortex fluidic device (VFD). The ACC material is stable for at least two weeks under ambient conditions.

Ultrasound-driven Megahertz Faraday Waves for Generation of Monodisperse Micro Droplets and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Chen S.; Mao, Rong W.; Lin, Shih K.; Tsai, Shirley C.; Boss, Gerry; Brenner, Matt; Smaldone, Gerry; Mahon, Sari; Shahverdi, Kaveh; Zhu, Yun

Our theoretical findings on instability of Faraday waves at megahertz (MHz) drive frequency and realization of silicon-based MHz multiple-Fourier horn ultrasonic nozzles (MFHUNs) together have enabled generation of mono-disperse droplets of controllable diameter (2.5-6.0 μm) at very low electrical drive power (generator has imminent application to pulmonary (inhalation) drug delivery and other potential applications. Here an update of advances on analysis and design of the MHz MFHUNs and the underlying physical mechanism for generation of mono-disperse micro droplets, and the nebulizer platform for application to detoxification of cyanide poisoning are presented.

Facile synthesis of functionalized ionic surfactant templated mesoporous silica for incorporation of poorly water-soluble drug.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Xu, Lu; Yang, Baixue; Wang, Hongyu; Bao, Zhihong; Pan, Weisan; Li, Sanming

2015-08-15

The present paper reported amino group functionalized anionic surfactant templated mesoporous silica (Amino-AMS) for loading and release of poorly water-soluble drug indomethacin (IMC) and carboxyl group functionalized cationic surfactant templated mesoporous silica (Carboxyl-CMS) for loading and release of poorly water-soluble drug famotidine (FMT). Herein, Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS were facilely synthesized using co-condensation method through two types of silane coupling agent. Amino-AMS was spherical nanoparticles, and Carboxyl-CMS was well-formed spherical nanosphere with a thin layer presented at the edge. Drug loading capacity was obviously enhanced when using Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS as drug carriers due to the stronger hydrogen bonding force formed between surface modified carrier and drug. Amino-AMS and Carboxyl-CMS had the ability to transform crystalline state of loaded drug from crystalline phase to amorphous phase. Therefore, IMC loaded Amino-AMS presented obviously faster release than IMC because amorphous phase of IMC favored its dissolution. The application of asymmetric membrane capsule delayed FMT release significantly, and Carboxyl-CMS favored sustained release of FMT due to its long mesoporous channels and strong interaction formed between its carboxyl group and amino group of FMT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cavity Opto-Mechanics using an Optically Levitated Nanosphere

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-19

center-of-mass motion of a levitated nanosphere. entanglement ∣ optical levitation ∣ quantum information One of the most intriguing questions associated...developed. Outlook An optically levitated opto-mechanical system can have remark- ably long coherence times, which potentially enables quantum phenomena...47) or facilitate novel quantum hybrid architectures (6). Note added: We have become aware of a recent, similar proposal to optically levitate and

Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres treated paraquat-induced acute lung injury by resisting oxidative stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Y

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Yong Zhu,1,* Guoying Deng,2,* Anqi Ji,2 Jiayi Yao,1 Xiaoxiao Meng,1 Jinfeng Wang,1 Qian Wang,2 Qiugen Wang,2 Ruilan Wang1 1Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, 2Trauma Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Acute paraquat (PQ poisoning is one of the most common forms of pesticide poisoning. Oxidative stress and inflammation are thought to be important mechanisms in PQ-induced acute lung injury (ALI. Selenium (Se can scavenge intracellular free radicals directly or indirectly. In this study, we investigated whether porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres could alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in PQ-induced ALI. Male Sprague Dawley rats and RLE-6TN cells were used in this study. Rats were categorized into 3 groups: control (n=6, PQ (n=18, and PQ + Se@SiO2 (n=18. The PQ and PQ + Se@SiO2 groups were randomly and evenly divided into 3 sub-groups according to different time points (24, 48 and 72 h after PQ treatment. Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres 1 mg/kg (in the PQ + Se@SiO2 group were administered via intraperitoneal injection every 24 h. Expression levels of reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, reactive oxygen species (ROS, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB, phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β were detected, and a histological analysis of rat lung tissues was performed. The results showed that the levels of ROS, malondialdehyde, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β were markedly increased after PQ treatment. Glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels were reduced. However, treatment with porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres markedly alleviated PQ-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Additionally, the results from histological examinations and wet-to-dry weight ratios of rat lung

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Pt-, Fe-, and Zn-doped SnO2 Nanospheres and Carbon Monoxide Sensing Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weigen Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pure and M-doped (M = Pt, Fe, and Zn SnO2 nanospheres were successfully synthesized via a simple and facile hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Chemical gas sensors were fabricated based on the as-synthesized nanostructures, and carbon monoxide sensing properties were systematically measured. Compared to pure, Fe-, and Zn-doped SnO2 nanospheres, the Pt-doped SnO2 nanospheres sensor exhibits higher sensitivity, lower operating temperature, more rapid response and recovery, better stability, and excellent selectivity. In addition, a theoretical study based on the first principles calculation was conducted. All results demonstrate the potential of Pt dopant for improving the gas sensing properties of SnO2-based sensors to carbon monoxide.

Lattice doped Zn–SnO{sub 2} nanospheres: A systematic exploration of dopant ion effects on structural, optical, and enhanced gas sensing properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baraneedharan, P. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Imran Hussain, S. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Department of Applied Science and Technology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 (India); Dinesh, V.P. [Nanosensor Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore 641004 (India); Siva, C. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603 203 (India); Biji, P. [Nanosensor Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore 641004 (India); Sivakumar, M., E-mail: muthusiva@gmail.com [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A simple, novel and surfactant free hydrothermal route to prepare SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. • A systematic investigation of growth mechanism with the assist of time dependent HR-TEM images. • Incorporation of Zn ions into SnO{sub 2} lattices clearly elucidated with XRD and XPS spectrums. • Three fold time increased response in Zn–SnO{sub 2} nanospheres when compared to undoped SnO{sub 2}. - Abstract: A surfactant-free one step hydrothermal method is reported to synthesize zinc (Zn{sup 2+}) doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. The structural analysis of X-ray diffraction confirms the tetragonal crystal system of the material with superior crystalline nature. The shift in diffraction peak, variation in lattice constant and disparity in particle size confirm the incorporation of Zn{sup 2+} ions to the Sn host lattices. The lattice doped structure, the disparity in morphology, size and shape by the addition of Zn{sup 2+} ions are evident from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and electron microscopic analysis. Significant changes in the absorption edge and the band gap with increased doping concentration were observed in UV–vis absorption spectral analysis. The formation of acceptor energy levels with the incorporation of Zn{sup 2+} ions has a significant effect on the electrical conductivity of SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. Comparative tests for gas sensors based on Zn doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres and SnO{sub 2} nanospheres clearly show that the former exhibited excellent NO{sub 2} sensing performance. The responses of Zn{sup 2+} ions incorporated SnO{sub 2} nanospheres sensor were increased 3 fold at trace level NO{sub 2} gas concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 ppm. The excellent sensitivity, selectivity and fast response make the Zn{sup 2+} doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres ideal for NO{sub 2} sensing.

Eco-friendly synthesis of colloidal silver nanospheres, nanorings and nanonetworks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singh, A.K.; Rai, A.K.; Bicanic, D.D.

2009-01-01

Colloidal silver nanospheres, nanorings, and nanonetworks were synthesized by the nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of a silver metal plate in a pure distilled water (at room temperature) using the fundamental (1064 nm), second harmonic (532 nm), and third harmonic (355 nm) wavelengths of the Nd:YAG

A mesoporous silica nanosphere-based drug delivery system using an electrically conducting polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Youngnam; Shi, Riyi; Ben Borgens, Richard; Ivanisevic, Albena

2009-01-01

In this study, a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based nerve growth factor (NGF) delivery system has been successfully embedded within an electroactive polypyrrol (Ppy). The spherical particles with ∼100 nm diameter possess a large surface-to-volume ratio for the entrapment of NGF into the pores of MSNs while retaining their bioactivity. Direct incorporation of MSN-NGF within Ppy was achieved during electrochemical polymerization. The loading amount and release profile of NGF from the composite was investigated by sandwich ELISA. The NGF incorporation can be controllable by varying particle concentration or by extending electrodeposition time. The morphology and chemical composition of the Ppy/MSN-NGF composite was evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Optical and electron microscopy revealed a characteristic attachment of PC 12 cells and the outgrowth of their neurites when grown on the Ppy/MSN-NGF composite as a result of a sustained and controlled release of NGF. In order to observe the effectiveness of electrical stimulation, neurite extension of cells cultured on unstimulated and stimulated Ppy/MSN-NGF was compared. The NGF release in the presence of electrical stimulation promoted significantly greater neurite extension.

Temperature-modified photonic bandgap in colloidal photonic crystals fabricated by vinyl functionalized silica spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Tiansong; Zhang Junyan; Zhu Kongtao; Zhang Qifeng; Wu Jinlei

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: A thermal annealing procedure was described for fine modifying the photonic bandgap properties of colloidal photonic crystals, which were self-assembled from vinyl-functionalized silica spheres by a gravity sedimentation process. Highlights: → We described a thermal annealing procedure for fine modifying the photonic bandgap properties of colloidal photonic crystals. → The position of its stop band had more than 25% blue shift by annealing the sample from 60 to 600 deg. C. → The annealing temperature and the Bragg peak values have a linear relationship in the 120-440 deg. C range. → The effects provide a simple and controllable method for modifying the photonic bandgap properties of colloidal photonic crystals. - Abstract: A thermal annealing procedure for fine modifying the photonic bandgap properties of colloidal photonic crystals was described. The colloidal photonic crystals were assembled from monodisperse vinyl functionalized silica spheres by a gravity sedimentation process. The samples diffract light following Bragg's law combined with Snell's law. By annealing the sample at temperatures in the range of 60-600 deg. C, the position of its stop band shifted from 943 to 706 nm. It had more than 25% blue shift. In addition, the annealing temperature and the Bragg peak values have a linear relationship in the 120-440 deg. C range. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) curves of vinyl functionalized silica spheres confirmed the above results. The effects provide a simple and controllable method for modifying the photonic bandgap properties of colloidal photonic crystals.

Emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization produces highly charged, monodisperse particles for near infrared photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Reese, Chad E; Asher, Sanford A

2002-04-01

We have developed emulsifier-free, emulsion polymerization recipes for the synthesis of highly charged, monodisperse latex particles of diameters between 500 and 1100 nm. These latexes consist of poly[styrene-(co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)] spherical particles whose surfaces are functionalized with sulfate and carboxylic acid groups. These highly charged, monodisperse particles readily self-assemble into robust, three-dimensionally ordered crystalline colloidal array photonic crystals that Bragg diffract light in the near infrared spectral region. By altering the particle number density, the diffraction wavelength can be tuned from approximately 1000 to approximately 4000 nm.

FY 1999 results of the regional consortium R and D project/the regional consortium energy R and D. 1st year. Development of the energy-saving type production technology of high-purity/transparent silica glass; 1999 nendo kojundo tomei sekiei glass no sho energy gata seizo gijutsu no kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

For the purpose of achieving the remarkable energy conservation, high accuracy and low cost in the production of high-purity/transparent silica glass, the developmental research was conducted on slip casting method. In the development of technology to synthesize silica powder by the sol-gel method, monodisperse - polydisperse high-purity colloidal silica was obtained. In the development of technology to make silica power ultra-highly pure, a process was found out in which silica particles can be obtained by applying moderate amounts of ammonium bicarbonate and aqueous ammonia to the solution of silicic acid for heating. In the slip cast forming, a high-density forming body with a mean particle size of 1.5{mu}m was obtained. In the trial manufacture of reflector model, a translucent silica glass sintered body was obtained by transcribing the gypsum type dimensional shape in high purity. Besides, experimental researches were conducted on the examination of gypsum type/resin type and evaluation of physical properties, heat deterioration characteristics of the actual multi-layer film and trial manufacture of the heat resistant film, analysis/evaluation of trace impurities inside silica glass, conditions for the manufacture of dense silica glass sheets, etc. (NEDO)

Fe induced optical limiting properties of Zn1-xFexS nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Vineeshkumar, T. V.; Raj, D. Rithesh; Prasanth, S.; Unnikrishnan, N. V.; Mahadevan Pillai, V. P.; Sudarasanakumar, C.

2018-02-01

Zn1-xFexS (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) nanospheres were synthesized by polyethylene glycol assisted hydrothermal method. XRD studies revealed that samples of all concentrations exhibited cubic structure with crystallite grain size 7-9 nm. TEM and SEM show the formation of nanospheres by dense aggregation of smaller particles. Increasing Zn/Fe ratio tune the band gap from 3.4 to 3.2 eV and also quenches the green luminescence. FTIR spectra reveal the presence of capping agent, intensity variation and shifting of LO and TO phonon modes confirm the presence of Fe ions. Nonlinear optical properties were measured using open and closed aperture z-scan techniques, employing frequency doubled 532 nm pumping sources which indicated reverse saturable absorption (RSA) process. The nonlinear optical coefficients are obtained by two photon absorption (2PA). Composition dependent nonlinear optical coefficients ;β;, nonlinear refractive index, third order susceptibility and optical limiting threshold were estimated. The sample shows good nonlinear absorption and enhancement of optical limiting behavior with increasing Fe volume fraction. Contribution of RSA on optical nonlinearity of Zn1-xFexS nanospheres are also investigated using three different input energies. Zn1-xFexS with comparatively small limiting threshold value is a promising candidate for optical power limiting applications.

Wet Chemistry Approaches for Synthesis of Gold Nanospheres, Nanorods and Nanostars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verma, Jyoti; van Veen, Henk A.; Lal, Sumit; van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the synthesis of gold nanorods, gold nanospheres and gold nanostars using modified versions of existing seed-mediated growth methods. The nanoparticles have been characterized on the basis of their morphology and optical properties using transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

Stability studies of colloidal silica dispersions in binary solvent mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bean, Keith Howard

1997-01-01

A series of monodispersed colloidal silica dispersions, of varying radii, has been prepared. These particles are hydrophilic in nature due to the presence of surface silanol groups. Some of the particles have been rendered hydrophobic by terminally grafting n-alkyl (C 18 ) chains to the surface. The stability of dispersions of these various particles has been studied in binary mixtures of liquids, namely (i) ethanol and cyclohexane, and (ii) benzene and n-heptane. The ethanol - cyclohexane systems have been studied using a variety of techniques. Adsorption excess isotherms have been established and electrophoretic mobility measurements have been made. The predicted stability of the dispersions from D.V.L.O. calculations is compared to the observed stability. The hydrophilic silica particles behave as predicted by the calculations, with the zeta potential decreasing and the van der Waals attraction increasing with increasing cyclohexane concentration. The hydrophobic particles behave differently than expected, and the stability as a function of solvent mixture composition does not show a uniform trend. The effect of varying the coverage of C 18 chains on the surface and the effect of trace water in the systems has also been investigated. Organophilic silica dispersions in benzene - n-heptane solvent mixtures show weak aggregation and phase separation into a diffuse 'gas-like' phase and a more concentrated 'liquid-like' phase, analogous to molecular condensation processes. Calculations of the van der Waals potential as a function of solvent mixture composition show good agreement with the observed stability. Determination of the number of particles in each phase at equilibrium allows the energy of flocculation to be determined using a simple thermodynamic relationship. Finally, the addition of an AB block copolymer to organophilic silica particles in benzene n-heptane solvent mixtures has been shown to have a marked effect on the dispersion stability. This stability

Highly Selective Synthesis of Catalytically Active Monodisperse Rhodium Nanocubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Y.; Grass, M.E.; Kuhn, J.N.; Tao, F.; Habas, S.E.; Huang, W.; Yang, P.; Somorjai, G.A.

2009-02-21

Synthesis of monodisperse and shape-controlled colloidal inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) is of increasing scientific interest and technological significance. Recently, shape control of Pt, Pd, Ag, Au, and Rh NCs has been obtained by tuning growth kinetics in various solution-phase approaches, including modified polyol methods, seeded growth by polyol reduction, thermolysis of organometallics, and micelle techniques. Control of reduction kinetics of the noble metal precursors and regulation of the relative growth rates of low-index planes (i.e. {l_brace}100{r_brace} and {l_brace}111{r_brace}) via selective adsorption of selected chemical species are two keys for achieving shape modification of noble metal NCs. One application for noble metal NCs of well-defined shape is in understanding how NC faceting (determines which crystallographic planes are exposed) affects catalytic performance. Rh NCs are used in many catalytic reactions, including hydrogenation, hydroformylation, hydrocarbonylation, and combustion reactions. Shape manipulation of Rh NCs may be important in understanding how faceting on the nanoscale affects catalytic properties, but such control is challenging and there are fewer reports on the shape control of Rh NCs compared to other noble metals. Xia and coworkers obtained Rh multipods exhibiting interesting surface plasmonic properties by a polyol approach. The Somorjai and Tilley groups synthesized crystalline Rh multipods, cubes, horns and cuboctahedra, via polyol seeded growth. Son and colleagues prepared catalytically active monodisperse oleylamine-capped tetrahedral Rh NCs for the hydrogenation of arenes via an organometallic route. More recently, the Somorjai group synthesized sizetunable monodisperse Rh NCs using a one-step polyol technique. In this Communication, we report the highly selective synthesis of catalytically active, monodisperse Rh nanocubes of < 10 nm by a seedless polyol method. In this approach, Br{sup -} ions from trimethyl

Simple and inexpensive microfluidic devices for the generation of monodisperse multiple emulsions

KAUST Repository

Li, Erqiang

2013-12-16

Droplet-based microfluidic devices have become a preferred versatile platform for various fields in physics, chemistry and biology. Polydimethylsiloxane soft lithography, the mainstay for fabricating microfluidic devices, usually requires the usage of expensive apparatus and a complex manufacturing procedure. Here, we report the design and fabrication of simple and inexpensive microfluidic devices based on microscope glass slides and pulled glass capillaries, for generating monodisperse multiple emulsions. The advantages of our method lie in a simple manufacturing procedure, inexpensive processing equipment and flexibility in the surface modification of the designed microfluidic devices. Different types of devices have been designed and tested and the experimental results demonstrated their robustness for preparing monodisperse single, double, triple and multi-component emulsions. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

The Van der Waals-force-induced phononic band gap and resonant scattering in two-nanosphere aggregate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jiuhui; Zhang Siwen; Zhou Kejiang

2012-01-01

A physical mechanism of phononic band gap and resonant nanoacoustic scattering in an aggregate of two elastic nanospheres is presented in this paper. By considering the Van der Waals (VdW) force between two nanospheres illuminated by nanoacoustic wave, phononic band gap and frequency shift at the lower frequency side, and largely enhanced nanoacoustic scattering at the other frequency range have been found through calculating the form function of the acoustic scattering from the nanosystem. This VdW-force-induced band gap is different from the known mechanisms of Bragg scattering and local resonances for periodic media. It is shown that when the separation distance between two nanospheres is decreasing from 20 to 1 nm, due to the increasing VdW force, the nanoacoustic scattering is much heightened by two order of magnitude, and meanwhile the frequency shift and phononic band gap at the low frequencies are both widened. These results could provide potential applications of nanoacoustic devices.

Synthesis and characterization of visible-active molybdenum disulfide (2H-MoS2) nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheah, A. J.; Chiu, W. S.; Khiew, P. S.; Radiman, S.; Hamid, M. A. A.

2015-01-01

In current study, a novel 2H-MoS 2 nanospheres were successfully synthesized and underwent structural- as well as optical-property characterizations. The MoS 2 were prepared by one pot hydrothermal approach through adopting L-cysteine as environmentally-benignchalcogenide precursor. TEM image shows that the as-synthesized MoS 2 appear to be spherical in shape with size distribution in the range of 120 nm – 180 nm. HRTEM lattice-fringes imaging further elucidate that the interlayer spacing at the edges is equal to be 0.62 nm that correspond to (002) plane stacking. Also, the HRTEM image clearly-illustrate that the internal microstructure of MoS 2 composed of randomly-arrayed alternating layers, which render the postulation that the formation of nanosphere is driven by self-assembly of individual layers into globular morphology. XRD diffractogram that appear to be broad and unresolved reveal the partially crystalline nature of the sample. Optical-absorption spectra depicts the sample is visible active with featureless absorption, which can attribute to indirect transition of the excitions generated. By using Tauc plot, the bandgap energy is determined to be 1.75 eV, which reflect the nanospheres are indeed visible-active nanostructures

General access to metal oxide (Metal = Mn, Co, Ni) double-layer nanospheres for application in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Yuan; Wang, Gang; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Beibei; Wang, Hui

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A series of metal oxide double layer nanospheres were prepared. • The obtained materials show excellent performances in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors. • The unique structure of double layers is beneficial for superior electrochemical performances. - Abstract: In this work, a series of metal oxide double-layer nanospheres (DLNs), such as Mn 2 O 3 , Co 3 O 4 , NiO, NiCo 2 O 4 , and MnCo 2 O 4 have been successfully synthesized through a general template method. The layers of nanospheres were assembled by different nanostructure units and the removing of the SiO 2 template formed a void of several ten nanometers between the double layers, resulting large specific surface areas for them. The energy storage performances of the as-prepared double-layer nanospheres were further investigated in lithium ion battery and supercapacitor systems. Based on their unique nanostructures, the double-layer nanospheres exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with long cycle stability and high specific capacities or capacitances. The best of these, DLNs-NiCo 2 O 4 can deliver a reversible capacity of 1107 mAh g −1 at 0.25C after 200 cycles in lithium ion battery system, and shows a capacitance of 1088 F g −1 with capacitance loss of less than 3% at 5 A g −1 after 5000 cycles in supercapacitors.

Fabrication of textured SnO2 transparent conductive films using self-assembled Sn nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Fukumoto, Michitaka; Nakao, Shoichiro; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2018-06-01

We present a novel method to fabricate textured surfaces on transparent conductive SnO2 films by processing substrates through a bottom-up technique with potential for industrially scalable production. The substrate processing consists of three steps: deposition of precursor Sn films on glass substrates, formation of a self-assembled Sn nanosphere layer with reductive annealing, and conversion of Sn to SnO2 by oxidative annealing. Ta-doped SnO2 films conformally deposited on the self-assembled nanospherical SnO2 templates exhibited attractive optical and electrical properties, namely, enhanced haze values and low sheet resistances, for applications as transparent electrodes in photovoltaics.

Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence near nonlocal metallic nanospheres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tserkezis, Christos; Stefanou, N.; Wubs, Martijn

Spontaneous emission and fluorescence of organic molecules are known to strongly depend on the local electromagnetic environment. Plasmonic nanoparticles are widely explored as templates for controlling light-matter interactions, and can be tailored to optimize the fluorescence rate (Ȗem......) and the generalized nonlocal optical response (GNOR) theory [2] shows that a significant decrease in fluorescence enhancement is obtained for emitters close to small metallic nanospheres or thin metallic nanoshells, while the optimum emitter position is also affected. In this respect, our recent work introduces...

Synthesis of silica nanoparticles for encapsulation of oncology drugs with low water solubility: effect of processing parameters on structural evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bürglová, Kristýna; Hlaváč, Jan [Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (Czech Republic); Bartlett, John R., E-mail: JBartlett@usc.edu.au [University of the Sunshine Coast, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering (Australia)

2015-12-15

Silica nanoparticles with tailored properties have been developed for a variety of biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on their use as carriers for the encapsulation and controlled release of bioactive species. Among the various strategies described, silica nanoparticles with uniform mesoporosity (MSN) prepared in aqueous solution at elevated temperatures using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template have a range of desirable properties. However, the processing windows available to control the dimensions and other key properties of such nanoparticles prepared using fluoride salts as catalysts have not been elucidated, with mixed products containing gel fragments and non-uniform products obtained under many conditions. Here, we present a parametric study of the synthesis of MSN under fluoride-catalysed conditions using tetraethylorthosilicate as silica precursor. The processing conditions required to produce uniform nanoparticles with controlled dimensions are elucidated, together with the conditions under which dried powders can be re-dispersed in aqueous solution after long-term storage to regenerate unaggregated nanospheres with dimensions (as measured by dynamic light scattering) comparable to those measured via scanning electron microscopy analysis of the dried material. The ability to dry and store such powders for extended periods of time is an important requirement for the use of such materials in drug delivery applications. Preliminary results demonstrating the use of such MSNs as hosts for oncology drugs [substituted 3-hydroxyquinolinones (3-HQ)] with low water solubility (≪1 µg/g H{sub 2}O) are presented, with loadings of several wt% demonstrated. The ability of the silica host to protect the 3-HQ from oxidative degradation during impregnation and release is discussed.

Preparation, Modification, and Application of Hollow Gold Nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiong-Qiong Ren

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs have great potential applications in biological sensing, biomedical imaging, photothermal therapy, and drug delivery due to their unique localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR feature, easy modification, good biocompatibility, and excellent photothermal conversion properties. In this review, the latest developments of HGNs in biosensing, bioimaging, photothermal therapy, and drug delivery are summarized, the synthesis methods, surface modification and bioconjugation of HGNs are also covered in this summary.

Novel Silica Nanostructured Platforms with Engineered Surface Functionality and Spherical Morphology for Low-Cost High-Efficiency Carbon Capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lai, Cheng-Yu [Delaware State Univ., Dover, DE (United States); Radu, Daniela [Delaware State Univ., Dover, DE (United States); Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)

2017-12-29

Carbon capture is an integral part of the CO₂ mitigation efforts, and encompasses, among other measures, the demonstration of effective and inexpensive CO₂ capture technologies. The project demonstrated a novel platform—the amine-functionalized stellate mesoporous silica nanosphere (MSN)—for effective CO₂ absorption. The reported CO₂ absorption data are superior to the performance of other reported silica matrices utilized for carbon capture, featuring an amount of over 4 milimoles CO₂/g sorbent at low temperatures (in the range of 30-45 ºC), selected for simulating the temperature of actual flue gas. The reported platform is highly resilient, showing recyclability and 85 % mass conservation of sorbent upon nine tested cycles. Importantly, the stellate MSNs show high CO₂ selectivity at room temperature, indicating that the presence of nitrogen in flue gas will not impair the CO₂ absorption performance. The results could lead to a simple and inexpensive new technology for CO₂ mitigation which could be implemented as measure of CO₂ mitigation in current fossil-fuel burning plants in the form of solid sorbent.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Co3(PO42 Nanospheres for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol in Alkaline Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prabhakarn Arunachalam

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Low-cost and high-performance advanced electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells are of key significance for the improvement of environmentally-pleasant energy technologies. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of cobalt phosphate (Co3(PO42 nanospheres by a microwave-assisted process and utilized as an electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation. The phase formation, morphological surface structure, elemental composition, and textural properties of the synthesized (Co3(PO42 nanospheres have been examined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm investigations. The performance of an electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol over a Co3(PO42 nanosphere-modified electrode was evaluated in an alkaline solution using cyclic voltammetry (CV and chronopotentiometry (CP techniques. Detailed studies were made for the methanol oxidation by varying the experimental parameters, such as catalyst loading, methanol concentration, and long-term stability for the electro-oxidation of methanol. The good electrocatalytic performances of Co3(PO42 should be related to its good surface morphological structure and high number of active surface sites. The present investigation illustrates the promising application of Co3(PO42 nanospheres as a low-cost and more abundant electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanospheres as anode material for enhanced performance in lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasidharan, Manickam [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga 840-8502 (Japan); Gunawardhana, Nanda [Advanced Research Center, Saga University, 1341 Yoga-machi, Saga 840-0047 (Japan); Yoshio, Masaki, E-mail: yoshio@cc.saga-u.ac.jp [Advanced Research Center, Saga University, 1341 Yoga-machi, Saga 840-0047 (Japan); Nakashima, Kenichi, E-mail: nakashik@cc.saga-u.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, 1 Honjo-machi, Saga 840-8502 (Japan)

2012-09-15

Graphical abstract: Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanosphere constructed electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g{sup −1} after 250 cycles and maintains structural integrity and excellent cycling stability. Highlights: ► Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanospheres synthesis was synthesized by soft-template. ► Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode material in Li-ion battery. ► Nanostructured electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g{sup −1} after 250 cycles. ► The electrode maintains the structural integrity and excellent cycling stability. ► Nanosized shell domain facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation. -- Abstract: Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanospheres of average diameter ca. ∼29 nm and hollow cavity size ca. 17 nm were synthesized using polymeric micelles with core–shell–corona architecture under mild conditions. The hollow particles were thoroughly characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal (TG/DTA) and nitrogen adsorption analyses. Thus obtained Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} hollow nanospheres were investigated as anode materials for lithium ion rechargeable batteries for the first time. The nanostructured electrode delivers high capacity of 172 mAh g{sup −1} after 250 cycles of charge/discharge at a rate of 0.5 C. More importantly, the hollow particles based electrodes maintains the structural integrity and excellent cycling stability even after exposing to high current density 6.25 A g{sup −1}. The enhanced electrochemical behavior is ascribed to hollow cavity coupled with nanosized Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} shell domain that facilitates fast lithium intercalation/deintercalation kinetics.

Simple and inexpensive microfluidic devices for the generation of monodisperse multiple emulsions

KAUST Repository

Li, Erqiang; Zhang, Jiaming; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2013-01-01

of expensive apparatus and a complex manufacturing procedure. Here, we report the design and fabrication of simple and inexpensive microfluidic devices based on microscope glass slides and pulled glass capillaries, for generating monodisperse multiple emulsions

High performance of visible-NIR broad spectral photocurrent application of monodisperse PbSe nanocubes decorated on rGO sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorban Shiravizadeh, A.; Elahi, S. M.; Sebt, S. A.; Yousefi, Ramin

2018-02-01

In this work, the photoresponse performance of monodisperse PbSe nanocubes in the range of visible and near-infrared (NIR) (400-1500 nm) regions was enhanced by reduced graphene oxide (rGO). A simple cost-effective method is presented to synthesize monodisperse PbSe nanocubes (NCs) that are decorated on the rGO sheets. By the addition of PbSe/rGO nanocomposites with different rGO concentrations, pristine PbSe NCs were synthesized with the same method. Microscopy images showed that the size of NCs was smaller than the exciton Bohr radius (46 nm) of PbSe bulk. Therefore, the UV-Vis-IR spectroscopy result revealed that the PbSe/rGO samples had absorption peaks in the NIR region around 1650 nm and showed a blue shift compared to the absorption peak of the PbSe bulk. J-V measurements of the samples indicated that monodisperse PbSe/rGO nanocomposites had a higher resistance than the other samples under dark condition. On the other hand, the resistance of the monodisperse PbSe/rGO nanocomposites decreased under different light source illuminations while the resistance of the other samples was increased under illumination. Photodetector measurements indicated that the monodisperse morphology of the PbSe NCs enhanced the photoresponse speed and photocurrent intensity. In addition, responsivity (R) and detectivity (D*) of the samples were higher in the NIR region.

Fe3O4@polyaniline yolk-shell micro/nanospheres as bifunctional materials for lithium storage and electromagnetic wave absorption

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoliang; Zhang, Minwei; Zhao, Jianming; Huang, Guoyong; Sun, Hongyu

2018-01-01

Unique Fe3O4/polyaniline (PANI) composite with yolk-shell micro/nanostructure (FPys) has been successfully synthesized by a facile silica-assisted in-situ polymerization and subsequent etching strategy. The structural and compositional studies of the FPys composites are performed by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The yolk-shell morphology of the products is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. When evaluated as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the as-prepared FPys electrodes deliver superior capacity, better cycling stability and rate capability than those of bare Fe3O4 micro/nanospheres and Fe3O4/PANI core-shell (FPcs) electrodes. Moreover, FPys also exhibits excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance when comparing to the synthesized Fe3O4-based electromagnetic wave absorbers, in which strong reflection loss and extensive response bandwidth can be achieved simultaneously. The excellent bifunctional properties of FPys material are associated with the specially designed hierarchical micro/nanostructures. The current strategy that application directed structural design can be applied to the synthesis of other multifunctional materials.

Enhanced arsenic removal from water by hierarchically porous CeO₂-ZrO₂ nanospheres: role of surface- and structure-dependent properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Weihong; Wang, Jing; Wang, Lei; Sheng, Guoping; Liu, Jinhuai; Yu, Hanqing; Huang, Xing-Jiu

2013-09-15

Arsenic contaminated natural water is commonly used as drinking water source in some districts of Asia. To meet the increasingly strict drinking water standards, exploration of efficient arsenic removal methods is highly desired. In this study, hierarchically porous CeO₂-ZrO₂ nanospheres were synthesized, and their suitability as arsenic sorbents was examined. The CeO₂-ZrO₂ hollow nanospheres showed an adsorption capacity of 27.1 and 9.2 mg g(-1) for As(V) and As(III), respectively, at an equilibrium arsenic concentration of 0.01 mg L(-1) (the standard for drinking water) under neutral conditions, indicating a high arsenic removal performance of the adsorbent at low arsenic concentrations. Such a great arsenic adsorption capacity was attributed to the high surface hydroxyl density and presence of hierarchically porous network in the hollow nanospheres. The analysis of Fourier transformed infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that the adsorption of arsenic on the CeO₂-ZrO₂ nanospheres was completed through the formation of a surface complex by substituting hydroxyl with arsenic species. In addition, the CeO₂-ZrO₂ nanospheres were able to remove over 97% arsenic in real underground water with initial arsenic concentration of 0.376 mg L(-1) to meet the guideline limit of arsenic in drinking water regulated by the World Health Organization without any pre-treatment and/or pH adjustment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facile synthesis and characterization of ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/{alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite hollow nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Yu [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028 (China); Li, Xinyong, E-mail: xyli@dlut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Zhao, Qidong; Hou, Yang [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Tade, Moses [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Liu, Shaomin, E-mail: Shaomin.Liu@curtin.edu.au [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia)

2011-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/{alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite hollow nanospheres were successfully synthesized via a facile method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Detailed structural, morphology and the phase composition were studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The incorporation of ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} gives an appropriate band gap value to utilize solar energy. -- Abstract: ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/{alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite hollow nanospheres were successfully fabricated via a facile one-pot solvothermal method, utilizing polyethylene glycol as soft template. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the prepared nanospheres with cubic spinel and rhombohedra composite structure had a uniform diameter of about 370 nm, and the hollow structure could be further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared techniques were also applied to characterize the elemental composition and chemical bonds in the hollow nanospheres. The ZnFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/{alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite hollow nanospheres show attractive light absorption property for potential applications in electronics, optics, and catalysis.

Manipulating the Temperature of Sulfurization to Synthesize α-NiS Nanosphere Film for Long-Term Preservation of Non-enzymatic Glucose Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hsien-Sheng; Shi, Jen-Bin; Peng, Cheng-Ming; Zheng, Bo-Chi; Cheng, Fu-Chou; Lee, Ming-Way; Lee, Hsuan-Wei; Wu, Po-Feng; Liu, Yi-Jui

2018-04-01

In this study, alpha nickel sulfide (α-NiS) nanosphere films have been successfully synthesized by electroplating the nickel nanosheet film on the indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate and sulfuring nickel-coated ITO glass substrate. First, we electrodeposited the nickel nanosheet films on the ITO glass substrates which were cut into a 0.5 × 1 cm2 size. Second, the nanosheet nickel films were annealed in vacuum-sealed glass ampoules with sulfur sheets at different annealing temperatures (300, 400, and 500 °C) for 4 h in vacuum-sealed glass ampoules. The α-NiS films were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), variable vacuum scanning electron microscopy (VVSEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometer (FE-SEM/EDS), cyclic voltammogram (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared (UV/Visible/NIR) spectra, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Many nanospheres were observed on the surface of the α-NiS films at the annealing temperature 400 °C for 4 h. We also used the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) for the analysis of the α-NiS nanospheres. We demonstrated that our α-NiS nanosphere film had a linear current response to different glucose concentrations. Additionally, our α-NiS nanosphere films were preserved at room temperature for five and a half years and were still useful for detecting glucose at low concentration.

Polyoxotungstate nanoclusters supported on silica as an efficient solid-phase microextraction fiber of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abolghasemi, Mir Mahdi; Yousefi, Vahid; Rafiee, Ezzat

2014-01-01

A highly porous silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid (PW) nanocluster was prepared for use in solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PWs represent a class of discrete transition metal-oxide nanoclusters and their structures resemble discrete fragments of metal-oxide structures of definite size and shape. Transition metal-oxide nanoclusters display large structural diversity, and their monodisperse sizes can be tuned from several Ångstroms up to 10 nm. The highly porous silica-supported tungstophosphoric acid nanocluster material is found to be capable of efficiently extracting PAHs from aqueous sample solutions. The nanomaterial was immobilized on a stainless steel wire for fabrication of the SPME fiber. Following thermal desorption, the PAHs were quantified by GC-MS. Analytical merits include limits of detection that range from 0.02 to 0.1 pg mL −1 and a dynamic range as wide as from 0.001 to 100 ng mL −1 . Under optimum conditions, the repeatability for one fiber (n = 3), expressed as the relative standard deviation, is between 4.3 % and 8.6 %. The method is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. The thermal stability of the fiber and the high relative recovery make this method superior to conventional methods of extraction. (author)

Three Dimensional Immobilization of Beta-Galactosidase on a Silicon Surface (Preprint)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Luckarift, Heather R; Betancor, Lorena; Spain, Jim C

2006-01-01

.... The entrapment of enzymes within silica-based nanospheres formed through silicification reactions provides high loading capacities for enzyme immobilization, resulting in high volumetric activity...

Synthesis and characterization of highly-magnetic biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanospheres.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, X.; Kaminski, M. D.; Chen, H.; Torno, M.; Taylor, L.; Rosengart, A. J.; Univ. of Chicago

2007-05-14

The objective of this study was to develop high magnetization, biodegradable/biocompatible polymer-coated magnetic nanospheres for biomedical applications. Magnetic spheres were prepared by a modified single oil-in-water emulsion-solvent evaporation method utilizing highly-concentrated hydrophobic magnetite and poly(d,l lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). Hydrophobic magnetite prepared using oleic acid exhibited high magnetite concentrations (84 wt.%) and good miscibility with biopolymer solvents to form a stable oily suspension. The oily suspension was then emulsified within an aqueous solution containing poly(vinyl alcohol). After rapid evaporation of the organic solvent, we obtained solid magnetic nanospheres. We characterized these spheres in terms of external morphology, microstructure, size and zeta potential, magnetite content and distribution within the nanospheres, and magnetic properties. The results showed good encapsulation where the magnetite distorted the smooth surface morphology only at the highest magnetite concentrations. The mean diameter was 360-370 nm with polydispersity indices of 0.12-0.20. We obtained high magnetite content (40-60%) and high magnetization (26-40 emu/g). The high magnetization properties were obtained while leaving sufficient polymer to retain drugs making these biodegradable spheres suitable as a potential platform for the design of magnetically-guided drug delivery and other in vivo biomagnetic applications.

Thermo-sensitive polymer nanospheres as a smart plugging agent for shale gas drilling operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei-Ji; Qiu, Zheng-Song; Zhong, Han-Yi; Huang, Wei-An; Dai, Wen-Hao

2017-01-01

Emulsifier-free poly(methyl methacrylate-styrene) [P(MMA-St)] nanospheres with an average particle size of 100 nm were synthesized in an isopropyl alcohol-water medium by a solvothermal method. Then, through radical graft copolymerization of thermo-sensitive monomer N -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and hydrophilic monomer acrylic acid (AA) onto the surface of P(MMA-St) nanospheres at 80 °C, a series of thermo-sensitive polymer nanospheres, named SD-SEAL with different lower critical solution temperatures (LCST), were prepared by adjusting the mole ratio of NIPAm to AA. The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, particle size distribution, and specific surface area analysis. The temperature-sensitive behavior was studied by light transmittance tests, while the sealing performance was investigated by pressure transmission tests with Lungmachi Formation shales. The experimental results showed that the synthesized nanoparticles are sensitive to temperature and had apparent LCST values which increased with an increase in hydrophilic monomer AA. When the temperature was higher than its LCST value, SD-SEAL played a dual role of physical plugging and chemical inhibition, slowed down pressure transmission, and reduced shale permeability remarkably. The plugged layer of shale was changed to being hydrophobic, which greatly improved the shale stability.

Direct catalytic transformation of carbohydrates into 5-ethoxymethylfurfural with acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hu; Govind, Khokarale Santosh; Kotni, Ramakrishna; Shunmugavel, Saravanamurugan; Riisager, Anders; Yang, Song

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Catalytic conversion of carbohydrates into HMF and EMF in ethanol/DMSO with acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres prepared from self-assembly of corresponding basic amino acids and HPA. - Highlights: • Acid–base bifunctional nanospheres were efficient for production of EMF from sugars. • Synthesis of EMF in a high yield of 76.6% was realized from fructose. • Fructose based biopolymers could also be converted into EMF with good yields. • Ethyl glucopyranoside was produced in good yields from glucose in ethanol. - Abstract: A series of acid–base bifunctional hybrid nanospheres prepared from the self-assembly of basic amino acids and phosphotungstic acid (HPA) with different molar ratios were employed as efficient and recyclable catalysts for synthesis of liquid biofuel 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) from various carbohydrates. A high EMF yield of 76.6%, 58.5%, 42.4%, and 36.5% could be achieved, when fructose, inulin, sorbose, and sucrose were used as starting materials, respectively. Although, the acid–base bifunctional nanocatalysts were inert for synthesis of EMF from glucose based carbohydrates, ethyl glucopyranoside in good yields could be obtained from glucose in ethanol. Moreover, the nanocatalyst functionalized with acid and basic sites was able to be reused several times with no significant loss in catalytic activity

Optoacoustic characterization of synthetic opals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mechri, C; Ruello, P; Mounier, D; Breteau, J M; Povey, I; Pemble, M; Romanov, S G; Gusev, V

2007-01-01

The development of laser-based ultrafast acoustic techniques allowed the investigation of the vibrations of nanostructures. In this communication, we report the results of the characterization of crystals composed of silica nanospheres (opals) by pump-probe setup. In our study, the excitation and detection of the vibrations of nanospheres by femtosecond laser pulses was facilitated by filling the pores in the opals by GaAs semiconducting material

Development and statistical optimization of nefopam hydrochloride loaded nanospheres for neuropathic pain using Box-Behnken design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukhbir, S; Yashpal, S; Sandeep, A

2016-09-01

Nefopam hydrochloride (NFH) is a non-opioid centrally acting analgesic drug used to treat chronic condition such as neuropathic pain. In current research, sustained release nefopam hydrochloride loaded nanospheres (NFH-NS) were auspiciously synthesized using binary mixture of eudragit RL 100 and RS 100 with sorbitan monooleate as surfactant by quasi solvent diffusion technique and optimized by 3 5 Box-Behnken designs to evaluate the effects of process and formulation variables. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) affirmed absence of drug-polymer incompatibility and confirmed formation of nanospheres. Desirability function scrutinized by design-expert software for optimized formulation was 0.920. Optimized batch of NFH-NS had mean particle size 328.36 nm ± 2.23, % entrapment efficiency (% EE) 84.97 ± 1.23, % process yield 83.60 ± 1.31 and % drug loading (% DL) 21.41 ± 0.89. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) validated size, charge and shape of nanospheres, respectively. In-vitro drug release study revealed biphasic release pattern from optimized nanospheres. Korsmeyer Peppas found excellent kinetics model with release exponent less than 0.45. Chronic constricted injury (CCI) model of optimized NFH-NS in Wistar rats produced significant difference in neuropathic pain behavior ( p  accelerated stability testing of optimized NFH-NS revealed degradation rate constant 1.695 × 10 -4 and shelf-life 621 days at 25 ± 2 °C/60% ± 5% RH.

A low cost preparation of WO3 nanospheres film with improved thermal stability of gasochromic and its application in smart windows

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Baoyu; Feng, Wei; Gao, Guohua; Wu, Guangming; Chen, Yue; Li, Wen

2017-11-01

Porous WO3 nanospheres film was successfully synthesized by employing a low-cost and facile template-assisted sol-gel method. The effects of template agent (Pluronic F127) on structure, morphology and specific surface area were systematically studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2 physisorption. It was found that F127 played a significant role in governing the morphology of WO3 sol clusters, and the optimal post-processing for ‘naked’ WO3 nanospheres film is acetone extraction and subsequent annealing treatment at 350 °C. As anticipated, the relative fast coloring/bleaching rates of WO3 nanospheres film are believed to be the results of porous microstructure and nanocrystalline, where provides much surface active position (166 m2 g-1) and shortens the proton diffusion distance. We believe that this unique approach to synthesize nanospheres structure may has beneficial effects on applications which also are based on insertion/extraction and diffusion abilities, such as supercapacitor, batteries and gas sensors.

Silica Nephropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Ghahramani

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Occupational exposure to heavy metals, organic solvents and silica is associated with a variety of renal manifestations. Improved understanding of occupational renal disease provides insight into environmental renal disease, improving knowledge of disease pathogenesis. Silica (SiO2 is an abundant mineral found in sand, rock, and soil. Workers exposed to silica include sandblasters, miners, quarry workers, masons, ceramic workers and glass manufacturers. New cases of silicosis per year have been estimated in the US to be 3600–7300. Exposure to silica has been associated with tubulointerstitial disease, immune-mediated multisystem disease, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. A rare syndrome of painful, nodular skin lesions has been described in dialysis patients with excessive levels of silicon. Balkan endemic nephropathy is postulated to be due to chronic intoxication with drinking water polluted by silicates released during soil erosion. The mechanism of silica nephrotoxicity is thought to be through direct nephrotoxicity, as well as silica-induced autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus. The renal histopathology varies from focal to crescentic and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with aneurysm formation suggestive of polyarteritis nodosa. The treatment for silica nephrotoxicity is non-specific and depends on the mechanism and stage of the disease. It is quite clear that further research is needed, particularly to elucidate the pathogenesis of silica nephropathy. Considering the importance of diagnosing exposure-related renal disease at early stages, it is imperative to obtain a thorough occupational history in all patients with renal disease, with particular emphasis on exposure to silica, heavy metals, and solvents.

Well-Dispersed Co/CoO/C Nanospheres with Tunable Morphology as High-Performance Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bingqing Xu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Well-dispersed Co/CoO/C nanospheres have been designed and constructed through a facile electrospinning method with a strategy controlling the morphology of nanocomposites via adjusting the pre-oxidized and heat treatments. Scanning electron microscopy results reveal that the as-synthesized sample pre-oxidized at 275 °C shows better spherical morphology with a diameter of around 300 nm without conspicuous agglomeration. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the coexistence of cobalt and cobalt monoxide in the sample. Furthermore, the electrochemical tests reveal that the sample pre-oxidized at 275 °C displays excellent cycling stability with only 0.016% loss per cycle even after 400 cycles at 1000 mA·g−1 and enhanced high-rate capability with a specific discharge capacity of 354 mA·g−1 at 2000 mA·g−1. Besides, the sample pre-oxidized at 275 °C shows a specific capacity of 755 mA·g−1 at 100 mA·g−1 after 95 cycles. The improved electrochemical performance has been ascribed to the well dispersion of nanospheres, the improved electronic conductivity, and the structural integrity contribution from the carbon and cobalt coexisting nanocomposite. The strategy for preparing well-dispersed nanospheres by adjusting pre-oxidized and annealing processes could have insight for other oxide nanosphere synthesis.

Laboratory evaluation of a vibrating orifice monodisperse aerosol generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Everitt, N.M.; Snelling, K.W.

1985-02-01

The Berglund-Liu vibrating orifice aerosol generator is capable of producing monodisperse particles in the diameter range 5 to 50 μm. Experiments have been carried out to set up and evaluate such a generator for the preparation of standard liquid (olive oil) and solid (methylene blue) aerosols in the size range 8 to 13 μm. Modifications have been made to the apparatus to improve its performance and increase its particle output. (author)

Heteroatom Doped-Carbon Nanospheres as Anodes in Lithium Ion Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, George S; Ferrari, Stefania; Huang, Xiaobin; Bhagat, Rohit; Haddleton, David M; Wan, Chaoying

2016-01-09

Long cycle performance is a crucial requirement in energy storage devices. New formulations and/or improvement of "conventional" materials have been investigated in order to achieve this target. Here we explore the performance of a novel type of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) with three heteroatom co-doped (nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur) and high specific surface area as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The CNSs were obtained from carbonization of highly-crosslinked organo (phosphazene) nanospheres (OPZs) of 300 nm diameter. The OPZs were synthesized via a single and facile step of polycondensation reaction between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and 4,4'-sulphonyldiphenol (BPS). The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed a high heteroatom-doping content in the structure of CNSs while the textural evaluation from the N₂ sorption isotherms revealed the presence of micro- and mesopores and a high specific surface area of 875 m²/g. The CNSs anode showed remarkable stability and coulombic efficiency in a long charge-discharge cycling up to 1000 cycles at 1C rate, delivering about 130 mA·h·g -1 . This study represents a step toward smart engineering of inexpensive materials with practical applications for energy devices.

Some Durability Characteristics of Micro Silica and Nano Silica Contained Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Salah Nasr

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the influence of replacement of cement with nano and micro silica admixtures on some durability properties of concrete such as water absorption, chloride content and pH tests. Three replacement ratios (5%,10%,15% of micro silica and four replacement proportions (0.5%,1.5%,3%,5% for nano silica were used in this study. Two exposure conditions were considered for chloride content test: wetting-drying and full immersing exposure in 6% of chloride ions solution, NaCl type. Results showed that mixes of %5 micro silica and 5% nano silica had lower content of chloride (about 0.19% and 0.18% for wetting-drying and full immersing exposure respectively. For water absorption test, all mixes incorporated micro and nano silica, except for %5 micro silica mix, showed lower absorption than control mixes. For pH test, results indicated that the adding of nano and micro silica didn’t affect adversely the alkalinity of concrete.

Scattering of electromagnetic pulses by metal nanospheres in the vicinity of a Fano-like resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astapenko, V.A.; Svita, S.Yu.

2015-01-01

In the work, radiation scattering by metal nanospheres in a dielectric matrix in case of ultrashort and long electromagnetic pulses is studied theoretically. Spectral efficiencies of backward and forward scattering by silver nanospheres in glass are calculated with the use of experimental data on the dielectric permittivity of silver. The presence of Fano-like resonances in spectral dependences of scattering efficiency caused by interference of dipole and quadrupole scatterings is shown. Backward and forward scattering of ultrashort pulses is calculated and analyzed. The obtained dependences of the total probability of scattering (during all time of the action of a pulse) on pulse duration demonstrate an essential distinction between an ultrashort case and a long pulse limit

The hydrophobic and omnidirectional antireflection coating of SiO2 nanospheres with C18-TEOS

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Cheng-Chih; Lan, Wen-Lin; Chen, Nien-Po; Wu, Chyan-Chyi

2014-06-01

This paper demonstrates the antireflection coating of SiO2 nanospheres applied to cover glass by using the optimal spin-coating method. Because of the hydrolysis and condensation reactions between the SiO2 nanosphere antireflection (AR) coating and n-octadecyltriethoxysilane solution (C18-TEOS), the contact angle of the AR coating with hydrophobic treatment is improved approximately 38%, and the moisture-resistance remains unchanged, which preserved similar transmittance for six weeks. Furthermore, the AR coating with hydrophobic treatment exhibits approximately 3% and 7% improvement in the transmittance at normal and oblique incidence, respectively. The hydrophobic and omnidirectional AR coating with nanoscale SiO2 particles can be fabricated using the proposed simple and economical method.

Synthesis of Monodispersed Spherical Single Crystalline Silver Particles by Wet Chemical Process; Shisshiki kagakuho ni yoru tanbunsankyujo tankesshoginryushi no gose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueyama, Ryousuke.; Harada, Masahiro.; Ueyama, Tamotsu.; Harada, Akio. [Daiken Chemistry Industry Corporation, Osaka (Japan); Yamamoto, Takashi. [National Defence Academy, Kanagawa (Japan). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Shiosaki, Tadashi. [Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara (Japan). Graduate School of Materials Science; Kuribayashi, Kiyoshi. [Teikyo University of Science and Technology, Yamanashi (Japan). Dept. of Materials

1999-01-01

Ultrafine silver monodispersed particle were prepared by wet chemical process. To decrease the reduction speed, an important factor in generating monodispersed particles is to control the following three factors: synthesis temperature, concentration of aggregation-relaxing agent added, and concentration of silver nitrate solution. Synthesis of monodispersed spherical Ag particles, used as metal powders for electrode, became possible using the nucleus grouwth reaction method. This process also allowed the control of the diameter of the powder particles. The silver particles were distributed in ta narrow particle diameter range with on average of 0.5 {mu}m. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that single-crystalline silver particles were prepared by the present method. (author)

Monodispersed macroporous architecture of nickel-oxide film as an anode material for thin-film lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Mao-Sung; Lin, Ya-Ping

2011-01-01

A nickel-oxide film with monodispersed open macropores was prepared on a stainless-steel substrate by electrophoretic deposition of a polystyrene-sphere monolayer followed by anodic electrodeposition of nickel oxy-hydroxide. The deposited films convert to cubic nickel oxide after annealing at 400 o C for 1 h. Galvanostatic charge and discharge results indicate that the nickel-oxide film with monodispersed open macropores is capable of delivering a higher capacity than the bare nickel-oxide film, especially in high-rate charge and discharge processes. The lithiation capacity of macroporous nickel oxide reaches 1620 mA h g -1 at 1 C current discharge and decreases to 990 mA h g -1 at 15 C current discharge. The presence of monodispersed open macropores in the nickel-oxide film might facilitate the electrolyte penetration, diffusion, and migration. Electrochemical reactions between nickel oxide and lithium ions are therefore markedly improved by this tailored film architecture.

3D bioprinting mesenchymal stem cell-laden construct with core-shell nanospheres for cartilage tissue engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Cui, Haitao; Boualam, Benchaa; Masood, Fahed; Flynn, Erin; Rao, Raj D.; Zhang, Zhi-Yong; Zhang, Lijie Grace

2018-05-01

Cartilage tissue is prone to degradation and has little capacity for self-healing due to its avascularity. Tissue engineering, which provides artificial scaffolds to repair injured tissues, is a novel and promising strategy for cartilage repair. 3D bioprinting offers even greater potential for repairing degenerative tissue by simultaneously integrating living cells, biomaterials, and biological cues to provide a customized scaffold. With regard to cell selection, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great capacity for differentiating into a variety of cell types, including chondrocytes, and could therefore be utilized as a cartilage cell source in 3D bioprinting. In the present study, we utilize a tabletop stereolithography-based 3D bioprinter for a novel cell-laden cartilage tissue construct fabrication. Printable resin is composed of 10% gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) base, various concentrations of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), biocompatible photoinitiator, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) embedded nanospheres fabricated via a core-shell electrospraying technique. We find that the addition of PEGDA into GelMA hydrogel greatly improves the printing resolution. Compressive testing shows that modulus of the bioprinted scaffolds proportionally increases with the concentrations of PEGDA, while swelling ratio decreases with the increase of PEGDA concentration. Confocal microscopy images illustrate that the cells and nanospheres are evenly distributed throughout the entire bioprinted construct. Cells grown on 5%/10% (PEGDA/GelMA) hydrogel present the highest cell viability and proliferation rate. The TGF-β1 embedded in nanospheres can keep a sustained release up to 21 d and improve chondrogenic differentiation of encapsulated MSCs. The cell-laden bioprinted cartilage constructs with TGF-β1-containing nanospheres is a promising strategy for cartilage regeneration.

Synthesis and characterization of visible-active molybdenum disulfide (2H-MoS{sub 2}) nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheah, A. J., E-mail: cheahaijuan@gmail.com; Chiu, W. S., E-mail: w.s.chiu@um.edu.my [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Khiew, P. S., E-mail: PoiSim.Khiew@nottingham.edu.my [Division of Materials, Mechanics and Structures, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor (Malaysia); Radiman, S., E-mail: shahidan@ukm.edu.my; Hamid, M. A. A., E-mail: azmi@ukm.my [School of Applied Physcis, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan (Malaysia)

2015-07-22

In current study, a novel 2H-MoS{sub 2} nanospheres were successfully synthesized and underwent structural- as well as optical-property characterizations. The MoS{sub 2} were prepared by one pot hydrothermal approach through adopting L-cysteine as environmentally-benignchalcogenide precursor. TEM image shows that the as-synthesized MoS{sub 2} appear to be spherical in shape with size distribution in the range of 120 nm – 180 nm. HRTEM lattice-fringes imaging further elucidate that the interlayer spacing at the edges is equal to be 0.62 nm that correspond to (002) plane stacking. Also, the HRTEM image clearly-illustrate that the internal microstructure of MoS{sub 2} composed of randomly-arrayed alternating layers, which render the postulation that the formation of nanosphere is driven by self-assembly of individual layers into globular morphology. XRD diffractogram that appear to be broad and unresolved reveal the partially crystalline nature of the sample. Optical-absorption spectra depicts the sample is visible active with featureless absorption, which can attribute to indirect transition of the excitions generated. By using Tauc plot, the bandgap energy is determined to be 1.75 eV, which reflect the nanospheres are indeed visible-active nanostructures.

Deposition and detection of particles during integrated circuit manufacturing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wali, F.; Knotter, D. Martin; Kelly, John J.; Kuper, F.G.

2006-01-01

Abstract—Deposition mechanism of silica particles on silicon wafers was investigated by depositing specially prepared mono-dispersed particles (mean diameter = 330 nm). To measure particles of the size below the detection limit of our particle measurement tools, silica particles with luminance core

Progress in Preparation of Monodisperse Polymer Microspheres

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongyan

2017-12-01

The monodisperse crosslinked polymer microspheres have attracted much attention because of their superior thermal and solvent resistance, mechanical strength, surface activity and adsorption properties. They are of wide prospects for using in many fields such as biomedicine, electronic science, information technology, analytical chemistry, standard measurement and environment protection etc. Functional polymer microspheres prepared by different methods have the outstanding surface property, quantum size effect and good potential future in applications with its designable structure, controlled size and large ratio of surface to volume. Scholars of all over the world have focused on this hot topic. The preparation method and research progress in functional polymer microspheres are addressed in the paper.

An in vitro study of peptide-loaded alginate nanospheres for antagonizing the inhibitory effect of Nogo-A protein on axonal growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Peng; Chen, X B; Schreyer, David J

2015-01-01

The adult mammalian central nervous system has limited ability to regenerate after injury. This is due, in part, to the presence of myelin-associated axon growth inhibitory proteins such as Nogo-A that bind and activate the Nogo receptor, leading to profound inhibition of actin-based motility within the growing axon tip. This paper presents an in vitro study of the use of a Nogo receptor-blocking peptide to antagonize the inhibitory effect of Nogo-A on axon growth. Alginate nanospheres were fabricated using an emulsion technique and loaded with Nogo receptor-blocking peptide, or with other model proteins. Protein release profiles were studied, and retention of the bioactivity of released proteins was verified. Primary dorsal root ganglion neurons were cultured and their ability to grow neurites was challenged with Nogo-A chimeric protein in the absence or presence of Nogo receptor antagonist peptide-loaded alginate nanospheres. Our results demonstrate that peptide released from alginate nanospheres could overcome the growth inhibitory effect of Nogo-A, suggesting that a similar peptide delivery strategy using alginate nanospheres might be used to improve axon regeneration within the injured central nervous system. (paper)

Factors influencing formation of highly dispersed BaTiO3 nanospheres with uniform sizes in static hydrothermal synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Jiabing; Shi, Haiyue; Dong, Huina; Zhang, Rui; Chen, Deliang

2015-01-01

Highly dispersed BaTiO 3 nanospheres with uniform sizes have important applications in micro/nanoscale functional devices. To achieve well-dispersed spherical BaTiO 3 nanocrystals, we carried out as reported in this paper the systematic investigation on the factors that influence the formation of BaTiO 3 nanospheres by the static hydrothermal process, including the NaOH concentrations [NaOH], molar Ba/Ti ratios (R Ba/Ti ), hydrothermal temperatures, and durations, with an emphasis on understanding the related mechanisms. Barium nitrate and TiO 2 sols derived from tetrabutyl titanate were used as the starting materials. The as-synthesized BaTiO 3 samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, and FT-IR spectra. The highly dispersed BaTiO 3 nanospheres (76 ± 13 nm) were achieved under the optimum hydrothermal conditions at 200 °C for 10 h: [NaOH] = 2.0 mol L −1 and R Ba/Ti  = 1.5. Higher NaOH concentrations, higher Ba/Ti ratios, higher hydrothermal temperatures, and longer hydrothermal durations are favorable in forming BaTiO 3 nanospheres with larger fractions of tetragonal phase and higher yields; but too long hydrothermal durations resulted in abnormal growth and reduced the uniformity in particle sizes. The possible formation mechanisms for BaTiO 3 nanocrystals under the static hydrothermal conditions were investigated

A Multimodal System with Synergistic Effects of Magneto-Mechanical, Photothermal, Photodynamic and Chemo Therapies of Cancer in Graphene-Quantum Dot-Coated Hollow Magnetic Nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Wo, Fangjie; Xu, Rujiao; Shao, Yuxiang; Zhang, Zheyu; Chu, Maoquan; Shi, Donglu; Liu, Shupeng

2016-01-01

In this study, a multimodal therapeutic system was shown to be much more lethal in cancer cell killing compared to a single means of nano therapy, be it photothermal or photodynamic. Hollow magnetic nanospheres (HMNSs) were designed and synthesized for the synergistic effects of both magneto-mechanical and photothermal cancer therapy. By these combined stimuli, the cancer cells were structurally and physically destroyed with the morphological characteristics distinctively different from those by other therapeutics. HMNSs were also coated with the silica shells and conjugated with carboxylated graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as a core-shell composite: HMNS/SiO2/GQDs. The composite was further loaded with an anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and stabilized with liposomes. The multimodal system was able to kill cancer cells with four different therapeutic mechanisms in a synergetic and multilateral fashion, namely, the magnetic field-mediated mechanical stimulation, photothermal damage, photodynamic toxicity, and chemotherapy. The unique nanocomposites with combined mechanical, chemo, and physical effects will provide an alternative strategy for highly improved cancer therapy efficiency.

Microporous silica membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boffa, Vittorio; Yue, Yuanzheng

2012-01-01

Hydrothermal stability is a crucial factor for the application of microporous silica-based membranes in industrial processes. Indeed, it is well established that steam exposure may cause densification and defect formation in microporous silica membranes, which are detrimental to both membrane...... permeability and selectivity. Numerous previous studies show that microporous transition metal doped-silica membranes are hydrothermally more stable than pure silica membranes, but less permeable. Here we present a quantitative study on the impact of type and concentration of transition metal ions...... on the microporous structure, stability and permeability of amorphous silica-based membranes, providing information on how to design chemical compositions and synthetic paths for the fabrication of silica-based membranes with a well accessible and highly stabile microporous structure....

The fabrication of highly conductive and flexible Ag patterning through baking Ag nanosphere-nanoplate hybrid ink at a low temperature of 100 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Y. D.; Zhang, S. M.; Jing, H. Y.; Wei, J.; Bu, F. H.; Zhao, L.; Lv, X. Q.; Xu, L. Y.

2018-04-01

With the aim of developing highly conductive ink for flexible electronics on heat-sensitive substrates, Ag nanospheres and nanoplates were mixed to synthesize hybrid inks. Five kinds of hybrid ink and two types of pure ink were written to square shape on Epson photo paper using rollerball pens, and sintered at a low temperature (100 °C). The microstructure, electrical resistivity, surface porosity, hardness and flexibility of silver patterns were systematically investigated and compared. It was observed that the optimal mixing ratio of nanospheres and nanoplates was 1:1, which equipped the directly written pattern with excellent electrical and mechanical properties. The electrical resistivity was 0.103 μΩ · m, only 6.5 times that of bulk silver. The enhancement compared to pure silver nanospheres or nanoplates based ink was due to the combined action of nanospheres and nanoplates. This demonstrates a valuable way to prepare Ag nanoink with good performance for printed/written electronics.

The fabrication of highly conductive and flexible Ag pattern through baking Ag nanospheres - nanoplates hybrid ink at a low temperature of 100°C.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Y D; Zhang, Siming; Jing, H Y; Wei, Jun; Bu, Fanhui; Zhao, Lei; Lv, Xiaoqing; Xu, L Y

2018-01-24

With the aim of developing highly conductive ink for flexible electronics on heat-sensitive substrates, Ag nanospheres and nanoplates were mixed to synthesize hybrid inks. Five kinds of hybrid ink and two types of pure ink were written to square shape on Epson photo paper using rollerball pens and sintered at a low temperature (100℃). The microstructure, electrical resistivity, surface porosity, hardness and flexibility of silver patterns were systematically investigated and compared. It was observed that the optimal mixing ratio of nanospheres and nanoplates was 1:1, which equipped the directly written pattern with excellent electrical and mechanical properties. The electrical resistivity was 0.103 μΩ·m, which was only 6.5 times of bulk silver. The enhancement compared to pure silver nanospheres or nanoplates based ink was owing to the combined action of nanospheres and nanoplates. It was a valued way to prepare Ag nanoink with good performance for printed/written electronics. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Self-diffusion in monodisperse three-dimensional magnetic fluids by molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobroserdova, A.B. [Ural Federal University, Lenin Av. 51, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kantorovich, S.S., E-mail: alla.dobroserdova@urfu.ru [Ural Federal University, Lenin Av. 51, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); University of Vienna, Sensengasse 8, Vienna (Austria)

2017-06-01

In the present work we study the self-diffusion behaviour in the three-dimensional monodisperse magnetic fluids using the Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Density Functional Theory. The peculiarity of computer simulation is to study two different systems: dipolar and soft sphere ones. In the theoretical method, it is important to choose the approximation for the main structures, which are chains. We compare the theoretical results and the computer simulation data for the self-diffusion coefficient as a function of the particle volume fraction and magnetic dipole-dipole interaction parameter and find the qualitative and quantitative agreement to be good. - Highlights: • The paper deals with the study of the self-diffusion in monodisperse three-dimensional magnetic fluids. • The theoretical approach contains the free energy density functional minimization. • Computer simulations are performed by the molecular dynamics method. • We have a good qualitative and quantitative agreement between the theoretical results and computer simulation data.

Fe/N/C hollow nanospheres by Fe(iii)-dopamine complexation-assisted one-pot doping as nonprecious-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dan; Yang, Liping; Yu, Linghui; Kong, Junhua; Yao, Xiayin; Liu, Wanshuang; Xu, Zhichuan; Lu, Xuehong

2015-01-01

In this work, a series of hollow carbon nanospheres simultaneously doped with N and Fe-containing species are prepared by Fe3+-mediated polymerization of dopamine on SiO2 nanospheres, carbonization and subsequent KOH etching of the SiO2 template. The electrochemical properties of the hollow nanospheres as nonprecious-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are characterized. The results show that the hollow nanospheres with mesoporous N-doped carbon shells of ~10 nm thickness and well-dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared by annealing at 750 °C (Fe/N/C HNSs-750) exhibit remarkable ORR catalytic activity comparable to that of a commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst, and high selectivity towards 4-electron reduction of O2 to H2O. Moreover, it displays better electrochemical durability and tolerance to methanol crossover effect in an alkaline medium than the Pt/C. The excellent catalytic performance of Fe/N/C HNSs-750 towards ORR can be ascribed to their high specific surface area, mesoporous morphology, homogeneous distribution of abundant active sites, high pyridinic nitrogen content, graphitic nitrogen and graphitic carbon, as well as the synergistic effect of nitrogen and iron species for catalyzing ORR.In this work, a series of hollow carbon nanospheres simultaneously doped with N and Fe-containing species are prepared by Fe3+-mediated polymerization of dopamine on SiO2 nanospheres, carbonization and subsequent KOH etching of the SiO2 template. The electrochemical properties of the hollow nanospheres as nonprecious-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are characterized. The results show that the hollow nanospheres with mesoporous N-doped carbon shells of ~10 nm thickness and well-dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared by annealing at 750 °C (Fe/N/C HNSs-750) exhibit remarkable ORR catalytic activity comparable to that of a commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst, and high selectivity towards 4-electron reduction of O2 to H2O

Development and statistical optimization of nefopam hydrochloride loaded nanospheres for neuropathic pain using Box–Behnken design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sukhbir

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Nefopam hydrochloride (NFH is a non-opioid centrally acting analgesic drug used to treat chronic condition such as neuropathic pain. In current research, sustained release nefopam hydrochloride loaded nanospheres (NFH-NS were auspiciously synthesized using binary mixture of eudragit RL 100 and RS 100 with sorbitan monooleate as surfactant by quasi solvent diffusion technique and optimized by 35 Box–Behnken designs to evaluate the effects of process and formulation variables. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, differential scanning calorimetric (DSC and X-ray diffraction (XRD affirmed absence of drug–polymer incompatibility and confirmed formation of nanospheres. Desirability function scrutinized by design-expert software for optimized formulation was 0.920. Optimized batch of NFH-NS had mean particle size 328.36 nm ± 2.23, % entrapment efficiency (% EE 84.97 ± 1.23, % process yield 83.60 ± 1.31 and % drug loading (% DL 21.41 ± 0.89. Dynamic light scattering (DLS, zeta potential analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM validated size, charge and shape of nanospheres, respectively. In-vitro drug release study revealed biphasic release pattern from optimized nanospheres. Korsmeyer Peppas found excellent kinetics model with release exponent less than 0.45. Chronic constricted injury (CCI model of optimized NFH-NS in Wistar rats produced significant difference in neuropathic pain behavior (p < 0.05 as compared to free NFH over 10 h indicating sustained action. Long term and accelerated stability testing of optimized NFH-NS revealed degradation rate constant 1.695 × 10−4 and shelf-life 621 days at 25 ± 2 °C/60% ± 5% RH.

Crystalline Silica Primer

Science.gov (United States)

,

1992-01-01

Crystalline silica is the scientific name for a group of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen. The term crystalline refers to the fact that the oxygen and silicon atoms are arranged in a threedimensional repeating pattern. This group of minerals has shaped human history since the beginning of civilization. From the sand used for making glass to the piezoelectric quartz crystals used in advanced communication systems, crystalline silica has been a part of our technological development. Crystalline silica's pervasiveness in our technology is matched only by its abundance in nature. It's found in samples from every geologic era and from every location around the globe. Scientists have known for decades that prolonged and excessive exposure to crystalline silica dust in mining environments can cause silicosis, a noncancerous lung disease. During the 1980's, studies were conducted that suggested that crystalline silica also was a carcinogen. As a result of these findings, crystalline silica has been regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Under HCS, OSHAregulated businesses that use materials containing 0.1% or more crystalline silica must follow Federal guidelines concerning hazard communication and worker training. Although the HCS does not require that samples be analyzed for crystalline silica, mineral suppliers or OSHAregulated

Synthesis of Zn-Cu-Cd sulfide nanospheres with controlled copper locations and their effects on photocatalytic activities for H{sub 2} production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yabo; Xu, Rong [School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459 (Singapore); Wang, Yongsheng [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

2010-06-15

In this work, a two-step solvothermal method was used to synthesize Zn-Cu-Cd sulfide nanospheres with controlled copper locations. The structural and other physical properties of the nanospheres were investigated by XRD, FESEM, TEM, energy-filtered TEM, XPS, ICP and UV-vis DRS methods. By varying the addition of the copper precursor during the two synthesis steps, Zn-Cu-Cd sulfide nanospheres with three distinctive copper distribution patterns can be obtained with copper (i) only in the core, (ii) only on the surface shell, and (iii) both in the core and on the surface shell. The influence of the location and concentration of copper on the photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from water under visible light was investigated. It was found that the activity of the sample with copper only on the surface shell is about two times of that with copper only in the core. The highest hydrogen production rate was obtained on the nanosphere sample with copper both in the core and on the surface shell. The possible mechanism was discussed. The findings from this study are important for the development of efficient photocatalysts based on ternary or multinary systems. (author)

Heteroatom Doped-Carbon Nanospheres as Anodes in Lithium Ion Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George S. Pappas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Long cycle performance is a crucial requirement in energy storage devices. New formulations and/or improvement of “conventional” materials have been investigated in order to achieve this target. Here we explore the performance of a novel type of carbon nanospheres (CNSs with three heteroatom co-doped (nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur and high specific surface area as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The CNSs were obtained from carbonization of highly-crosslinked organo (phosphazene nanospheres (OPZs of 300 nm diameter. The OPZs were synthesized via a single and facile step of polycondensation reaction between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP and 4,4′-sulphonyldiphenol (BPS. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS analysis showed a high heteroatom-doping content in the structure of CNSs while the textural evaluation from the N2 sorption isotherms revealed the presence of micro- and mesopores and a high specific surface area of 875 m2/g. The CNSs anode showed remarkable stability and coulombic efficiency in a long charge–discharge cycling up to 1000 cycles at 1C rate, delivering about 130 mA·h·g−1. This study represents a step toward smart engineering of inexpensive materials with practical applications for energy devices.

From porous gold nanocups to porous nanospheres and solid particles - A new synthetic approach

KAUST Repository

Ihsan, Ayesha

2015-05-01

We report a versatile approach for the synthesis of porous gold nanocups, porous gold nanospheres and solid gold nanoparticles. Gold nanocups are formed by the slow reduction of gold salt (HAuCl4{dot operator}3H2O) using aminoantipyrene (AAP) as a reducing agent. Adding polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to the gold salt followed by reduction with AAP resulted in the formation of porous gold nanospheres. Microwave irradiation of both of these porous gold particles resulted in the formation of slightly smaller but solid gold particles. All these nanoparticles are thoroughly characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and bright-field tomography. Due to the larger size, porous nature, low density and higher surface area, these nanomaterials may have interesting applications in catalysis, drug delivery, phototherapy and sensing.

From porous gold nanocups to porous nanospheres and solid particles - A new synthetic approach

KAUST Repository

Ihsan, Ayesha; Katsiev, Habib; AlYami, Noktan; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Khan, Waheed S.; Hussain, Irshad

2015-01-01

We report a versatile approach for the synthesis of porous gold nanocups, porous gold nanospheres and solid gold nanoparticles. Gold nanocups are formed by the slow reduction of gold salt (HAuCl4{dot operator}3H2O) using aminoantipyrene (AAP) as a reducing agent. Adding polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to the gold salt followed by reduction with AAP resulted in the formation of porous gold nanospheres. Microwave irradiation of both of these porous gold particles resulted in the formation of slightly smaller but solid gold particles. All these nanoparticles are thoroughly characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and bright-field tomography. Due to the larger size, porous nature, low density and higher surface area, these nanomaterials may have interesting applications in catalysis, drug delivery, phototherapy and sensing.

The fabrication of highly conductive and flexible Ag patterning through baking Ag nanosphere-nanoplate hybrid ink at a low temperature of 100 °C.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Y D; Zhang, S M; Jing, H Y; Wei, J; Bu, F H; Zhao, L; Lv, X Q; Xu, L Y

2018-02-12

With the aim of developing highly conductive ink for flexible electronics on heat-sensitive substrates, Ag nanospheres and nanoplates were mixed to synthesize hybrid inks. Five kinds of hybrid ink and two types of pure ink were written to square shape on Epson photo paper using rollerball pens, and sintered at a low temperature (100 °C). The microstructure, electrical resistivity, surface porosity, hardness and flexibility of silver patterns were systematically investigated and compared. It was observed that the optimal mixing ratio of nanospheres and nanoplates was 1:1, which equipped the directly written pattern with excellent electrical and mechanical properties. The electrical resistivity was 0.103 μΩ · m, only 6.5 times that of bulk silver. The enhancement compared to pure silver nanospheres or nanoplates based ink was due to the combined action of nanospheres and nanoplates. This demonstrates a valuable way to prepare Ag nanoink with good performance for printed/written electronics.

Fabrication of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles released in solution using a block copolymer template

Science.gov (United States)

Morcrette, Mélissa; Ortiz, Guillermo; Tallegas, Salomé; Joisten, Hélène; Tiron, Raluca; Baron, Thierry; Hou, Yanxia; Lequien, Stéphane; Bsiesy, Ahmad; Dieny, Bernard

2017-07-01

This paper describes a fabrication process of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles released in solution, based on combined ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches. The process involves the use of a self-assembled PS-PMMA block copolymer formed on a sacrificial layer. Such an approach was so far mostly explored for the preparation of patterned magnetic media for ultrahigh density magnetic storage. It is here extended to the preparation of released monodisperse nanoparticles for biomedical applications. A special sacrificial layer had to be developed compatible with the copolymer self-organization. The resulting nanoparticles exhibit very narrow size dispersion (≈7%) and can be good candidates as contrast agents for medical imaging i.e. magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic particle imaging. The approach provides a great freedom in the choice of the particles shapes and compositions. In particular, they can be made of biocompatible magnetic material.

Fabrication of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles released in solution using a block copolymer template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morcrette, Mélissa; Ortiz, Guillermo; Joisten, Hélène; Dieny, Bernard; Tallegas, Salomé; Baron, Thierry; Bsiesy, Ahmad; Tiron, Raluca; Hou, Yanxia; Lequien, Stéphane

2017-01-01

This paper describes a fabrication process of monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles released in solution, based on combined ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches. The process involves the use of a self-assembled PS-PMMA block copolymer formed on a sacrificial layer. Such an approach was so far mostly explored for the preparation of patterned magnetic media for ultrahigh density magnetic storage. It is here extended to the preparation of released monodisperse nanoparticles for biomedical applications. A special sacrificial layer had to be developed compatible with the copolymer self-organization. The resulting nanoparticles exhibit very narrow size dispersion (≈7%) and can be good candidates as contrast agents for medical imaging i.e. magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic particle imaging. The approach provides a great freedom in the choice of the particles shapes and compositions. In particular, they can be made of biocompatible magnetic material. (paper)

Thionine-modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanospheres as labels of antibodies for biosensing applications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zasońska, Beata Anna; Čadková, M.; Kovářová, A.; Bílková, Z.; Korecká, L.; Horák, Daniel

2015-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 44 (2015), s. 24926-24931 ISSN 1944-8244 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : glycidyl methacrylate * nanospheres * thionine Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 7.145, year: 2015

Hanging colloidal drop: A new photonic crystal synthesis route

Science.gov (United States)

Sandu, Ion; Dumitru, Marius; Fleaca, Claudiu Teodor; Dumitrache, Florian

2018-05-01

High-quality photonic crystals (hundreds of micrometres in thickness) were grown by the free evaporation of a colloidal drop consisting of silica and polystyrene nanospheres with dimensions of 300 nm, 500 nm, and 1000 nm. The essence of experimental findings is that the drop has to hang on a pillar. This leads to the inhibition of the droplet spreading, the minimisation of the convective force, and the zeroing of the static frictional force between nanospheres and the liquid/air interface, where the first layer is formed. The theoretical essence is the continuous adjustment of nanospheres positions during the growth of photonic crystal, a key condition of the self-assembling phenomenon.

Morphological evolution of prussian yellow Fe[Fe(CN){sub 6}] colloidal nanospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, Jianmin, E-mail: jmgu@ysu.edu.cn; Fu, Shaoyan; Jin, Cuihong; Liu, Xin; Gao, Yahui; Wu, Jingxiao; Bian, Zhenpan; Tian, Hua; Wang, Lin; Gao, Faming

2016-07-15

A simple hydrothermal system was developed for controllable morphologies of the Prussian yellow Fe[Fe(CN){sub 6}] nanostructures in the presence of organic additives. Hollow and solid nanospheres of the Prussian yellow materials were successfully synthesized with suitable experimental conditions. It is found that the amounts of organic additives CTAB could result in the formation of the spherical nanocrystals and the hydrolysis of phosphate in the solution could play a role in the final morphology of the products. A possible formation mechanism of the Prussian yellow nanostructures is proposed. - Graphical abstract: A hydrothermal process was developed for controllable fabrication of the Prussian yellow hollow and solid nanospheres with the employment of different phosphate. The hydrolysis of phosphate in the solution could play a role in the morphology of the Prussian yellow nanomaterials. The acid phosphate (NaH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}) could result in the formation of the solid nanoparticles. The alkalescent phosphate (Na{sub 2}HPO{sub 4}) could result in the formation of the hollow nanoparticles. Display Omitted.

Nanospheres Prepared by Self-Assembly of Random Copolymers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eri Yoshida

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The synthesis of spherical particles was attained by the direct self-assembly of poly[2-(perfluorooctylethyl acrylate-random-acrylic acid], P(POA-r-AA, and by the indirect self-assembly poly[POA-random-2-(dimethylaminoethyl acrylate], P(POA-r-DAA, with dicarboxylic acids in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2. The copolymers formed spherical particles with hundreds of nanometer diameters in a heterogeneous state at pressures lower than the cloud point pressure. The formation of spherical particles was also dependent on the temperature. The formation of spherical particles could be optimized through varying the solvent quality by the manipulation of the CO2 pressure and temperature for the different copolymer compositions. The dynamic light scattering and 1H NMR studies demonstrated that the nanospheres had the micellar structures consisting of the CO2-philic POA shells and the CO2-phobic AA or DAA cores including the main chain cores. The nanospheres produced the superhydrophobic surfaces based on the water-proof shells of the POA units.

Facile synthesis of graphene-wrapped honeycomb MnO2 nanospheres and their application in supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiayi; He, Junhui

2012-03-01

Graphene-wrapped MnO(2) nanocomposites were first fabricated by coassembly between honeycomb MnO(2) nanospheres and graphene sheets via electrostatic interaction. The materials were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The novel MnO(2)/graphene hybrid materials were used for investigation of electrochemical capacitive behaviors. The hybrid materials displayed enhanced capacitive performance (210 F/g at 0.5 A/g). Additionally, over 82.4% of the initial capacitance was retained after repeating the cyclic voltammetry test for 1000 cycles. The improved electrochemical performance might be attributed to the combination of the pesudocapacitance of MnO(2) nanospheres with the honeycomb-like "opened" structure and good electrical conductivity of graphene sheets. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Preparation of monodisperse curcumin-imprinted polymer by precipitation polymerization and its application for the extraction of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitabatake, Tomoko; Tabo, Hiromi; Matsunaga, Hisami; Haginaka, Jun

2013-08-01

A monodisperse molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for curcumin was first prepared by precipitation polymerization using methacrylamide (MAM) and 4-vinylpyridine as functional co-monomers, divinylbenzene as a crosslinker, and a mixture of acetonitrile and toluene as a porogen. The use of MAM as the co-monomer resulted in the formation of a monodisperse MIP and non-imprinted polymer (NIP). MIP and NIP, respectively, were monodispersed with a narrow particle size distribution (3.3 ± 0.09 and 3.5 ± 0.10 μm). In addition to shape recognition, hydrophobic and hydrogen-bonding interactions affected the retention and molecular-recognition of curcumin on the MIP. The MIP for curcumin could extract curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin) in Curcuma longa L.

A study of some fundamental physicochemical variables on the morphology of mesoporous silica nanoparticles MCM-41 type

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrán-Osuna, Ángela A.; Gómez Ribelles, José L.; Perilla, Jairo E.

2017-12-01

All variables affecting the morphology of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) should be carefully analyzed in order to truly tailored design their mesoporous structure according to their final use. Although complete control on MCM-41 synthesis has been already claimed, reproducibility and repeatability of results remain a big issue due to the lack of information reported in literature. Stirring rate, reaction volume, and system configuration (i.e., opened or closed reactor) are three variables that are usually omitted, making the comparison of product characteristics difficult. Specifically, the rate of solvent evaporation is seldom disclosed, and its influence has not been previously analyzed. These variables were systematically studied in this work, and they were proven to have a fundamental impact on final particle morphology. Hence, a high degree of circularity ( C = 0.97) and monodispersed particle size distributions were only achieved when a stirring speed of 500 rpm and a reaction scale of 500 mL were used in a partially opened system, for a 2 h reaction at 80 °C. Well-shaped spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 95 nm, a pore size of 2.8 nm, and a total surface area of 954 m2 g-1 were obtained. Final characteristics made this product suitable to be used in biomedicine and nanopharmaceutics, especially for the design of drug delivery systems.

Synthesis and characterization of silica–gold core-shell (SiO2@Au ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. This paper reports a systematic investigation of the growth and attachment of small gold nanoparticles to the functionalized surface of larger silica nanoparticles by three different methods. Nearly monodispersed silica particles and gold nanoparticles were prepared by sol–gel method. The size of the particle could ...

Synthesis and characterization of silica–titania core–shell particles

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Nearly monodispersed particles of silica were prepared and coated with uniform layers of titanium dioxide in anatase phase by hydrolysis and condensation of titanium butoxide. The coating thickness could be altered by adjusting the concentration of reactants (titanium butoxide and water) and the amount of added silica ...

Walnut kernel-like mesoporous silica nanoparticles as effective drug carrier for cancer therapy in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ge, Kun; Ren, Huihui; Sun, Wentong [Hebei University, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Environmental Science (China); Zhao, Qi [Hebei University, College of Clinical Science (China); Jia, Guang [Hebei University, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Environmental Science (China); Zang, Aimin [Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University (China); Zhang, Cuimiao, E-mail: cmzhanghbu@163.com; Zhang, Jinchao, E-mail: jczhang6970@163.com [Hebei University, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Environmental Science (China)

2016-03-15

In drug delivery systems, nanocarriers could reduce the degradation and renal clearance of drugs, increase the half-life in the bloodstream and payload of drugs, control the release patterns, and improve the solubility of some insoluble drugs. In particular, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are considered to be attractive nanocarriers for application of delivery systems because of their large surface areas, large pore volume, tunable pore sizes, good biocompatibility, and the ease of surface functionalization. However, the large-scale synthesis of monodisperse MSNs that are smaller than 200 nm remains a challenge. In this study, monodisperse walnut kernel-like MSNs with diameters of approximately 100 nm were synthesized by a sol–gel route on a large scale. The morphology and structure of MSNs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherms, Zeta potentials, and dynamic light scattering. Drug loading and release profile, cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and anticancer effect in vitro were further investigated. The results indicated that the loading efficiency of doxorubicinhydrochloride (DOX) into the MSNs was 57 %. The MSNs–DOX delivery system exhibited a drug-pronounced initial burst release within 12 h, followed by the slow sustained release of DOX molecules; moreover, MSNs could improve DOX release efficiency in acidic medium. Most free DOX was localized in the cytoplasm, whereas the MSNs–DOX was primarily distributed in lysosome. MSNs–DOX exhibited a potential anticancer effect against MCF-7, HeLa, and A549 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. In summary, the as-synthesized MSNs may have well function as a promising drug carrier in drug delivery fields.Graphical Abstract.

Liquid-phase pulsed laser ablation synthesis of graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium core–shell nanospheres for catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yu-jin; Ma, Rory; Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Kim, Tae Kyu, E-mail: tkkim@pusan.ac.kr

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium core–shell nanospheres fabricated by laser ablation. • Physical characterizations of synthesized Pd@C nanospheres. • Assessments of catalytic performance of Pd@C nanospheres for the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline. • Significant improvement of the catalytic activity due to the graphitized carbon-layered structure and the high specific surface area. - Abstract: Graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium (Pd) core–shell nanospheres were produced via pulsed laser ablation of a solid Pd foil target submerged in acetonitrile. The microstructural features and optical properties of these nanospheres were characterized via high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible spectroscopy. Microstructural analysis indicated that the core–shell nanostructures consisted of single-crystalline cubic metallic Pd spheres that serve as the core material, over which graphitized carbon was anchored as a heterogeneous shell. The absorbance spectrum of the synthesized nanostructures exhibited a broad (absorption) band at ∼264 nm; this band corresponded to the typical inter-band transition of a metallic system and resulted possibly from the absorbance of the ionic Pd{sup 2+}. The catalytic properties of the Pd and Pd@C core–shell nanostructures were investigated using the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline by an excess amount of NaBH{sub 4} in an aqueous solution at room temperature, as a model reaction. Owing to the graphitized carbon-layered structure and the high specific surface area, the resulting Pd@C nanostructures exhibited higher conversion efficiencies than their bare Pd counterparts. In fact, the layered structure provided access to the surface of the Pd nanostructures for the hydrogenation reaction, owing to the synergistic effect between graphitized carbon and the nanostructures. Their

Liquid-phase pulsed laser ablation synthesis of graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium core–shell nanospheres for catalytic reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yu-jin; Ma, Rory; Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Kim, Tae Kyu

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium core–shell nanospheres fabricated by laser ablation. • Physical characterizations of synthesized Pd@C nanospheres. • Assessments of catalytic performance of Pd@C nanospheres for the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline. • Significant improvement of the catalytic activity due to the graphitized carbon-layered structure and the high specific surface area. - Abstract: Graphitized carbon-encapsulated palladium (Pd) core–shell nanospheres were produced via pulsed laser ablation of a solid Pd foil target submerged in acetonitrile. The microstructural features and optical properties of these nanospheres were characterized via high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible spectroscopy. Microstructural analysis indicated that the core–shell nanostructures consisted of single-crystalline cubic metallic Pd spheres that serve as the core material, over which graphitized carbon was anchored as a heterogeneous shell. The absorbance spectrum of the synthesized nanostructures exhibited a broad (absorption) band at ∼264 nm; this band corresponded to the typical inter-band transition of a metallic system and resulted possibly from the absorbance of the ionic Pd 2+ . The catalytic properties of the Pd and Pd@C core–shell nanostructures were investigated using the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline by an excess amount of NaBH 4 in an aqueous solution at room temperature, as a model reaction. Owing to the graphitized carbon-layered structure and the high specific surface area, the resulting Pd@C nanostructures exhibited higher conversion efficiencies than their bare Pd counterparts. In fact, the layered structure provided access to the surface of the Pd nanostructures for the hydrogenation reaction, owing to the synergistic effect between graphitized carbon and the nanostructures. Their unique

Silica coated ionic liquid templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A series of long chain pyridinium based ionic liquids 1-tetradecylpyridinium bromide, 1-hexadecylpyridinium bromide and 1-1-octadecylpyridinium bromide were used as templates to prepare silica coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles via condensation method under basic condition. The effects of alkyl chain length on ...

Design of monodisperse and well-defined polypeptide-based polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Patke, Sanket; Boggara, Mohan; Maheshwari, Ronak; Srivastava, Sunit K; Arha, Manish; Douaisi, Marc; Martin, Jacob T; Harvey, Ian B; Brier, Matthew; Rosen, Tania; Mogridge, Jeremy; Kane, Ravi S

2014-07-28

The design of polyvalent molecules, presenting multiple copies of a specific ligand, represents a promising strategy to inhibit pathogens and toxins. The ability to control independently the valency and the spacing between ligands would be valuable for elucidating structure-activity relationships and for designing potent polyvalent molecules. To that end, we designed monodisperse polypeptide-based polyvalent inhibitors of anthrax toxin in which multiple copies of an inhibitory toxin-binding peptide were separated by flexible peptide linkers. By tuning the valency and linker length, we designed polyvalent inhibitors that were over four orders of magnitude more potent than the corresponding monovalent ligands. This strategy for the rational design of monodisperse polyvalent molecules may not only be broadly applicable for the inhibition of toxins and pathogens, but also for controlling the nanoscale organization of cellular receptors to regulate signaling and the fate of stem cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Sensitive Hydrogen (H2 Sensing Device Based on Ag Doped SnO2 Nanospheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaorui Lu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, pure and Ag-doped SnO2 nanospheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS, respectively. The gas sensing performance of the pure, 1 at.%, 3 at.%, and 5 at.% Ag-doped SnO2 sensing devices toward hydrogen (H2 were systematically evaluated. The results indicated that compared with pure SnO2 nanospheres, Ag-doped SnO2 nanospheres could not only decrease the optimum working temperature but also significantly improve H2 sensing such as higher gas response and faster response-recovery. Among all the samples, the 3 at.% Ag-doped SnO2 showed the highest response 39 to 100 μL/L H2 at 300 °C. Moreover, its gas sensing mechanism was discussed, and the results will provide reference and theoretical guidance for the development of high-performance SnO2-based H2 sensing devices.

Nonlinear Stress Relaxation of ``Quasi-monodisperse'' Miscible Blends of cis-Polyisoprene and Poly(ptert-butylstyrene)

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Matsumiya, Yumi

Viscoelastic relaxation was examined for entangled miscible blends of cis-polyisoprene (PI) and poly(ptert-butylstyrene) (PtBS). The terminal relaxation times of PI and PtBS therein, τPI and τPtBS, changed with the composition wPI and the molecular weights MPI and MPtBS. This ratio became unity when the wPI, MPI, and MPtBS values were chosen adequately. For example, in a blend with wPI = 0.75, MPI = 321k, and MPtBS = 91k at T = 40ûC, τPI/τPtBS = 1 and M/Me = 55 and 8.3 for PI and PtBS. Under small strains, this blend exhibited sharp, single-step terminal relaxation as similar to monodisperse homopolymers, thereby behaving as a ``quasi-monodisperse'' material. Under large step strains, the blend exhibited moderate nonlinear damping known as the type-A damping for entangled monodisperse homopolymers. Nevertheless, PI had M/Me = 55 in that blend, and homopolymers having such a large M/Me ratio exhibit very strong type-C damping. Thus, as compared to homopolymers, the nonlinearity was suppressed in the PI/PtBS blend having the large M/Me ratio. This suppression is discussed in relation to the slow Rouse retraction of the coexisting PtBS chains (having M/Me = 8.3 in the blend).

Cellular Internalization and Biocompatibility of Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles with Tunable Morphologies: From Nanospheres to Nanowires

KAUST Repository

Fatieiev, Yevhen; Croissant, Jonas G.; Alamoudi, Kholod; Khashab, Niveen M.

2017-01-01

This work describes the sol-gel syntheses of para-substituted phenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) nanoparticles (NPs) with tunable morphologies ranging from nanowires to nanospheres. The findings show the key role

Hydrophilic segmented block copolymers based on poly(ethylene oxide) and monodisperse amide segments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Husken, D.; Feijen, Jan; Gaymans, R.J.

2007-01-01

Segmented block copolymers based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) flexible segments and monodisperse crystallizable bisester tetra-amide segments were made via a polycondensation reaction. The molecular weight of the PEO segments varied from 600 to 4600 g/mol and a bisester tetra-amide segment (T6T6T)

Enhanced arsenic removal from water by hierarchically porous CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} nanospheres: Role of surface- and structure-dependent properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Weihong; Wang, Jing; Wang, Lei [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Sheng, Guoping [Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Liu, Jinhuai [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Yu, Hanqing [Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Huang, Xing-Jiu, E-mail: xingjiuhuang@iim.ac.cn [Research Center for Biomimetic Functional Materials and Sensing Devices, Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

2013-09-15

Highlights: • The CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres had strong affinity and selectivity to arsenic. •The adsorbent showed excellent ability to remove arsenic at low concentrations. • The adsorption mechanism was investigated by FTIR and XPS. • The adsorbent showed potential application for drinking water treatment. -- Abstract: Arsenic contaminated natural water is commonly used as drinking water source in some districts of Asia. To meet the increasingly strict drinking water standards, exploration of efficient arsenic removal methods is highly desired. In this study, hierarchically porous CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} nanospheres were synthesized, and their suitability as arsenic sorbents was examined. The CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres showed an adsorption capacity of 27.1 and 9.2 mg g{sup −1} for As(V) and As(III), respectively, at an equilibrium arsenic concentration of 0.01 mg L{sup −1} (the standard for drinking water) under neutral conditions, indicating a high arsenic removal performance of the adsorbent at low arsenic concentrations. Such a great arsenic adsorption capacity was attributed to the high surface hydroxyl density and presence of hierarchically porous network in the hollow nanospheres. The analysis of Fourier transformed infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that the adsorption of arsenic on the CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} nanospheres was completed through the formation of a surface complex by substituting hydroxyl with arsenic species. In addition, the CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} nanospheres were able to remove over 97% arsenic in real underground water with initial arsenic concentration of 0.376 mg L{sup −1} to meet the guideline limit of arsenic in drinking water regulated by the World Health Organization without any pre-treatment and/or pH adjustment.

Influence of cationic lipid concentration on properties of lipid–polymer hybrid nanospheres for gene delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bose RJC

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Rajendran JC Bose,1,2 Yoshie Arai,1 Jong Chan Ahn,1 Hansoo Park,2 Soo-Hong Lee11Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, 2Department of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea Abstract: Nanoparticles have been widely used for nonviral gene delivery. Recently, cationic hybrid nanoparticles consisting of two different materials were suggested as a promising delivery vehicle. In this study, nanospheres with a poly(D,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA core and cationic lipid shell were prepared, and the effect of cationic lipid concentrations on the properties of lipid polymer hybrid nanocarriers investigated. Lipid–polymer hybrid nanospheres (LPHNSs were fabricated by the emulsion-solvent evaporation method using different concentrations of cationic lipids and characterized for size, surface charge, stability, plasmid DNA-binding capacity, cytotoxicity, and transfection efficiency. All LPHNSs had narrow size distribution with positive surface charges (ζ-potential 52–60 mV, and showed excellent plasmid DNA-binding capacity. In vitro cytotoxicity measurements with HEK293T, HeLa, HaCaT, and HepG2 cells also showed that LPHNSs exhibited less cytotoxicity than conventional transfection agents, such as Lipofectamine and polyethyleneimine–PLGA. As cationic lipid concentrations increased, the particle size of LPHNSs decreased while their ζ-potential increased. In addition, the in vitro transfection efficiency of LPHNSs increased as lipid concentration increased. Keywords: core–shell hybrid nanospheres, lipid concentration, surface modification, low cytotoxicity, transfection efficiency

Laser induced augmentation of silver nanospheres to nanowires in ethanol fostered by Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sebastian, Suneetha, E-mail: sunikutty@gmail.com; Linslal, C.L.; Vallabhan, C.P.G.; Nampoori, V.P.N.; Radhakrishnan, P.; Kailasnath, M.

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Silver nanospheres are synthesised in ethanol containing Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone which acts as a polymeric capping agent to nanoparticles thus improving its stability. • Laser irradiation onto the colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles produced well defined nanowires through ripening mechanism promoted by Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone. • Nanowires so formed are having an average length of 8.7 μm and width of 160 nm. - Abstract: Stable uniform silver nanospheres having an average diameter of 45 nm are synthesised in ethanol containing Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone using Laser Ablation in Liquid technique. Further irradiation of the nanocolloidal solution by focussed laser beam produced stable well defined silver nanowires through ripening mechanism fostered by the presence of Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone. Confirmation of the mechanism is obtained from Transmission Electron Microscopic images of the nanocolloidal solution irradiated for different time durations.

Preparation and characterization of magnetic polymer nanospheres with high protein binding capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xianqiao; Guan Yueping; Liu Huizhou; Ma Zhiya; Yang Yu; Wu Xiaobing

2005-01-01

A novel magnetic support with high protein binding capacity was prepared by mini-emulsion polymerization. The magnetic poly(methacrylate-divinylbenzene) nanospheres prepared are 390 nm in diameter with narrow size distribution and star-like external morphology which leads to a large increase in specific surface area. Experimental results indicate that the maximum protein binding capacity is 316 mg bovine hemoglobin (BHb)/g support

Monodisperse microbeads of hypercrosslinked polystyrene for liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography

Science.gov (United States)

Tsyurupa, M. P.; Blinnikova, Z. K.; Il'in, M. M.; Davankov, V. A.; Parenago, O. O.; Pokrovskii, O. I.; Usovich, O. I.

2015-11-01

Monodisperse styrene-divinylbenzene (1 wt %) copolymer microbeads are obtained via the elaborate method of high-productivity precipitation polymerization. The crosslinking of this copolymer with chloromethyl methyl ether in the presence of Friedel-Crafts catalyst yields porous hypercrosslinked polymers with degrees of crosslinking that range from 200 to 500%. Microbead sorbents are shown to be suited for selective stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography.

Assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on SiO2 monodisperse spheres

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on SiO2 monodisperse spheres. K C BARICK and D BAHADUR*. Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,. Mumbai 400 076, India. Abstract. The assembly of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles on submicroscopic SiO2 ...

Enhancing the Sensitivity of DNA Microarray Using Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticles: Detection of Human Papilloma Virus

Science.gov (United States)

Enrichi, F.; Riccò, R.; Meneghello, A.; Pierobon, R.; Canton, G.; Cretaio, E.

2010-10-01

DNA microarray is a high-throughput technology used for detection and quantification of nucleic acid molecules and others of biological interest. The analysis is based on the specific hybridization between probe sequences deposited in array and a target ss-DNA amplified by PCR and functionalized by a fluorescent dye. Organic labels have well known disadvantages like photobleaching and low signal intensities, which put a limitation to the lower amount of DNA material that can be detected. Therefore for trace analysis the development of more efficient biomarkers is required. With this aim we present in this paper the synthesis and application of alternative hybrid nanosystems obtained by incorporating standard fluorescent molecules into monodisperse silica nanoparticles. Efficient application to the detection of Human Papilloma Virus is demonstrated. This virus is associated to the formation of cervical cancer, a leading cause of death by cancer for women worldwide. It is shown that the use of the novel biomarkers increases the optical signal of about one order of magnitude with respect to the free dyes or quantum dots in conventional instruments. This is due to the high number of molecules that can be accommodated into each nanoparticle, to the reduced photobleaching and to the improved environmental protection of the dyes when encapsulated in the silica matrix. The cheap and easy synthesis of these luminescent particles, the stability in water, the surface functionalizability and bio-compatibility make them very promising for present and future bio-labeling and bio-imaging applications.

Efficient capture of CO2 over ordered micro-mesoporous hybrid carbon nanosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Changwei; Yu, Yanke; He, Chi; Wang, Li; Huang, Huang; Albilali, Reem; Cheng, Jie; Hao, Zhengping

2018-05-01

Four kinds of carbon-based adsorbents (micro-mesoporous hybrid carbon nanosphere and N-doped hollow carbon sphere with single-, double- or ruga-shell morphology) with different structural and textural properties were prepared and systematically studied in CO2 capture. All synthesized samples possess high specific surface area (828-910 m2 g-1), large pore volume (0.71-1.81 cm3 g-1), and different micropore contents varied from 2.1% to 46.4%. Amongst, the ordered micro-mesoporous carbon nanosphere (OM-CNS) exhibits the best adsorption performance with CO2 uptake as high as 3.01 mmol g-1 under conditions of 298 K and 1.0 bar, better than most of the reported CO2 adsorbents. The excellent CO2 adsorption capacity of OM-CNS can be reasonably attributed to the synergistic effect of ordered mesopore channels and abundant structural micropores which are beneficial for the diffusion and trapping of CO2 adsorbate. Moreover, the OM-CNS shows excellent CO2 trapping selectivity and superior stability and recyclability, which endow the OM-CNS as a promising and environmental-friendly adsorbent for CO2 capture and separation under practical conditions.

Silica-Immobilized Enzyme Reactors

Science.gov (United States)

2007-08-01

Silica-IMERs 14 implicated in neurological disorders such as Schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.[86] Drug discovery for targets that can alter the...primarily the activation of prodrugs and proantibiotics for cancer treatments or antibiotic therapy , respectively.[87] Nitrobenzene nitroreductase was...BuChE) Monolith disks* Packed Silica Biosilica Epoxide- Silica Silica-gel Enzyme Human AChE Human AChE Human AChE Equine BuChE Human

MASS BALANCE OF SILICA IN STRAW FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SILICA REDUCTION IN STRAW PULP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celil Atik,

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The high silica content of wheat straw is an important limiting factor for straw pulping. High silica content complicates processing and black liquor recovery, wears out factory installations, and lowers paper quality. Each section of wheat straw has different cells and chemical compositions and thus different silica content. In this work, the silica content of balled straw samples were examined according to their physical components, including internodes, nodes, leaves (sheath and blade, rachis, grain, other plant bodies, and other plant spikes. Mass distribution of silica was determined by a dry ashing method. Half (50.90% of the silica comes from leaves, and its mechanical separation will reduce the silica content in wheat straw pulp significantly. Destroying silica bodies by sonication will increase the strength properties of straw pulp.

Synthesis and characterization of monodispersed silver nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Jegatha Christy, A.; Umadevi, M.

2012-09-01

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NPs) has become a fascinating and important field of applied chemical research. In this paper silver NPs were prepared using silver nitrate (AgNO3), gelatin, and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The prepared silver NPs were exposed under the laser ablation. In our photochemical procedure, gelatin acts as a biopolymer and CTAB acts as a reducing agent. The appearance of surface plasmon band around 410 nm indicates the formation of silver NPs. The nature of the prepared silver NPs in the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure are confirmed by the peaks in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern corresponding to (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes. Monodispersed, stable, spherical silver NPs with diameter about 10 nm were obtained and confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM).

Synthesis and characterization of monodispersed silver nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christy, A Jegatha; Umadevi, M

2012-01-01

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NPs) has become a fascinating and important field of applied chemical research. In this paper silver NPs were prepared using silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ), gelatin, and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The prepared silver NPs were exposed under the laser ablation. In our photochemical procedure, gelatin acts as a biopolymer and CTAB acts as a reducing agent. The appearance of surface plasmon band around 410 nm indicates the formation of silver NPs. The nature of the prepared silver NPs in the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure are confirmed by the peaks in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern corresponding to (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes. Monodispersed, stable, spherical silver NPs with diameter about 10 nm were obtained and confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). (paper)

Liquid Phase Deposition of Silica on the Hexagonally Close-Packed Monolayer of Silica Spheres

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seo Young Yoon

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Liquid phase deposition is a method used for the nonelectrochemical production of polycrystalline ceramic films at low temperatures, most commonly silicon dioxide films. Herein, we report that silica spheres are organized in a hexagonal close-packed array using a patterned substrate. On this monolayer of silica spheres, we could fabricate new nanostructures in which deposition and etching compete through a modified LPD reaction. In the early stage, silica spheres began to undergo etching, and then, silica bridges between the silica spheres appeared by the local deposition reaction. Finally, the silica spheres and bridges disappeared completely. We propose the mechanism for the formation of nanostructure.

Aqueous dispersion of monodisperse magnetic iron oxide nanocrystals through phase transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, William W; Chang, Emmanuel; Sayes, Christie M; Drezek, Rebekah; Colvin, Vicki L

2006-01-01

A facile method was developed for completely transferring high quality monodisperse iron oxide nanocrystals from organic solvents to water. The as-prepared aqueous dispersions of iron oxide nanocrystals were extremely stable and could be functionalized for bioconjugation with biomolecules. These iron oxide nanocrystals showed negligible cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells (SK-BR-3) and human dermal fibroblast cells. This method is general and versatile for many organic solvent-synthesized nanoparticles, including fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals

Tri-block copolymers with mono-disperse crystallizable diamide segments: synthesis, analysis and rheological properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Araichimani, A.; Gaymans, R.J.

2008-01-01

Tri-block copolymers with polyether mid-segments and mono-disperse amide end segments were synthesized, analyzed and some properties studied. The end segment was an aromatic diamide (diaramide, TΦB). The polyether mid-segment was a difunctional poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO, 1000 and 2900 g/mol).

Production of monodisperse respirable aerosols of 241AmO2 and evaluation of in vitro dissolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, H.A.; Raabe, O.G.; Peterson, P.K.

1974-01-01

A method is described for production of monodisperse (sigma//sub g/ less than 1.2) particles of 241 AmO 2 for use in inhalation experiments with dogs and rodents. The effects of physical and chemical factors on the production of polydisperse aerosols of 241 AmO 2 were studied and evaluated. The best aerosol was achieved when a suspension of americium hydroxide with 2.5 mg Am/ml at pH = 7.3 was aerosolized and passed through two heating columns in succession, the first at 300 0 C and the second at 1050 0 C. The particles were roughly spherical and had densities near 8 gm/cm 3 ; the aerosol AMAD and sigma/sub g/ were about 1.5 μm and 1.7, respectively. Monodisperse particles were separated and collected with the Lovelace Aerosol Particle Separator (LAPS) and subsequently suspended in deionized water with pH adjusted to 10.2 with NH 3 for nebulization to produce monodisperse aerosols for inhalation exposures. Particles collected on filters during inhalation experiments were used for evaluation of in vitro dissolution rates with two systems and various forms of a lung fluid simulant. The important role of phosphate ions in such dissolution systems was demonstrated, suggesting the potential for the equally important role of free phosphate in retarding dissolution of AmO 2 particles in the lung. (U.S.)

Grafting of polymer onto silica surface in the presence of γ-ray irradiated silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchida, A.; Yokoyama, R.; Takami, M.; Chen, J.; Ohta, M.; Tsubokawa, N.

2002-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. We have reported the graft polymerization of vinyl monomers initiated by surface radicals formed by the decomposition of azo and peroxide groups previously introduced onto the surface. In addition, the grafting of polymers onto carbon black has been reported by the reaction of polymer radicals with the surface. On the other hand, it is well known that the relatively stable radicals are generated on the surface by the γ-ray irradiation. In this paper, the grafting of polystyrene onto silica surface during the thermal polymerization of styrene in the presence of γ-ray irradiated silica, grafting mechanism and thermal stability of grafted polymer will be discussed. The grafting of polymers onto silica surface by irradiation of polymer-adsorbed silica was also investigated. Silica obtained from Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Japan was used after pulverization: the particle size was 0.037-0.088 mm. Irradiation was performed in Cs-137 source at room temperature. The silica was irradiated at 50 Gy with dose rate of 3.463 Gy/min. Into a polymerization tube, styrene and irradiated silica was charged and the polymerization was carried out under argon under stirring. The percentage of polystyrene grafting was determined from weight loss when polystyrene-grafted silica was heated at 600 deg C by a thermal analyzer. Untreated silica did not affect the thermal polymerization of styrene. On the contrary, the thermal polymerization of styrene was remarkably retarded in the presence of the irradiated silica at 60 deg C. Similar tendency was reported during the polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of carbon black. In the initial stage of the polymerization in the presence of the irradiated silica below 50 deg C, the polymerization was accelerated. During the polymerization in the presence of irradiated silica, polystyrene was grafted onto the surface: the percentage of grafting was 5-11%. The amount of polystyrene grafted onto silica

Facile Synthesis of Monodispersed Polysulfide Spheres for Building Structural Colors with High Color Visibility and Broad Viewing Angle.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feihu; Tang, Bingtao; Wu, Suli; Zhang, Shufen

2017-01-01

The synthesis and assembly of monodispersed colloidal spheres are currently the subject of extensive investigation to fabricate artificial structural color materials. However, artificial structural colors from general colloidal crystals still suffer from the low color visibility and strong viewing angle dependence which seriously hinder their practical application in paints, colorimetric sensors, and color displays. Herein, monodispersed polysulfide (PSF) spheres with intrinsic high refractive index (as high as 1.858) and light-absorbing characteristics are designed, synthesized through a facile polycondensation and crosslinking process between sodium disulfide and 1,2,3-trichloropropane. Owing to their high monodispersity, sufficient surface charge, and good dispersion stability, the PSF spheres can be assembled into large-scale and high-quality 3D photonic crystals. More importantly, high structural color visibility and broad viewing angle are easily achieved because the unique features of PSF can remarkably enhance the relative reflectivity and eliminate the disturbance of scattering and background light. The results of this study provide a simple and efficient strategy to create structural colors with high color visibility, which is very important for their practical application. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Room-temperature synthesis of TiO 2 nanospheres and their solar driven photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

KAUST Repository

Avasare, Vidya; Zhang, Zhongai; Avasare, Dnyaneshwar; Khan, Ibrahim; Qurashi, Ahsanulhaq

2015-01-01

O2 nanospheres was studied under illumination of AM 1.5G. The optimized photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency of TiO2 NSPs were observed ~0.95mAcm-2 at 1.23V and 0.69%, respectively. The transient photocurrent response measurements

Hydrothermal stability of microporous silica and niobia-silica membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boffa, V.; Blank, David H.A.; ten Elshof, Johan E.

2008-01-01

The hydrothermal stability of microporous niobia–silica membranes was investigated and compared with silica membranes. The membranes were exposed to hydrothermal conditions at 150 and 200 °C for 70 h. The change of pore structure before and after exposure to steam was probed by single-gas permeation

Serpentinization processes: Influence of silica

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, R.; Sun, W.; Ding, X.; Song, M.; Zhan, W.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization systems are highly enriched in molecular hydrogen (H2) and hydrocarbons (e.g. methane, ethane and propane). The production of hydrocarbons results from reactions between H2 and oxidized carbon (carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide), which possibly contribute to climate changes during early history of the Earth. However, the influence of silica on the production of H2 and hydrocarbons was poorly constrained. We performed experiments at 311-500 °C and 3.0 kbar using mechanical mixtures of silica and olivine in ratios ranging from 0 to 40%. Molecular hydrogen (H2), methane, ethane and propane were formed, which were analyzed by gas chromatography. It was found that silica largely decreased H2 production. Without any silica, olivine serpentinization produced 94.5 mmol/kg H2 after 20 days of reaction time. By contrast, with the presence of 20% silica, H2 concentrations decreased largely, 8.5 mmol/kg. However, the influence of silica on the production of hydrocarbons is negligible. Moreover, with the addition of 20%-40% silica, the major hydrous minerals are talc, which was quantified according to an established standard curve calibrated by infrared spectroscopy analyses. It shows that silica greatly enhances olivine hydration, especially at 500 °C. Without any addition of silica, reaction extents were serpentinization at 500 °C and 3.0 kbar. By contrast, with the presence of 50% silica, olivine was completely transformed to talc within 9 days. This study indicates that silica impedes the oxidation of ferrous iron into ferric iron, and that rates of olivine hydration in natural geological settings are much faster with silica supply.

Facile synthesis of hollow Sn–Co@PMMA nanospheres as high performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries via galvanic replacement reaction and in situ polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Xiaohui; Jiang, Anni; Yang, Hongyan; Meng, Haowen; Dou, Peng; Ma, Daqian [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Xu, Xinhua, E-mail: xhxutju@gmail.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin 300072 (China)

2015-08-30

Highlights: • Hollow Sn–Co nanospheres were synthesized via a facile galvanic replacement method. • PMMA layers were uniform coated on the surface of Sn–Co composites via in situ emulsion polymerization. • The coating layers are beneficial to suppress the aggregation and stabilize the SEI formation on the surface. • Excellent cycling stability and rate capability were obtained by coating PMMA protective layers on the surface of hollow Sn–Co nanospheres. - Abstract: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-coated hollow Sn–Co nanospheres (Sn–Co@PMMA) with superior electrochemical performance had been synthesized via a facile galvanic replacement method followed by an in situ emulsion polymerization route. The properties were investigated in detail and results show that the hollow Sn–Co nanospheres were evenly coated with PMMA. Benefiting from the protection of the PMMA layers, the hollow Sn–Co@PMMA nanocomposite is capable of retaining a high capacity of 590 mAh g{sup −1} after 100 cycles with a coulomb efficiency above 98%, revealing better electrochemical properties compared with hollow Sn–Co anodes. The PMMA coating could help accommodate the mechanical strain caused by volume expansion and stabilize the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formed on the electrode. Such a facile process could be further extended to other anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Facile synthesis of hollow Sn–Co@PMMA nanospheres as high performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries via galvanic replacement reaction and in situ polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Xiaohui; Jiang, Anni; Yang, Hongyan; Meng, Haowen; Dou, Peng; Ma, Daqian; Xu, Xinhua

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Hollow Sn–Co nanospheres were synthesized via a facile galvanic replacement method. • PMMA layers were uniform coated on the surface of Sn–Co composites via in situ emulsion polymerization. • The coating layers are beneficial to suppress the aggregation and stabilize the SEI formation on the surface. • Excellent cycling stability and rate capability were obtained by coating PMMA protective layers on the surface of hollow Sn–Co nanospheres. - Abstract: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-coated hollow Sn–Co nanospheres (Sn–Co@PMMA) with superior electrochemical performance had been synthesized via a facile galvanic replacement method followed by an in situ emulsion polymerization route. The properties were investigated in detail and results show that the hollow Sn–Co nanospheres were evenly coated with PMMA. Benefiting from the protection of the PMMA layers, the hollow Sn–Co@PMMA nanocomposite is capable of retaining a high capacity of 590 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles with a coulomb efficiency above 98%, revealing better electrochemical properties compared with hollow Sn–Co anodes. The PMMA coating could help accommodate the mechanical strain caused by volume expansion and stabilize the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formed on the electrode. Such a facile process could be further extended to other anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

An ingenious design of lamellar Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 hollow nanosphere cathode for advanced lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yao; Zhang, Wansen; Shen, Shuiyun; Yan, Xiaohui; Wu, Aiming; Wu, Ruofei; Zhang, Junliang

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Lamellar Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 O 2 hollow nanospheres serve as a cathode for LIBs. •Unique lamella and hollow structures benefit the enhanced electrochemical performance. •Lamellar shells can provide a short lithium-ion diffusion pathway. •The sufficient void space can accommodate volumetric expansion and contraction. -- Abstract: Although very appealing in developing hollow structured lithium-rich layered transition-metal oxides as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), a great challenge lies in controlling the growth of transition metal elements with desired molar ratios while maintaining intact hollow structures during synthesis. Herein, we propose a scalable strategy to successfully synthesize novel lamellar Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 O 2 hollow (L-LMOH) nanosphere cathode for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). It is proved that the employment of sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) gel nanospheres as the template plays a key role in the formation of flower-like SPS@ Ni-Co-Mn-precursor nanospheres with desired molar ratios, and a subsequently delicate control in the heating rate leads to the intact L-LMOH nanospheres. It is demonstrated that the use of L-LMOH nanosphere cathode not only delivers outstanding reversible discharge capacities of 281.7 mAh g −1 at a current density of 20 mA g −1 and 136.6 mAh g −1 at 2000 mA g −1 , but also possess superior cycling stability with a capacity reservation of 80% at 2000 mA g −1 after 200 continuous cycles. It is well analyzed that the ingenious design of both unique lamella and hollow architectures synergistically benefits the significantly enhanced rate capability and cycling stability.

Interfacial interaction between the epoxidized natural rubber and silica in natural rubber/silica composites

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Tiwen; Jia, Zhixin; Luo, Yuanfang; Jia, Demin; Peng, Zheng

2015-02-01

The epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as an interfacial modifier was used to improve the mechanical and dynamical mechanical properties of NR/silica composites. In order to reveal the interaction mechanism between ENR and silica, the ENR/Silica model compound was prepared by using an open mill and the interfacial interaction of ENR with silica was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and stress-strain testing. The results indicated that the ring-opening reaction occurs between the epoxy groups of ENR chains and Si-OH groups on the silica surfaces and the covalent bonds are formed between two phases, which can improve the dispersion of silica in the rubber matrix and enhance the interfacial combination between rubber and silica. The ring-opening reaction occurs not only in vulcanization process but also in mixing process, meanwhile, the latter seems to be more important due to the simultaneous effects of mechanical force and temperature.

Synthesis of Monodisperse CdSe QDs using Controlled Growth Temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noor Razinah Rahmat; Akrajas Ali Umar; Muhammad Yahya; Muhamad Mat Salleh; Mohammad Hafizuddin Jumali

2011-01-01

The effect of growth temperatures on size of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) has been investigated. CdSe QDs were synthesized using thermolysis of organometallics precursor route using wet chemical method. The growth temperature was varied from 260-310 degree Celsius with growth period fixed at 60 s. As the growth temperature increased, the monodispersed CdSe QDs with diameter in the range 3-7 nm were obtained. Both absorption and PL spectra of the QDs revealed a strong red-shift supporting the increment size of QDs with the rise of growth temperature. (author)

Interfacial interaction between the epoxidized natural rubber and silica in natural rubber/silica composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Tiwen [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Jia, Zhixin, E-mail: zxjia@scut.edu.cn [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Luo, Yuanfang; Jia, Demin [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Peng, Zheng [Agricultural Product Processing Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences, Zhanjiang 524001 (China)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Substantiate the ring open reaction between Si-OH of silica and epoxy groups of ENR. • ENR can act as a bridge between NR and silica to enhance the interfacial interaction. • As a modifier, ENR gets the potential to be used in the tread of green tire for improving the wet skid resistance apparently. - Abstract: The epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as an interfacial modifier was used to improve the mechanical and dynamical mechanical properties of NR/silica composites. In order to reveal the interaction mechanism between ENR and silica, the ENR/Silica model compound was prepared by using an open mill and the interfacial interaction of ENR with silica was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and stress–strain testing. The results indicated that the ring-opening reaction occurs between the epoxy groups of ENR chains and Si-OH groups on the silica surfaces and the covalent bonds are formed between two phases, which can improve the dispersion of silica in the rubber matrix and enhance the interfacial combination between rubber and silica. The ring-opening reaction occurs not only in vulcanization process but also in mixing process, meanwhile, the latter seems to be more important due to the simultaneous effects of mechanical force and temperature.