Modified silica sol coatings for surface enhancement of leather.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahltig, Boris; Vossebein, Lutz; Ehrmann, Andrea; Cheval, Nicolas; Fahmi, Amir

2012-06-01

The presented study reports on differently modified silica sols for coating applications on leather. Silica sols are prepared by acidic hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane and modified by silane compounds with fluorinated and non-fluorinated alkylgroups. In contrast to many earlier investigations regarding sol-gel applications on leather, no acrylic resin is used together with the silica sols when applying on leather. The modified silica particles are supposed to aggregate after application, forming thus a modified silica coating on the leather substrate. Scanning electron microscopy investigation shows that the applied silica coatings do not fill up or close the pores of the leather substrate. However, even if the pores of the leather are not sealed by this sol-gel coating, an improvement of the water repellent and oil repellent properties of the leather substrates are observed. These improved properties of leather by application of modified silica sols can provide the opportunity to develop sol-gel products for leather materials present in daily life.

Microwave-assisted silica coating and photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddiquey, Iqbal Ahmed; Furusawa, Takeshi; Sato, Masahide; Suzuki, Noboru

2008-01-01

A new and rapid method for silica coating of ZnO nanoparticles by the simple microwave irradiation technique is reported. Silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), CHN elemental analysis and zeta potential measurements. The FT-IR spectra and XPS clearly confirmed the silica coating on ZnO nanoparticles. The results of XPS analysis showed that the elements in the coating at the surface of the ZnO nanoparticles were Zn, O and Si. HR-TEM micrographs revealed a continuous and uniform dense silica coating layer of about 3 nm in thickness on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. In addition, the silica coating on the ZnO nanoparticles was confirmed by the agreement in the zeta potential of the silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles with that of SiO 2 . The results of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution showed that silica coating effectively reduced the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles. Silica-coated ZnO nanoparticles showed excellent UV shielding ability and visible light transparency

Silica coating of nanoparticles by the sonogel process.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Quan; Boothroyd, Chris; Tan, Gim Hong; Sutanto, Nelvi; Soutar, Andrew McIntosh; Zeng, Xian Ting

2008-02-05

A modified aqueous sol-gel route was developed using ultrasonic power for the silica coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles. In this approach, organosilane with an amino functional group was first used to cover the surface of as-received nanoparticles. Subsequent silica coating was initiated and sustained under power ultrasound irradiation in an aqueous mixture of surface-treated particles and epoxy silane. This process resulted in a thin but homogeneous coverage of silica on the particle surface. Particles coated with a layer of silica show better dispersability in aqueous and organic media compared with the untreated powder. Samples were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the zeta potential.

Silica enhanced formation of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 deg. C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadjadi, M.S., E-mail: m.s.sadjad@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ebrahimi, H.R. [Department of Chemistry, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Meskinfam, M. [Department of Chemistry, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zare, K. [Department of Chemistry, University of Shahid Beheshti, Eveen Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-10-17

Highlights: {yields} We report on fast formation of hexagonal nanocrystals of calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) in silica-containing simulated body fluid solution at 37 deg. C. {yields} Bioactivity and biodegradability of TCP precursor have been confirmed by the dissolution of TCP and formation of a bone like layer of new HA nanoparticles outside of the precursor after 24 h soaking in SBF solution. {yields} Successive nucleation and formation of tiny hexagonal HA nanoplates and nanorods have been confirmed by TEM results after 24 h soaking of TCP in silica-containing BSF solution. - Abstract: The chemical modification of implant (prosthesis) surfaces is being investigated worldwide for improving the fixation of orthopaedic and dental implants. The main goal in this surface modification approach is to achieve a faster bone growth and chemical bonding of the implant to the newly generated and/or remodeled bone. In this work, we report fast formation of hexagonal nanocrystals of calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) in simulated body fluid (SBF, inorganic components of human blood plasma) solutions at 37 deg. C, using calcium phosphate (TCP) and sodium silicate as precursors. Characterization and chemical analysis of the synthesized powders were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated enhanced nucleation and formation of bone like layer of HA nanocrystals at the surface of TCP nanoparticles and occurrence of HA nanocrystals during 24 h soaking of TCP in SBF solution containing silica ions. The average size of a nanoparticle, using Scherrer formula, was found to be 18.2 nm.

Silica enhanced formation of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadjadi, M.S.; Ebrahimi, H.R.; Meskinfam, M.; Zare, K.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We report on fast formation of hexagonal nanocrystals of calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) in silica-containing simulated body fluid solution at 37 deg. C. → Bioactivity and biodegradability of TCP precursor have been confirmed by the dissolution of TCP and formation of a bone like layer of new HA nanoparticles outside of the precursor after 24 h soaking in SBF solution. → Successive nucleation and formation of tiny hexagonal HA nanoplates and nanorods have been confirmed by TEM results after 24 h soaking of TCP in silica-containing BSF solution. - Abstract: The chemical modification of implant (prosthesis) surfaces is being investigated worldwide for improving the fixation of orthopaedic and dental implants. The main goal in this surface modification approach is to achieve a faster bone growth and chemical bonding of the implant to the newly generated and/or remodeled bone. In this work, we report fast formation of hexagonal nanocrystals of calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) in simulated body fluid (SBF, inorganic components of human blood plasma) solutions at 37 deg. C, using calcium phosphate (TCP) and sodium silicate as precursors. Characterization and chemical analysis of the synthesized powders were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated enhanced nucleation and formation of bone like layer of HA nanocrystals at the surface of TCP nanoparticles and occurrence of HA nanocrystals during 24 h soaking of TCP in SBF solution containing silica ions. The average size of a nanoparticle, using Scherrer formula, was found to be 18.2 nm.

Tough ceramic coatings: Carbon nanotube reinforced silica sol-gel

Science.gov (United States)

López, A. J.; Rico, A.; Rodríguez, J.; Rams, J.

2010-08-01

Silica coatings reinforced with carbon nanotubes were produced via sol-gel route using two mixing techniques of the sol-gel precursors, mechanical and ultrasonic mixing, and dip-coating as deposition process on magnesium alloy substrates. Effective incorporation and distribution of 0.1 wt.% of carbon nanotubes in the amorphous silica matrix of the coatings were achieved using both techniques. Fabrication procedure determines the morphological aspects of the coating. Only mechanical mixing process produced coatings dense and free of defects. Nanoindentation technique was used to examine the influence of the fabrication process in the mechanical features of the final coatings, i.e. indentation fracture toughness, Young's modulus and hardness. A maximum toughening effect of about 24% was achieved in silica coatings reinforced with carbon nanotubes produced by the mechanical mixing route. Scanning electron microscopy investigation revealed that the toughening of these reinforced coatings was mainly due to bridging effect of the reinforcement.

Perhydropolysilazane derived silica coating protecting Kapton from atomic oxygen attack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu Longfei [China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, Beijing 100074 (China); Li Meishuan, E-mail: mshli@imr.ac.cn [Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China); Xu Caihong; Luo Yongming [Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080 (China)

2011-11-30

By using surface sol-gel method with perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) as a precursor, a silica coating was prepared on a Kapton substrate as an atomic oxygen (AO) protective coating. The AO exposure tests were conducted in a ground-based simulator. It is found that the erosion yield of Kapton decreases by about three orders of magnitude after the superficial application of the coating. After AO exposure, the surface of the coating is smooth and uniform, no surface shrinkage induced cracks or undercutting erosion are observed. This is because that during AO exposure the PHPS is oxidized directly to form SiO{sub 2} without through intermediate reaction processes, the surface shrinkage and cracking tendency are prohibited. Meanwhile, this PHPS derived silica coating also presents self-healing effect due to the oxidation of free Si. Compared with other kinds of silica or organic polymer coatings, this PHPS derived silica coating exhibits a superior AO erosion resistance.

Perhydropolysilazane derived silica coating protecting Kapton from atomic oxygen attack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Longfei; Li Meishuan; Xu Caihong; Luo Yongming

2011-01-01

By using surface sol–gel method with perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) as a precursor, a silica coating was prepared on a Kapton substrate as an atomic oxygen (AO) protective coating. The AO exposure tests were conducted in a ground-based simulator. It is found that the erosion yield of Kapton decreases by about three orders of magnitude after the superficial application of the coating. After AO exposure, the surface of the coating is smooth and uniform, no surface shrinkage induced cracks or undercutting erosion are observed. This is because that during AO exposure the PHPS is oxidized directly to form SiO 2 without through intermediate reaction processes, the surface shrinkage and cracking tendency are prohibited. Meanwhile, this PHPS derived silica coating also presents self-healing effect due to the oxidation of free Si. Compared with other kinds of silica or organic polymer coatings, this PHPS derived silica coating exhibits a superior AO erosion resistance.

In situ functionalization and PEO coating of iron oxide nanocrystals using seeded emulsion polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kloust, Hauke; Schmidtke, Christian; Feld, Artur; Schotten, Theo; Eggers, Robin; Fittschen, Ursula E A; Schulz, Florian; Pöselt, Elmar; Ostermann, Johannes; Bastús, Neus G; Weller, Horst

2013-04-16

Herein we demonstrate that seeded emulsion polymerization is a powerful tool to produce multiply functionalized PEO coated iron oxide nanocrystals. Advantageously, by simple addition of functional surfactants, functional monomers, or functional polymerizable linkers-solely or in combinations thereof-during the seeded emulsion polymerization process, a broad range of in situ functionalized polymer-coated iron oxide nanocrystals were obtained. This was demonstrated by purposeful modulation of the zeta potential of encapsulated iron oxide nanocrystals and conjugation of a dyestuff. Successful functionalization was unequivocally proven by TXRF. Furthermore, the spatial position of the functional groups can be controlled by choosing the appropriate spacers. In conclusion, this methodology is highly amenable for combinatorial strategies and will spur rapid expedited synthesis and purposeful optimization of a broad scope of nanocrystals.

Investigation of the generation of singlet oxygen in ensembles of photoexcited silicon nanocrystals by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinova, E. A.; Demin, V. A.; Timoshenko, V. Yu.

2008-01-01

The generation of singlet oxygen is investigated and its concentration upon photoexcitation of silicon nanocrystals in porous silicon layers is determined using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The relaxation times of spin centers, i.e., silicon dangling bonds, in vacuum and in an oxygen atmosphere in the dark and under illumination of the samples are measured for the first time. It is revealed that the spin-lattice relaxation in porous silicon is retarded as compared to that in a single-crystal substrate. From analyzing experimental data, a microscopic model is proposed for interaction of oxygen molecules in the triplet state and spin centers at the surface of silicon nanocrystals. The results obtained have demonstrated that porous silicon holds promise for the use as a photosensitizer of molecular oxygen in biomedical applications

Organic inorganic hybrid coating (poly(methyl methacrylate)/monodisperse silica)

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, E.; Almaral, J.; Ramírez-Bon, R.; Castaño, V.; Rodríguez, V.

2005-04-01

Polymethylmethacrylate-silica hybrid coatings were prepared from methyl methacrylate and monodisperse colloidal silica prepared by the Stöber method. The surfaces of the spheres were successfully modified by chemical reaction with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) to compatibilise the organic and inorganic components of the precursor solution mixture. The coatings were deposited by dip-coating on glass substrates. They result with good properties of homogeneity, optical transparence, hardness and adhesion.

Reducing ZnO nanoparticles toxicity through silica coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sing Ling Chia

2016-10-01

Full Text Available ZnO NPs have good antimicrobial activity that can be utilized as agents to prevent harmful microorganism growth in food. However, the use of ZnO NPs as food additive is limited by the perceived high toxicity of ZnO NPs in many earlier toxicity studies. In this study, surface modification by silica coating was used to reduce the toxicity of ZnO NPs by significantly reducing the dissolution of the core ZnO NPs. To more accurately recapitulate the scenario of ingested ZnO NPs, we tested our as synthesized ZnO NPs in ingestion fluids (synthetic saliva and synthetic gastric juice to determine the possible forms of ZnO NPs in digestive system before exposing the products to colorectal cell lines. The results showed that silica coating is highly effective in reducing toxicity of ZnO NPs through prevention of the dissociation of ZnO NPs to zinc ions in both neutral and acidic condition. The silica coating however did not alter the desired antimicrobial activity of ZnO NPs to E. coli and S. aureus. Thus, silica coating offered a potential solution to improve the biocompatibility of ZnO NPs for applications such as antimicrobial agent in foods or food related products like food packaging. Nevertheless, caution remains that high concentration of silica coated ZnO NPs can still induce undesirable cytotoxicity to mammalian gut cells. This study indicated that upstream safer-by-design philosophy in nanotechnology can be very helpful in a product development.

Novel silica stabilization method for the analysis of fine nanocrystals using coherent X-ray diffraction imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteforte, Marianne; Estandarte, Ana K.; Chen, Bo; Harder, Ross; Huang, Michael H.; Robinson, Ian K.

2016-06-23

High-energy X-ray Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) is a well established synchrotron-based technique used to quantitatively reconstruct the three-dimensional morphology and strain distribution in nanocrystals. The BCDI technique has become a powerful analytical tool for quantitative investigations of nanocrystals, nanotubes, nanorods and more recently biological systems. BCDI has however typically failed for fine nanocrystals in sub-100?nm size regimes ? a size routinely achievable by chemical synthesis ? despite the spatial resolution of the BCDI technique being 20?30?nm. The limitations of this technique arise from the movement of nanocrystals under illumination by the highly coherent beam, which prevents full diffraction data sets from being acquired. A solution is provided here to overcome this problem and extend the size limit of the BCDI technique, through the design of a novel stabilization method by embedding the fine nanocrystals into a silica matrix. Chemically synthesized FePt nanocrystals of maximum dimension 20?nm and AuPd nanocrystals in the size range 60?65?nm were investigated with BCDI measurement at beamline 34-ID-C of the APS, Argonne National Laboratory. Novel experimental methodologies to elucidate the presence of strain in fine nanocrystals are a necessary pre-requisite in order to better understand strain profiles in engineered nanocrystals for novel device development.

Patchy silica-coated silver nanowires as SERS substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunyadi Murph, Simona E.; Murphy, Catherine J.

2013-01-01

We report a class of core–shell nanomaterials that can be used as efficient surface-enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The core consists of silver nanowires, prepared through a chemical reduction process, that are used to capture 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), a model analyte. The shell was prepared through a modified Stöber method and consists of patchy or full silica coats. The formation of silica coats was monitored via transmission electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and phase-analysis light-scattering for measuring effective surface charge. Surprisingly, the patchy silica-coated silver nanowires are better SERS substrate than silver nanowires; nanomolar concentration of 4-MBA can be detected. In addition, “nano-matryoshka” configurations were used to quantitate/explore the effect of the electromagnetic field at the tips of the nanowire (“hot spots”) in the Raman scattering experiment.

Patchy silica-coated silver nanowires as SERS substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunyadi Murph, Simona E.; Murphy, Catherine J.

2013-05-08

We report a class of core-shell nanomaterials that can be used as efficient surface-enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. The core consists of silver nanowires, prepared through a chemical reduction process, that are used to capture 4- mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), a model analyte. The shell was prepared through a modified Stöber method and consists of patchy or full silica coats. The formation of silica coats was monitored via transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and phase-analysis light scattering for measuring effective surface charge. Surprisingly, the patchy silica coated silver nanowires are better SERS substrate than silver nanowires; nanomolar concentration of 4-MBA can be detected. In addition, “nano-matryoshka” configurations were used to quantitate/explore the effect of the electromagnetic field at the tips of the nanowire (“hot spots”) in the Raman scattering experiment.

Drag reduction in silica nanochannels induced by graphitic wall coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagemann, Enrique; Walther, Jens Honore; Zambrano, Harvey

. In this work, we propose the use of graphitic materials as wall coatings in hydrophilic silica nanopores. Specifically, by conducting atomistic simulations, we investigate the flow inside slit and cylindrical silica channels with walls coated with graphene (GE) layers and carbonnanotubes (CNTs), respectively...

Biodistribution and stability of CdSe core quantum dots in mouse digestive tract following per os administration: Advantages of double polymer/silica coated nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loginova, Y.F.; Dezhurov, S.V.; Zherdeva, V.V.; Kazachkina, N.I.; Wakstein, M.S.; Savitsky, A.P.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► New QDs coated with combination of polythiol ligands and silica shell were synthesized. ► We examine the QDs stability in digestive tract of mice after per os administration. ► The polymer/silica shell prevents QDs degradation and fluorescence quenching in vivo. -- Abstract: CdSe-core, ZnS-capped semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are of great potential for biomedical applications. However, applications in the gastrointestinal tract for in vivo imaging and therapeutic purposes are hampered by their sensitivity to acidic environments and potential toxicity. Here we report the use of coatings with a combination of polythiol ligands and silica shell (QDs PolyT–APS) to stabilize QDs fluorescence under acidic conditions. We demonstrated the stability of water-soluble QDs PolyT–APS both in vitro, in strong acidic solutions, and in vivo. The biodistribution, stability and photoluminescence properties of QDs in the gastrointestinal tract of mice after per os administration were assessed. We demonstrated that QDs coated with current traditional materials – mercapto compounds (QDs MPA) and pendant thiol group (QDs PolyT) – are not capable of protecting QDs from chemically induced degradation and surface modification. Polythiol ligands and silica shell quantum dots (QDs PolyT–APS) are suitable for biological and biomedical applications in the gastrointestinal tract.

The mechanical integrity and protective performance of silica coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crouch, A.G.; Dooley, R.B.

1976-01-01

Silica coatings have been developed to reduce the oxidation rates of 9Cr and other steels in high temperature environments. An important aspect of their performance is their ability to withstand the mechanical and thermal strains likely to be encountered in practical applications. This has been examined. Silica-coated 9 Cr steel specimens were deformed in tension and coating failure was detected by scanning electron microscope observations of the oxide stringers which delineated the strain-induced cracks on subsequent exidation. Coating fracture was shown to occur in the strain range 0.27 to 0.45%. The crack separation at constant coating thickness decresed with strain and at constant strain was approximately proportional to the square root of the coating thickness. The implications of these results for the protection of the underlying alloy by a cracked coating are considered. (author)

Quantitative analysis of silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiil, Søren

2015-01-01

containing intact hollow glass or polymer spheres showed that silica aerogel particles are more efficient in an insulation coating than hollow spheres. In a practical (non-ideal) comparison, the ranking most likely cannot be generalized. A parameter study demonstrates how the model can be used, qualitatively......A mathematical heat transfer model for a silica aerogel-based thermal insulation coating was developed. The model can estimate the thermal conductivity of a two-component (binder-aerogel) coating with potential binder intrusion into the nano-porous aerogel structure. The latter is modelled using...... a so-called core–shell structure representation. Data from several previous experimental investigations with silica aerogels in various binder matrices were used for model validation. For some relevant cases with binder intrusion, it was possible to obtain a very good agreement between simulations...

Study of Physical Properties of Nano-Silica Coated Cotton Textiles

OpenAIRE

Sidra Saleemi; Farooq Ahmed; Samandar Malik

2015-01-01

This research was aimed to investigate the effect of silica sol-gel coating on air permeability, stiffness and tensile properties of dyed cotton fabric. Various concentrations of silica nanoparticles were applied on dyed cotton substrate using two different cross-linkers through sol-gel method. The homogenous sol-gel coating dispersions were prepared by using an ultrasonicator. Coated samples were tested for mechanical and comfort properties such as tensile strength, stiffness, crease recover...

Formation of Silver Nanoplates Layer on Amino Group Grafted Silica Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurgis PILIPAVICIUS

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In this study the self-arrangement of Ag nanoplates on (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES silanized silica coatings was investigated. Silica coatings were made by sol-gel method and silanized in two different ways. The first one includes silanization in acidic 2-propanol solution, the other one – in dry toluene. Coatings were silanized by using different amounts of APTES in case of silanization in 2-propanol. Silver nanoplates layer of functionalized silica coatings was obtained via self-assembly. Coatings were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM, water contact angle measurements (CA, FT-IR analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Research showed that dense Ag nanoplates arrangement occurs when there is a high amount of amino groups on the surface.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.8405

Super-Hydrophobic/Icephobic Coatings Based on Silica Nanoparticles Modified by Self-Assembled Monolayers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junpeng Liu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained from nanocomposite materials based on silica nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS using spin coating and chemical vapor deposition methods. Scanning electron microscope images reveal the porous structure of the silica nanoparticles, which can trap small-scale air pockets. An average water contact angle of 163° and bouncing off of incoming water droplets suggest that a super-hydrophobic surface has been obtained based on the silica nanoparticles and POTS coating. The monitored water droplet icing test results show that icing is significantly delayed by silica-based nano-coatings compared with bare substrates and commercial icephobic products. Ice adhesion test results show that the ice adhesion strength is reduced remarkably by silica-based nano-coatings. The bouncing phenomenon of water droplets, the icing delay performance and the lower ice adhesion strength suggest that the super-hydrophobic coatings based on a combination of silica and POTS also show icephobicity. An erosion test rig based on pressurized pneumatic water impinging impact was used to evaluate the durability of the super-hydrophobic/icephobic coatings. The results show that durable coatings have been obtained, although improvement will be needed in future work aiming for applications in aerospace.

Microfluidic Fabrication of Hydrocortisone Nanocrystals Coated with Polymeric Stabilisers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David F. Odetade

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrocortisone (HC nanocrystals intended for parenteral administration of HC were produced by anti-solvent crystallisation within coaxial assemblies of pulled borosilicate glass capillaries using either co-current flow of aqueous and organic phases or counter-current flow focusing. The organic phase was composed of 7 mg/mL of HC in a 60:40 (v/v mixture of ethanol and water and the anti-solvent was milli-Q water. The microfluidic mixers were fabricated with an orifice diameter of the inner capillary ranging from 50 µm to 400 µm and operated at the aqueous to organic phase flow rate ratio ranging from 5 to 25. The size of the nanocrystals decreased with increasing aqueous to organic flow rate ratio. The counter-current flow microfluidic mixers provided smaller nanocrystals than the co-current flow devices under the same conditions and for the same geometry, due to smaller diameter of the organic phase stream in the mixing zone. The Z-average particle size of the drug nanocrystals increased from 210–280 nm to 320–400 nm after coating the nanocrystals with 0.2 wt % aqueous solution of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC in a stirred vial. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD analyses carried out on the dried nanocrystals stabilized with HPMC, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS were investigated and reported. The degree of crystallinity for the processed sample was lowest for the sample stabilised with HPMC and the highest for the raw HC powder.

Antimicrobial activity of silica coated silicon nano-tubes (SCSNT) and silica coated silicon nano-particles (SCSNP) synthesized by gas phase condensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tank, Chiti; Raman, Sujatha; Karan, Sujoy; Gosavi, Suresh; Lalla, Niranjan P; Sathe, Vasant; Berndt, Richard; Gade, W N; Bhoraskar, S V; Mathe, Vikas L

2013-06-01

Silica-coated, silicon nanotubes (SCSNTs) and silica-coated, silicon nanoparticles (SCSNPs) have been synthesized by catalyst-free single-step gas phase condensation using the arc plasma process. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy showed that SCSNTs exhibited a wall thickness of less than 1 nm, with an average diameter of 14 nm and a length of several 100 nm. Both nano-structures had a high specific surface area. The present study has demonstrated cheaper, resistance-free and effective antibacterial activity in silica-coated silicon nano-structures, each for two Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was estimated, using the optical densitometric technique, and by determining colony-forming units. The MIC was found to range in the order of micrograms, which is comparable to the reported MIC of metal oxides for these bacteria. SCSNTs were found to be more effective in limiting the growth of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus over SCSNPs at 10 μg/ml (IC 50 = 100 μg/ml).

High-quality substrate for fluorescence enhancement using agarose-coated silica opal film.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ming; Li, Juan; Sun, Liguo; Zhao, Yuanjin; Xie, Zhuoying; Lv, Linli; Zhao, Xiangwei; Xiao, Pengfeng; Hu, Jing; Lv, Mei; Gu, Zhongze

2010-08-01

To improve the sensitivity of fluorescence detection in biochip, a new kind of substrates was developed by agarose coating on silica opal film. In this study, silica opal film was fabricated on glass substrate using the vertical deposition technique. It can provide stronger fluorescence signals and thus improve the detection sensitivity. After coating with agarose, the hybrid film could provide a 3D support for immobilizing sample. Comparing with agarose-coated glass substrate, the agarose-coated opal substrates could selectively enhance particular fluorescence signals with high sensitivity when the stop band of the silica opal film in the agarose-coated opal substrate overlapped the fluorescence emission wavelength. A DNA hybridization experiment demonstrated that fluorescence intensity of special type of agarose-coated opal substrates was about four times that of agarose-coated glass substrate. These results indicate that the optimized agarose-coated opal substrate can be used for improving the sensitivity of fluorescence detection with high quality and selectivity.

Adsorption and Desorption of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants on Silica Surfaces with Hydrophobic Coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Eun Ji; Kim, Young Dok

2013-01-01

Aim of our study is finding adsorbents suitable for pre-concentration of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). We considered Tenax, bare silica and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated silica as adsorbents for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and dipropylene glycol methyl ether (DPGME). Tenax showed lower thermal stability, and therefore, desorption of CWA simulants and decomposition of Tenax took place simultaneously. Silica-based adsorbents showed higher thermal stabilities than Tenax. A drawback of silica was that adsorption of CWA simulant (DMMP) was significantly reduced by pre-treatment of the adsorbents with humid air. In the case of PDMS-coated silica, influence of humidity for CWA simulant adsorption was less pronounced due to the hydrophobic nature of PDMS-coating. We propose that PDMS-coated silica can be of potential importance as adsorbent of CWAs for their pre-concentration, which can facilitate detection of these CWAs

Adsorption and Desorption of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants on Silica Surfaces with Hydrophobic Coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Eun Ji; Kim, Young Dok [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-15

Aim of our study is finding adsorbents suitable for pre-concentration of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). We considered Tenax, bare silica and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated silica as adsorbents for dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and dipropylene glycol methyl ether (DPGME). Tenax showed lower thermal stability, and therefore, desorption of CWA simulants and decomposition of Tenax took place simultaneously. Silica-based adsorbents showed higher thermal stabilities than Tenax. A drawback of silica was that adsorption of CWA simulant (DMMP) was significantly reduced by pre-treatment of the adsorbents with humid air. In the case of PDMS-coated silica, influence of humidity for CWA simulant adsorption was less pronounced due to the hydrophobic nature of PDMS-coating. We propose that PDMS-coated silica can be of potential importance as adsorbent of CWAs for their pre-concentration, which can facilitate detection of these CWAs.

Quantum efficiency of silica-coated rare-earth doped yttrium silicate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cervantes-Vásquez, D.; Contreras, O.E.; Hirata, G.A.

2013-01-01

The photoluminescent properties of rare earth-activated white-emitting Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce,Tb nanocrystalline phosphor prepared by two different methods, pressure-assisted combustion synthesis and sol–gel, were studied. The synthesized phosphor samples were post-annealed at 1373 K and 1623 K in order to obtain the X1-Y 2 SiO 5 and X2-Y 2 SiO 5 phases, respectively, which were confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. Photoluminescence analysis showed the contribution of two blue-emission bands within the 380–450 nm region originating from 5d–4f transitions in Ce 3+ ions and a well-defined green emission of Tb 3+ ions located at 545 nm corresponding to 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 electronic transitions. Thereafter, Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce,Tb powders were coated with colloidal silica in order to investigate the effect of silica coatings on their luminescent properties. Absolute fluorescence quantum efficiency measurements were carefully performed, which revealed an increase of 12% of efficiency in coated compared with bare-Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce,Tb phosphor. -- Highlights: • Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce,Tb phosphor powders were successfully coated with colloidal silica. • Post-annealing treatments improved the quantum efficiency of silica-coated Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce,Tb phosphors. • Absolute fluorescence quantum efficiency measurements showed an increase of 12%

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.

Anode property of carbon coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Jiangfeng; Jiang, Jiaxing; Savilov, S. V.; Aldoshin, S. M.

2016-10-01

Nanostructured LiFePO4 is appealing cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. Herein, however, we report the intriguing anode properties of carbon coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals. In the potential range of 0-3.0 V, the LiFePO4 nanocrystal electrodes afford high reversible capacity of 373 mAhg-1 at a current rate of 0.05 Ag-1 and retains 239 mAhg-1 at a much higher rate of 1.25 Ag-1. In addition, it is capable of sustaining 1000 cycles at 1.25 Ag-1 without any capacity fading. Such superior properties indicate that nanostructured LiFePO4 could also be promising anode for rechargeable battery applications.

Cultivation of human dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes on keratin-coated silica bead substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Bee Yi; Nguyen, Luong T H; Kim, Hyo-Sop; Kim, Jae-Ho; Ng, Kee Woei

2017-10-01

Human hair keratin is promising as a bioactive material platform for various biomedical applications. To explore its versatility further, human hair keratin was coated onto monolayers of silica beads to produce film-like substrates. This combination was hypothesized to provide a synergistic effect in improving the biochemical properties of the resultant composite. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed uniform coatings of keratin on the silica beads with a slight increase in the resulting surface roughness. Keratin-coated silica beads had higher surface energy and relatively lower negative charge than those of bare silica beads. To investigate cell response, human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), and human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) were cultured on the substrates over 4 days. Results showed that keratin coatings significantly enhanced the metabolic activity of HDFs and encouraged cell spreading but did not exert any significant effects on HEKs. HDF expression of collagen I was significantly more intense on the keratin-coated compared to the bare silica substrates. Furthermore, HDF secretion of various cytokines suggested that keratin coatings triggered active cell responses related to wound healing. Collectively, our study demonstrated that human hair keratin-coated silica bead monolayers have the potential to modulate HDF behavior in culture and may be exploited further. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2789-2798, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Quantum efficiency of silica-coated rare-earth doped yttrium silicate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cervantes-Vásquez, D., E-mail: dcervant@cnyn.unam.mx [Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Zona Playitas, C.P. 22860 Ensenada, B.C., México (Mexico); Contreras, O.E.; Hirata, G.A. [Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, C.P. 22800 Ensenada, B.C., México (Mexico)

2013-11-15

The photoluminescent properties of rare earth-activated white-emitting Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce,Tb nanocrystalline phosphor prepared by two different methods, pressure-assisted combustion synthesis and sol–gel, were studied. The synthesized phosphor samples were post-annealed at 1373 K and 1623 K in order to obtain the X1-Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} and X2-Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} phases, respectively, which were confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. Photoluminescence analysis showed the contribution of two blue-emission bands within the 380–450 nm region originating from 5d–4f transitions in Ce{sup 3+} ions and a well-defined green emission of Tb{sup 3+} ions located at 545 nm corresponding to {sup 5}D{sub 4}→{sup 7}F{sub 5} electronic transitions. Thereafter, Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce,Tb powders were coated with colloidal silica in order to investigate the effect of silica coatings on their luminescent properties. Absolute fluorescence quantum efficiency measurements were carefully performed, which revealed an increase of 12% of efficiency in coated compared with bare-Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce,Tb phosphor. -- Highlights: • Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce,Tb phosphor powders were successfully coated with colloidal silica. • Post-annealing treatments improved the quantum efficiency of silica-coated Y{sub 2}SiO{sub 5}:Ce,Tb phosphors. • Absolute fluorescence quantum efficiency measurements showed an increase of 12%.

Mechanical loss in tantala/silica dielectric mirror coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penn, Steven D; Sneddon, Peter H; Armandula, Helena; Betzwieser, Joseph C; Cagnoli, Gianpietro; Camp, Jordan; Crooks, D R M; Fejer, Martin M; Gretarsson, Andri M; Harry, Gregory M; Hough, Jim; Kittelberger, Scott E; Mortonson, Michael J; Route, Roger; Rowan, Sheila; Vassiliou, Christophoros C

2003-01-01

Current interferometric gravitational wave detectors use test masses with mirror coatings formed from multiple layers of dielectric materials, most commonly alternating layers of SiO 2 (silica) and Ta 2 O 5 (tantala). However, mechanical loss in the Ta 2 O 5 /SiO 2 coatings may limit the design sensitivity for advanced detectors. We have investigated sources of mechanical loss in the Ta 2 O 5 /SiO 2 coatings, including loss associated with the coating-substrate interface, with the coating-layer interfaces and with the coating materials. Our results indicate that the loss is associated with the coating materials and that the loss of Ta 2 O 5 is substantially larger than that of SiO 2

Preparation of thick silica coatings on carbon fibers with fine-structured silica nanotubes induced by a self-assembly process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Baumgärtner

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A facile method to coat carbon fibers with a silica shell is presented in this work. By immobilizing linear polyamines on the carbon fiber surface, the high catalytic activity of polyamines in the sol–gel-processing of silica precursors is used to deposit a silica coating directly on the fiber’s surface. The surface localization of the catalyst is achieved either by attaching short-chain polyamines (e.g., tetraethylenepentamine via covalent bonds to the carbon fiber surface or by depositing long-chain polyamines (e.g., linear poly(ethylenimine on the carbon fiber by weak non-covalent bonding. The long-chain polyamine self-assembles onto the carbon fiber substrate in the form of nanoscopic crystallites, which serve as a template for the subsequent silica deposition. The silicification at close to neutral pH is spatially restricted to the localized polyamine and consequently to the fiber surface. In case of the linear poly(ethylenimine, silica shells of several micrometers in thickness can be obtained and their morphology is easily controlled by a considerable number of synthesis parameters. A unique feature is the hierarchical biomimetic structure of the silica coating which surrounds the embedded carbon fiber by fibrillar and interconnected silica fine-structures. The high surface area of the nanostructured composite fiber may be exploited for catalytic applications and adsorption purposes.

Hydrophilic nano-silica coating agents with platinum and diamond nanoparticles for denture base materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshizaki, Taro; Akiba, Norihisa; Inokoshi, Masanao; Shimada, Masayuki; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

2017-05-31

Preventing microorganisms from adhering to the denture surface is important for ensuring the systemic health of elderly denture wearers. Silica coating agents provide high hydrophilicity but lack durability. This study investigated solutions to improve the durability of the coating layer, determine an appropriate solid content concentration of SiO 2 in the silica coating agent, and evaluate the effect of adding platinum (Pt) and diamond nanoparticles (ND) to the agent. Five coating agents were prepared with different SiO 2 concentrations with/without Pt and ND additives. The contact angle was measured, and the brush-wear test was performed. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the silica coating layer. The appropriate concentration of SiO 2 was found to be 0.5-0.75 wt%. The coating agents with additives showed significantly high hydrophilicity immediately after coating and after the brush-wear test. The coating agents with/without additives formed a durable coating layer even after the brush-wear test.

Silica-sol-based spin-coating barrier layer against phosphorous diffusion for crystalline silicon solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Uzum, Abdullah; Fukatsu, Ken; Kanda, Hiroyuki; Kimura, Yutaka; Tanimoto, Kenji; Yoshinaga, Seiya; Jiang, Yunjian; Ishikawa, Yasuaki; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Ito, Seigo

2014-01-01

The phosphorus barrier layers at the doping procedure of silicon wafers were fabricated using a spin-coating method with a mixture of silica-sol and tetramethylammonium hydroxide, which can be formed at the rear surface prior to the front phosphorus spin-on-demand (SOD) diffusion and directly annealed simultaneously with the front phosphorus layer. The optimization of coating thickness was obtained by changing the applied spin-coating speed; from 2,000 to 8,000 rpm. The CZ-Si p-type silicon solar cells were fabricated with/without using the rear silica-sol layer after taking the sheet resistance measurements, SIMS analysis, and SEM measurements of the silica-sol material evaluations into consideration. For the fabrication of solar cells, a spin-coating phosphorus source was used to form the n(+) emitter and was then diffused at 930°C for 35 min. The out-gas diffusion of phosphorus could be completely prevented by spin-coated silica-sol film placed on the rear side of the wafers coated prior to the diffusion process. A roughly 2% improvement in the conversion efficiency was observed when silica-sol was utilized during the phosphorus diffusion step. These results can suggest that the silica-sol material can be an attractive candidate for low-cost and easily applicable spin-coating barrier for any masking purpose involving phosphorus diffusion.

Tunable thick porous silica coating fabricated by multilayer-by-multilayer bonding of silica nanoparticles for open-tubular capillary chromatographic separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Qishu; Liu, Yuanyuan; Shi, Wenjun; Yan, Chao; Tang, Xiaoqing

2015-06-19

A simple coating procedure employing a multilayer-by-multilayer process to modify the inner surface of bare fused-silica capillaries with silica nanoparticles was established. The silica nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the capillary wall via a strong electrostatic interaction between amino functional groups and silica particles. The thickness of the coating could be tuned from 130 to 600 nm by increasing the coating cycles from one to three. Both the retention factor and the resolution were greatly increased with increasing coating cycles. The loading capacity determined by naphthalene in the column with three coating cycles is 152.1 pmol. The effects of buffer concentration and pH value on the stability of the coating were evaluated. The retention reproducibility of the separation of toluene was 0.8, 1.2, 2.3, and 4.5%, respectively, for run-to-run, day-to-day, column-to-column, and batch-to-batch, respectively. The chromatographic performance of these columns was evaluated by both capillary liquid chromatography and open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC). Separation of aromatic hydrocarbons in the column with three coating cycles provided high theoretical plate numbers (up to 269,280 plates m(-1) for toluene) and short separation time (<15 min) by using OT-CEC mode. The method was also used to separate egg white proteins. Both acidic and basic proteins as well as four glycoisoforms were separated in a single run. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical properties of silica-coated Y2O3:Er,Yb nanoparticles in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Kunio; Kitamoto, Yoshitaka; Hara, Masahiko; Odawara, Osamu; Wada, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

The optical properties of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-adsorbed and silica-coated Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles produced by using PVP were studied for potential bio-applications of upconversion nanoparticles. We utilized PVP to better disperse Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles in solution and to prepare silica-coated Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles. The fluorescent intensity of PVP-adsorbed Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles was 1.25 times higher than non-adsorbed Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles, which was probably due to surface defects in Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles being covered by the PVP. However, the fluorescent intensity of silica-coated Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles decreased as silica layer thickness increased. This could be ascribed to the higher vibrational energy of PVP than that of the silica structure. Therefore, the optimum silica layer thickness is important in bio-applications to avoid deterioration of the optical properties of Y 2 O 3 :Er,Yb nanoparticles. - Highlights: • We prepared the silica-coated upconversion nanoparticles by using PVP. • We showed that PVP played an important role in coating nanoparticles. • PL intensity of silica-coated nanoparticles decreased as silica layer thickness increased

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of zinc molybdate nanocrystals and molybdate-doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings for Mg alloy protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Eduok, Ubong; Szpunar, Jerzy

2018-06-01

Zinc molybdate (ZM) is a safer anticorrosive additive for cooling systems when compared with chromates and lead salts, due to its insolubility in aqueous media. For most molybdate pigments, their molybdate anion (MoO 4 -2 ) acts as an anionic inhibitor and its passivation capacity is comparable with chromate anion (CrO 4 -2 ). To alleviate the environmental concerns involving chromates-based industrial protective coatings, we have proposed new alternative in this work. We have synthesized ZM nanocrystals via ultrasound-assisted process and encapsulated them within an epoxy/PDMS coating towards corrosion protection. The surface morphology and mechanical properties of these ZM doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings is exhaustively discussed to show the effect of ZM content on protective properties. The presence of ZM nanocrystals significantly contributed to the corrosion barrier performance of the coating while the amount of ZM nanocrystals needed to prepare an epoxy coating with optimum barrier performance was established. Beyond 2 wt% ZM concentration, the siloxane-structured epoxy coating network became saturated with ZM pigments. This further broadened inherent pores channels, leading to the percolation of corrosion chloride ions through the coating. SEM evidence has revealed proof of surface delamination on ZM3 coating. A model mechanism of corrosion resistance has been proposed for ZM doped epoxy/PDMS nanocomposite coatings from exhaustive surface morphological investigations and evidence. This coating matrix may have emerging applications in cooling systems as anticorrosive surface paints as well as create an avenue for environmental corrosion remediation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Silane modified nano silica on the corrosion protection of zinc rich coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Thuy Duong; To Thi Xuan Hang; Trinh Anh Truc; Pham Gia Vu; Bui Van Truoc; Thai Hoang

2015-01-01

Zinc rich coatings are the best effective primers for corrosion protection of carbon steel in aggressive conditions. For traditional zinc rich primer the zinc content is very high, more than 90 wt.%. The coating adhesion is decreased with the increase of zinc content, so that it is necessary to decrease the zinc content by using additives. In this study the nano silica modified by N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane was prepared and incorporated in zinc rich epoxy coatings containing 85 wt.% zinc powder. The corrosion protection performance of coatings was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results obtained show that the presence of nano silica improved corrosion protection of zinc rich epoxy coating and the best protection was obtained with 3 wt.% nano silica. (author)

MC3T3-E1 cell response of amorphous phase/TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal composite coating prepared by microarc oxidation on titanium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Rui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Wei, Daqing, E-mail: daqingwei@hit.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Yang, Haoyue; Feng, Wei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Cheng, Su [Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Li, Baoqiang; Wang, Yaming; Jia, Dechang; Zhou, Yu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2014-06-01

Bioactive amorphous phase/TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal (APTN) composite coatings were fabricated by microarc oxidation (MAO) on Ti. The APTN coatings are composed of much amorphous phase with Si, Na, Ca, Ti and O elements and a few TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals. With increasing applied voltage, the micropore density of the APTN coating decreases and the micropore size of the APTN coating increases. The results indicate that less MC3T3-E1 cells attach on the APTN coatings as compared to Ti. However, the APTN coatings greatly enhance the cell proliferation ability and the activity of alkaline phosphatase. The amorphous phase and the concentrations of the released Ca and Si from the APTN coatings during cell culture have significant effects on the cell response. - Highlights: • Amorphous phase/TiO2 nanocrystal (APTN) composite coatings were fabricated. • The MC3T3-E1 cell response of the APTN coatings was evaluated. • The APTN coatings greatly enhanced the cell proliferation ability.

In vivo magnetic resonance and fluorescence dual imaging of tumor sites by using dye-doped silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Haeyun; Lee, Chaedong; Nam, Gi-Eun; Quan, Bo; Choi, Hyuck Jae; Yoo, Jung Sun; Piao, Yuanzhe

2016-01-01

The difficulty in delineating tumor is a major obstacle for better outcomes in cancer treatment of patients. The use of single-imaging modality is often limited by inadequate sensitivity and resolution. Here, we present the synthesis and the use of monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles coated with fluorescent silica nano-shells for fluorescence and magnetic resonance dual imaging of tumor. The as-synthesized core–shell nanoparticles were designed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis via simultaneous tumor imaging with dual imaging modalities by a single injection of contrast agent. The iron oxide nanocrystals (∼11 nm) were coated with Rhodamine B isothiocyanate-doped silica shells via reverse microemulsion method. Then, the core–shell nanoparticles (∼54 nm) were analyzed to confirm their size distribution by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic laser scattering. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was used to characterize the fluorescent property of the dye-doped silica shell-coated nanoparticles. The cellular compatibility of the as-prepared nanoparticles was confirmed by a trypan blue dye exclusion assay and the potential as a dual-imaging contrast agent was verified by in vivo fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. The experimental results show that the uniform-sized core–shell nanoparticles are highly water dispersible and the cellular toxicity of the nanoparticles is negligible. In vivo fluorescence imaging demonstrates the capability of the developed nanoparticles to selectively target tumors by the enhanced permeability and retention effects and ex vivo tissue analysis was corroborated this. Through in vitro phantom test, the core/shell nanoparticles showed a T2 relaxation time comparable to Feridex ® with smaller size, indicating that the as-made nanoparticles are suitable for imaging tumor. This new dual-modality-nanoparticle approach has promised for enabling more accurate tumor imaging.

In vivo magnetic resonance and fluorescence dual imaging of tumor sites by using dye-doped silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Haeyun; Lee, Chaedong [Seoul National University, Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Gi-Eun [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center (Korea, Republic of); Quan, Bo [Seoul National University, Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Hyuck Jae [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Jung Sun [Seoul National University, Department of Transdisciplinary Studies, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Smart Humanity Convergence Center (Korea, Republic of); Piao, Yuanzhe, E-mail: parkat9@snu.ac.kr [Seoul National University, Program in Nano Science and Technology, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-15

The difficulty in delineating tumor is a major obstacle for better outcomes in cancer treatment of patients. The use of single-imaging modality is often limited by inadequate sensitivity and resolution. Here, we present the synthesis and the use of monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles coated with fluorescent silica nano-shells for fluorescence and magnetic resonance dual imaging of tumor. The as-synthesized core–shell nanoparticles were designed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis via simultaneous tumor imaging with dual imaging modalities by a single injection of contrast agent. The iron oxide nanocrystals (∼11 nm) were coated with Rhodamine B isothiocyanate-doped silica shells via reverse microemulsion method. Then, the core–shell nanoparticles (∼54 nm) were analyzed to confirm their size distribution by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic laser scattering. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was used to characterize the fluorescent property of the dye-doped silica shell-coated nanoparticles. The cellular compatibility of the as-prepared nanoparticles was confirmed by a trypan blue dye exclusion assay and the potential as a dual-imaging contrast agent was verified by in vivo fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. The experimental results show that the uniform-sized core–shell nanoparticles are highly water dispersible and the cellular toxicity of the nanoparticles is negligible. In vivo fluorescence imaging demonstrates the capability of the developed nanoparticles to selectively target tumors by the enhanced permeability and retention effects and ex vivo tissue analysis was corroborated this. Through in vitro phantom test, the core/shell nanoparticles showed a T2 relaxation time comparable to Feridex{sup ®} with smaller size, indicating that the as-made nanoparticles are suitable for imaging tumor. This new dual-modality-nanoparticle approach has promised for enabling more accurate tumor imaging.

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

Sensing behavior study of silica-coated Ag nanoparticles deposited on glassy carbon toward nitrobenzene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Devi, Pooja; Reddy, Pramod [CSIR, Sector-30C, Central Scientific Instruments Organization (India); Arora, Swati [Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (India); Singh, Suman; Ghanshyam, C.; Singla, M. L., E-mail: singla_min@yahoo.co.in [CSIR, Sector-30C, Central Scientific Instruments Organization (India)

2012-10-15

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of silica-coated silver core/shell nanostructures (NSs) and their sensing behavior when deposited on glassy carbon (GC) electrode for nitrobenzene (NB) detection. Synthesized silica-coated silver core/shell NSs were characterized for their chemical, structural and morphological properties. TEM analysis confirmed that the silica-coated silver nanoparticles (size {approx}200 nm) are spherical in shape and the core diameter is {approx}38 nm. FT-IR spectra also confirmed the coating of silica on the surface of silver nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry studies of NB with silica-coated silver core-shell nanoparticles-modified GC electrodes revealed two cathodic peaks at -0.74 V (C{sub 1}) and -0.34 V (C{sub 2}) along with two anodic peaks at -0.64 V (A{sub 1}) and -0.2 V (A{sub 2}). Enhanced cathodic peak current (C{sub 1}, I{sub P}) of the core-shell NSs-modified electrode is observed relative to bare and silica-modified electrodes. Amperometric studies revealed a very high current sensitivity (114 nA/nM) and linearly dependent reduction current with NB amount in the low concentration range and a detection limit of 25 nM. Moreover, the core-shell NSs-modified electrode showed good reproducibility and selectivity toward NB in the presence of many cationic, anionic, and organic interferents.

Sensing behavior study of silica-coated Ag nanoparticles deposited on glassy carbon toward nitrobenzene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devi, Pooja; Reddy, Pramod; Arora, Swati; Singh, Suman; Ghanshyam, C.; Singla, M. L.

2012-01-01

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of silica-coated silver core/shell nanostructures (NSs) and their sensing behavior when deposited on glassy carbon (GC) electrode for nitrobenzene (NB) detection. Synthesized silica-coated silver core/shell NSs were characterized for their chemical, structural and morphological properties. TEM analysis confirmed that the silica-coated silver nanoparticles (size ∼200 nm) are spherical in shape and the core diameter is ∼38 nm. FT-IR spectra also confirmed the coating of silica on the surface of silver nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry studies of NB with silica-coated silver core–shell nanoparticles-modified GC electrodes revealed two cathodic peaks at −0.74 V (C 1 ) and −0.34 V (C 2 ) along with two anodic peaks at −0.64 V (A 1 ) and −0.2 V (A 2 ). Enhanced cathodic peak current (C 1 , I P ) of the core–shell NSs-modified electrode is observed relative to bare and silica-modified electrodes. Amperometric studies revealed a very high current sensitivity (114 nA/nM) and linearly dependent reduction current with NB amount in the low concentration range and a detection limit of 25 nM. Moreover, the core–shell NSs-modified electrode showed good reproducibility and selectivity toward NB in the presence of many cationic, anionic, and organic interferents.

Effect of sol aging time on the anti-reflective properties of silica coatings templated with phosphoric acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Wen

Full Text Available Silica anti-reflective coatings have been prepared by a sol–gel dip-coating process using the sol containing phosphoric acid as a pore-forming template. The effect of the aging time of the sol on the anti-reflective properties has been investigated. The surface topography of the silica AR coatings has been characterized. With increasing sol aging time, more over-sized pores larger than 100 nm are formed in the silica coatings. These could act as scattering centers, scattering visible light and thereby lowering transmittance. The optimal aging time was identified as 1 day, and the corresponding silica coatings showed a maximum transmittance of 99.2%, representing an 8% increase compared to the bare glass substrate. Keywords: Thin films, Anti-reflective coatings, Aging, Dip-coating, Sol–gel preparation

Silica-coated quantum dots fluorescent spheres synthesized using a quaternary 'water-in-oil' microemulsion system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu Maoquan; Sun Ye; Xu Shi

2008-01-01

Nanoscale and microscale silica spheres embedded with multiple CdSe quantum dots (QDs, having average diameters of about 2.4 and 5.0 nm, respectively.) were synthesized by using a quaternary 'water-in-oil' microemulsion. Comparing the uncoated QDs, the quantum yields (QYs) of the silica-coated QD spheres were enhanced when the QD cores were synthesized using mercaptoacetic acid (MA) as a stabilizer, while the QYs were dramatically decreased when the cores were synthesized using citric acid (CA) as a stabilizer. The enhanced QYs could be further improved by heating the silica-coated QDs in aqueous solution. Although the QYs of the silica-coated QDs were not high, these spheres emitted bright fluorescence. The silica shells contained numerous micropores (∼0.58-0.91 nm), and small amounts of toxic ions (such as Cd 2+ ) could be released from the silica spheres. However, the release rate of toxic ions from the silica spheres was significantly reduced compared with that of the uncoated QDs

SOL-GEL SILICA-BASED Ag–Ca–P COATINGS WITH AGRESSIVE PRETREATMENT OF TITANIUM SUBSTRATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ELENA BORSHCHEVA

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the experiment was the obtaining of thin silica coatings on titanium by sol-gel method, using mechanical (SiC - paper No.180 and chemical (leaching in HF pretreatments of the titanium substrates. The solutions were based on TEOS. For the sol-gel dipping process 4 different solutions were prepared: silica, silica with AgNO3 and silica + AgNO3 with brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O or monetite (CaHPO4 powders. The solutions were aged for 7 and 14 days at laboratory temperature. After sol-gel dip-coating process the samples were dried and fired. The adhesion of fired coatings was measured by tape test according to ASTM procedure and the bioactivity of the coatings was tested using in vitro test. The surfaces of the samples after firing, tape test and in vitro test were observed with the optical and electron microscopes. The firing results showed that silica-silver coatings did not change, brushite sol-gel coatings have cracked and the monetite sol-gel coatings have cracked also, but less than brushite ones. In spite of coating´s crackings, the square’s frames made on the surfaces were without any breakdowns after tape tests and the adhesion of all coatings was very good, classified by the highest grade 5. The results of in vitro tests showed that all coatings interacted with simulated body fluid (SBF. After exposition in SBF the new layer formed on substrates. In case of 7 days aged coatings containing brushite the new layer was uniform and compact. In case of 7 days aged coatings containing monetite the new layer was formed by crystals aggregated tightly together. The monetite and brushite coatings prepared from 14 days aged sol were the same as previous ones, but they were thicker. X-ray analyses after in vitro test confirmed dellaite, titanate and hydroxyapatite phases.

Electrodeposition of zinc–silica composite coatings: challenges in incorporating functionalized silica particles into a zinc matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tabrisur Rahman Khan, Andreas Erbe, Michael Auinger, Frank Marlow and Michael Rohwerder

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Zinc is a well-known sacrificial coating material for iron and co-deposition of suitable particles is of interest for further improving its corrosion protection performance. However, incorporation of particles that are well dispersible in aqueous electrolytes, such as silica particles, is extremely difficult. Here, we report a detailed study of Zn–SiO2 nanocomposite coatings deposited from a zinc sulfate solution at pH 3. The effect of functionalization of the silica particles on the electro-codeposition was investigated. The best incorporation was achieved for particles modified with SiO2–SH, dithiooxamide or cysteamine; these particles have functional groups that can strongly interact with zinc and therefore incorporate well into the metal matrix. Other modifications (SiO2–NH3+, SiO2–Cl and N,N-dimethyldodecylamine of the silica particles lead to adsorption and entrapment only.

Paramagnetic behavior at room temperature of Zn{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}Te nanocrystals grown in a phosphate glass matrix by the fusion method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Alessandra S., E-mail: alessandra@mestrado.ufu.br [Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Física, Laboratório de Novos Materiais Isolantes e Semicondutores (LNMIS), Uberlândia CEP: 38400-902 (Brazil); Franco, Adolfo; Pelegrini, Fernando [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal de Goiás, C. P. 131, 74001-970 Goiânia, GO (Brazil); Dantas, Noelio O. [Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Instituto de Física, Laboratório de Novos Materiais Isolantes e Semicondutores (LNMIS), Uberlândia CEP: 38400-902 (Brazil)

2015-10-25

This work reports on the synthesis and characterization of Zn{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}Te nanocrystals (NCs) with Mn doping concentration x varying from 0.000 to 0.800. Physical properties of samples were studied by transmission electron microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Room temperature experiments revealed the size of NCs, the growth of magnetization and non-linear dependence of magnetic susceptibility on the concentration of Mn{sup 2+} ions; samples with low concentrations revealed the presence of ions in the interior and near the surface of the NCs. The results obtained confirm the paramagnetic behavior of Zn{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}Te NCs at room temperature.

Silica coating of luminescent quantum dots prepared in aqueous media for cellular labeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Yunfei; Li, Yan, E-mail: yli@ecust.edu.cn; Zhong, Xinhua, E-mail: zhongxh@ecust.edu.cn

2014-12-15

Graphical abstract: A facile route based on modified Stöber method was used for the synthesis of silica coated QDs (QD@SiO{sub 2}) starting from aqueously prepared CdTe/CdS QDs. The resultant QD@SiO{sub 2} exhibited a significant increase in emission efficiency compared with that of the initial QDs, along with a small size (∼5 nm in diameter), great stability and low cytotoxicity, which makes it a good candidate as robust biomarker. - Highlights: • We present a facile modified Stöber method to prepare highly luminescent QD@SiO{sub 2}. • The PL efficiency of QDs increases significantly after silica coating. • QD@SiO{sub 2} exhibits small size (∼5 nm) and great dispersibility in aqueous solution. • QD@SiO{sub 2} presents extraordinary photo and colloidal stability. • The silica shell eliminates QD cytotoxicity, providing the access of bioconjugation. - Abstract: Silica coating is an effective approach for rendering luminescent quantum dots (QDs) with water dispersibility and biocompatibility. However, it is still challenging to prepare silica-coated QDs (QD@SiO{sub 2}) with high emission efficiency, small size and great stability in favor for bioapplication. Herein, we reported a modified Stöber method for silica coating of aqueously-prepared CdTe/CdS QDs. With the coexistence of Cd{sup 2+} and thioglycolic acid (TGA), a thin silica shell was formed around QDs by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The resultant QD@SiO{sub 2} with a small size (∼5 nm in diameter) exhibits significantly higher emission efficiencies than that of the initial QDs. Also, QD@SiO{sub 2} has extraordinary photo and colloidal stability (pH range of 5–13, 4.0 M NaCl solution). Protected by the silica shell, the cytotoxicity of QDs could be reduced. Moreover, the QD@SiO{sub 2} conjugated with folic acid (FA) presents high specific binding toward receptor-positive HeLa cells over receptor-negative A549 cells.

Intense pulsed light annealing of copper zinc tin sulfide nanocrystal coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Bryce A.; Smeaton, Michelle A.; Holgate, Collin S.; Trejo, Nancy D.; Francis, Lorraine F., E-mail: francis@umn.edu; Aydil, Eray S., E-mail: aydil@umn.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 151 Amundson Hall, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)

2016-09-15

A promising method for forming the absorber layer in copper zinc tin sulfide [Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS)] thin film solar cells is thermal annealing of coatings cast from dispersions of CZTS nanocrystals. Intense pulsed light (IPL) annealing utilizing xenon flash lamps is a potential high-throughput, low-cost, roll-to-roll manufacturing compatible alternative to thermal annealing in conventional furnaces. The authors studied the effects of flash energy density (3.9–11.6 J/cm{sup 2}) and number of flashes (1–400) during IPL annealing on the microstructure of CZTS nanocrystal coatings cast on molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates (Mo-coated SLG). The annealed coatings exhibited cracks with two distinct linear crack densities, 0.01 and 0.2 μm{sup −1}, depending on the flash intensity and total number of flashes. Low density cracking (0.01 μm{sup −1}, ∼1 crack per 100 μm) is caused by decomposition of CZTS at the Mo-coating interface. Vapor decomposition products at the interface cause blisters as they escape the coating. Residual decomposition products within the blisters were imaged using confocal Raman spectroscopy. In support of this hypothesis, replacing the Mo-coated SLG substrate with quartz eliminated blistering and low-density cracking. High density cracking is caused by rapid thermal expansion and contraction of the coating constricted on the substrate as it is heated and cooled during IPL annealing. Finite element modeling showed that CZTS coatings on low thermal diffusivity materials (i.e., SLG) underwent significant differential heating with respect to the substrate with rapid rises and falls of the coating temperature as the flash is turned on and off, possibly causing a build-up of tensile stress within the coating prompting cracking. Use of a high thermal diffusivity substrate, such as a molybdenum foil (Mo foil), reduces this differential heating and eliminates the high-density cracking. IPL annealing in presence of sulfur

Silica Nanoparticles Functionalized with Zwitterionic Sulfobetaine Siloxane for Application as a Versatile Antifouling Coating System.

Science.gov (United States)

Knowles, Brianna R; Wagner, Pawel; Maclaughlin, Shane; Higgins, Michael J; Molino, Paul J

2017-06-07

The growing need to develop surfaces able to effectively resist biological fouling has resulted in the widespread investigation of nanomaterials with potential antifouling properties. However, the preparation of effective antifouling coatings is limited by the availability of reactive surface functional groups and our ability to carefully control and organize chemistries at a materials' interface. Here, we present two methods of preparing hydrophilic low-fouling surface coatings through reaction of silica-nanoparticle suspensions and predeposited silica-nanoparticle films with zwitterionic sulfobetaine (SB). Silica-nanoparticle suspensions were functionalized with SB across three pH conditions and deposited as thin films via a simple spin-coating process to generate hydrophilic antifouling coatings. In addition, coatings of predeposited silica nanoparticles were surface functionalized via exposure to zwitterionic solutions. Quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation monitoring was employed as a high throughput technique for monitoring and optimizing reaction to the silica-nanoparticle surfaces. Functionalization of nanoparticle films was rapid and could be achieved over a wide pH range and at low zwitterion concentrations. All functionalized particle surfaces presented a high degree of wettability and resulted in large reductions in adsorption of bovine serum albumin protein. Particle coatings also showed a reduction in adhesion of fungal spores (Epicoccum nigrum) and bacteria (Escherichia coli) by up to 87 and 96%, respectively. These results indicate the potential for functionalized nanosilicas to be further developed as versatile fouling-resistant coatings for widespread coating applications.

Synthesis and characterization of uniform silica nanoparticles on nickel substrate by spin coating and sol-gel method

Science.gov (United States)

Ngoc Thi Le, Hien; Jeong, Hae Kyung

2014-01-01

Spin coating and sol-gel methods are proposed for the preparation of silica nanoparticles on a nickel substrate using silicon tetrachloride, 2-methoxyethanol, and four different types of alkaline solutions. The effects of the type of alkaline solution, concentration of silica solution, and speed of spin coating on the properties of silica nanoparticles are investigated systematically. Uniform spherical shape of silica nanoparticles on Ni with the smallest size are obtained with sodium carbonate among the alkaline solutions after stirring at 70 °C for 6 h and spin-coating at 7000 rpm. Physical and electrochemical properties of the silica particles are investigated.

Lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystals as promising nucleating agent for poly(lactic acid)

Science.gov (United States)

Anju Gupta; William Simmons; Gregory T. Schueneman; Eric A. Mintz

2016-01-01

We report the effect of lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs) on the crystallization behavior of poly(lactic acid) (PLA). PLA/L-CNC nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing, and the crystallization behavior of PLA was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Isothermal crystallization data were analyzed using Avrami and Lauritzen–Hoffman...

Effect of Annealing Temperature and Spin Coating Speed on Mn-Doped ZnS Nanocrystals Thin Film by Spin Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noor Azie Azura Mohd Arif

2017-01-01

Full Text Available ZnS:Mn nanocrystals thin film was fabricated at 300°C and 500°C via the spin coating method. Its sol-gel was spin coated for 20 s at 3000 rpm and 4000 rpm with metal tape being used to mold the shape of the thin film. A different combination of these parameters was used to investigate their influences on the fabrication of the film. Optical and structural characterizations have been performed. Optical characterization was analyzed using UV-visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectrophotometer while the structural and compositional analysis of films was measured via field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray. From UV-vis spectra, the wavelength of the ZnS:Mn was 250 nm and the band gap was within the range 4.43 eV–4.60 eV. In room temperature PL spectra, there were two emission peaks centered at 460 nm and 590 nm. Under higher annealing temperature and higher speed used in spin coating, an increase of 0.05 eV was observed. It was concluded that the spin coating process is able to synthesize high quality spherical ZnS:Mn nanocrystals. This conventional process can replace other high technology methods due to its synthesis cost.

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.

Elaboration of colloidal silica sols in aqueous medium: functionalities, optical properties and chemical detection of coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Guevel, X.

2006-03-01

The aim of this work was to study surface reactivity of silica nanoparticles through physical and chemical properties of sols and coatings. Applications are numerous and they are illustrated in this work by optical coating preparation for laser components and chemical gas sensor development for nitroaromatics detection. On one hand, protocol synthesis of colloidal silica sols has been developed in water medium using sol-gel process (0 to 100 w%). These sols, so-called BLUESIL, are time-stable during at least one year. Homogeneous coatings having thickness fixed to 200 nm, have been prepared on silica substrate and show high porosity and high transparence. Original films have been developed using catalytic curing in gas atmosphere (ammonia curing) conferring good abrasive resistance to the coating without significant properties modification. In order to reduce film sensitivity to molecular adsorption (water, polluting agents... ), specific BLUESIL coatings have been prepared showing hydrophobic property due to apolar species grafting onto silica nanoparticles. Using this route, coatings having several functional properties such as transparence, hydrophobicity, high porosity and good abrasive resistance have been elaborated. On the other hand, we show that colloidal silica is a material specifically adapted to the detection of nitro aromatic vapors (NAC). Indeed, the use of colloidal silica as chemical gas sensor reveals very high sensitivity, selectivity to NAC compared to Volatile Organic Compound (V.O.C) and good detection performances during one year. Moreover, chemical sensors using functionalized colloidal silica have exhibited good results of detection, even in high humidity medium (≥70 %RH). (author)

Cytotoxicity and fluorescence studies of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots for bioimaging applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vibin, Muthunayagam; Vinayakan, Ramachandran; John, Annie; Raji, Vijayamma; Rejiya, Chellappan S.; Vinesh, Naresh S.; Abraham, Annie

2011-01-01

The toxicological effects of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were investigated systematically on human cervical cancer cell line. Trioctylphosphine oxide capped CdSe QDs were synthesized and rendered water soluble by overcoating with silica, using aminopropyl silane as silica precursor. The cytotoxicity studies were conducted by exposing cells to freshly synthesized QDs as a function of time (0–72 h) and concentration up to micromolar level by Lactate dehydrogenase assay, MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide] assay, Neutral red cell viability assay, Trypan blue dye exclusion method and morphological examination of cells using phase contrast microscope. The in vitro analysis results showed that the silica-coated CdSe QDs were nontoxic even at higher loadings. Subsequently the in vivo fluorescence was also demonstrated by intravenous administration of the QDs in Swiss albino mice. The fluorescence images in the cryosections of tissues depicted strong luminescence property of silica-coated QDs under biological conditions. These results confirmed the role of these luminescent materials in biological labeling and imaging applications.

Cytotoxicity and fluorescence studies of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots for bioimaging applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vibin, Muthunayagam [University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry (India); Vinayakan, Ramachandran [National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR), Photosciences and Photonics (India); John, Annie [Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Biomedical Technology Wing (India); Raji, Vijayamma; Rejiya, Chellappan S.; Vinesh, Naresh S.; Abraham, Annie, E-mail: annieab2@yahoo.co.in [University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry (India)

2011-06-15

The toxicological effects of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were investigated systematically on human cervical cancer cell line. Trioctylphosphine oxide capped CdSe QDs were synthesized and rendered water soluble by overcoating with silica, using aminopropyl silane as silica precursor. The cytotoxicity studies were conducted by exposing cells to freshly synthesized QDs as a function of time (0-72 h) and concentration up to micromolar level by Lactate dehydrogenase assay, MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide] assay, Neutral red cell viability assay, Trypan blue dye exclusion method and morphological examination of cells using phase contrast microscope. The in vitro analysis results showed that the silica-coated CdSe QDs were nontoxic even at higher loadings. Subsequently the in vivo fluorescence was also demonstrated by intravenous administration of the QDs in Swiss albino mice. The fluorescence images in the cryosections of tissues depicted strong luminescence property of silica-coated QDs under biological conditions. These results confirmed the role of these luminescent materials in biological labeling and imaging applications.

Self-Cleaning Antireflective Optical Coatings

KAUST Repository

Guldin, Stefan

2013-11-13

Low-cost antireflection coatings (ARCs) on large optical surfaces are an ingredient-technology for high-performance solar cells. While nanoporous thin films that meet the zero-reflectance conditions on transparent substrates can be cheaply manufactured, their suitability for outdoor applications is limited by the lack of robustness and cleanability. Here, we present a simple method for the manufacture of robust self-cleaning ARCs. Our strategy relies on the self-assembly of a block-copolymer in combination with silica-based sol-gel chemistry and preformed TiO2 nanocrystals. The spontaneous dense packing of copolymer micelles followed by a condensation reaction results in an inverse opal-type silica morphology that is loaded with TiO2 photocatalytic hot-spots. The very low volume fraction of the inorganic network allows the optimization of the antireflecting properties of the porous ARC despite the high refractive index of the embedded photocatalytic TiO2 nanocrystals. The resulting ARCs combine high optical and self-cleaning performance and can be deposited onto flexible plastic substrates. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Surface studies on superhydrophobic and oleophobic polydimethylsiloxane-silica nanocomposite coating system

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Bharathibai J.; Dinesh Kumar, V.; Anandan, C.

2012-11-01

Superhydrophobic and oleophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-silica nanocomposite double layer coating was fabricated by applying a thin layer of low surface energy fluoroalkyl silane (FAS) as topcoat. The coatings exhibited WCA of 158-160° and stable oleophobic property with oil CA of 79°. The surface morphology was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and surface chemical composition was determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometery (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). FESEM images of the coatings showed micro-nano binary structure. The improved oleophobicity was attributed to the combined effect of low surface energy of FAS and roughness created by the random distribution of silica aggregates. This is a facile, cost-effective method to obtain superhydrophobic and oleophobic surfaces on larger area of various substrates.

Design of water-repellant coating using dual scale size of hybrid silica nanoparticles on polymer surface

Science.gov (United States)

Conti, J.; De Coninck, J.; Ghazzal, M. N.

2018-04-01

The dual-scale size of the silica nanoparticles is commonly aimed at producing dual-scale roughness, also called hierarchical roughness (Lotus effect). In this study, we describe a method to build a stable water-repellant coating with controlled roughness. Hybrid silica nanoparticles are self-assembled over a polymeric surface by alternating consecutive layers. Each one uses homogenously distributed silica nanoparticles of a particular size. The effect of the nanoparticle size of the first layer on the final roughness of the coating is studied. The first layer enables to adjust the distance between the silica nanoparticles of the upper layer, leading to a tuneable and controlled final roughness. An optimal size nanoparticle has been found for higher water-repellency. Furthermore, the stability of the coating on polymeric surface (Polycarbonate substrate) is ensured by photopolymerization of hybridized silica nanoparticles using Vinyl functional groups.

Density-controllable nonvolatile memory devices having metal nanocrystals through chemical synthesis and assembled by spin-coating technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Guangli; Chen Yubin; Shi Yi; Pu Lin; Pan Lijia; Zhang Rong; Zheng Youdou

2010-01-01

A novel two-step method is employed, for the first time, to fabricate nonvolatile memory devices that have metal nanocrystals. First, size-averaged Au nanocrystals are synthesized chemically; second, they are assembled into memory devices by a spin-coating technique at room temperature. This attractive approach makes it possible to tailor the diameter and control the density of nanocrystals individually. In addition, processes at room temperature prevent Au diffusion, which is a main concern for the application of metal nanocrystal-based memory. The experimental results, both the morphology characterization and the electrical measurements, reveal that there is an optimum density of nanocrystal monolayer to balance between long data retention and a large hysteresis memory window. At the same time, density-controllable devices could also feed the preferential emphasis on either memory window or retention time. All these facts confirm the advantages and novelty of our two-step method. (semiconductor devices)

Mechanochemistry of Chitosan-Coated Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) Nanocrystals for Bio-imaging Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Bujňáková, Zdenka; Dutková, Erika; Kello, Martin; Mojžiš, Ján; Baláž, Matej; Baláž, Peter; Shpotyuk, Oleh

2017-05-01

The ZnS nanocrystals were prepared in chitosan solution (0.1 wt.%) using a wet ultra-fine milling. The obtained suspension was stable and reached high value of zeta potential (+57 mV). The changes in FTIR spectrum confirmed the successful surface coating of ZnS nanoparticles by chitosan. The prepared ZnS nanocrystals possessed interesting optical properties verified in vitro. Four cancer cells were selected (CaCo-2, HCT116, HeLa, and MCF-7), and after their treatment with the nanosuspension, the distribution of ZnS in the cells was studied using a fluorescence microscope. The particles were clearly seen; they passed through the cell membrane and accumulated in cytosol. The biological activity of the cells was not influenced by nanoparticles, they did not cause cell death, and only the granularity of cells was increased as a consequence of cellular uptake. These results confirm the potential of ZnS nanocrystals using in bio-imaging applications.

Origins of visible-light emissions in hydrogen-coated silicon nanocrystals: Role of passivating coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tit, Nacir; Yamani, Z.H.; Graham, J.; Ayesh, A.

2010-01-01

We present a theoretical investigation of the electronic and optical properties of hydrogen-coated silicon nanocrystals (Si:H NCs). On one hand, the density-functional theory (DFT) is used to both calculate the total energy and relax the NCs. On a second hand, the tight-binding method, which includes the minimal sp 3 -basis set within the second-nearest-neighbor interaction scheme, is applied to calculate the electronic structures, oscillator strength (OS) and recombination rate (RR) versus the NC size, coating and atomic relaxation. Three main findings are reported: (i) The quantum confinement in these NCs do follow similar rule to the case of a single-particle in a box, where the confinement energy decays in power-law with the increasing NC's size. (ii) The coating is shown to play the essential role in creation of large band-gap energy lying within the visible-light energy spectrum. (iii) The surface atomic relaxation is found to reduce the band-gap energy by about 150 meV and enhance both OS and RR. Our claims are corroborated by the available experimental data.

Phospholipid-Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Acting as Lubricating Drug Nanocarriers

OpenAIRE

Tao Sun; Yulong Sun; Hongyu Zhang

2018-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a severe disease caused by wear and inflammation of joints. In this study, phospholipid-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs@lip) were prepared in order to treat OA at an early stage. The phospholipid layer has excellent lubrication capability in aqueous media due to the hydration lubrication mechanism, while mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) act as effective drug nanocarriers. The MSNs@lip were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission el...

Optically transparent, superhydrophobic methyltrimethoxysilane based silica coatings without silylating reagent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavale, Mahendra S.; Mahadik, D.B.; Parale, V.G.; Wagh, P.B.; Gupta, Satish C.; Rao, A.Venkateswara; Barshilia, Harish C.

2011-01-01

The superhydrophobic surfaces have drawn lot of interest, in both academic and industries because of optically transparent, adherent and self-cleaning behavior. Surface chemical composition and morphology plays an important role in determining the superhydrophobic nature of coating surface. Such concert of non-wettability can be achieved, using surface modifying reagents or co-precursor method in sol-gel process. Attempts have been made to increase the hydrophobicity and optical transparency of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) based silica coatings using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) instead of formal routes like surface modification using silylating reagents. The optically transparent, superhydrophobic uniform coatings were obtained by simple dip coating method. The molar ratio of MTMS:MeOH:H 2 O was kept constant at 1:5.63:1.58, respectively with 0.5 M NH 4 F as a catalyst and the weight percent of PMMA varied from 1 to 8. The hydrophobicity of silica coatings was analyzed by FTIR and contact angle measurements. These substrates exhibited 91% optical transmittance as compared to glass and water drop contact angle as high as 171 ± 1 deg. The effect of humidity on hydrophobic nature of coating has been studied by exposing these films at relative humidity of 90% at constant temperature of 30 deg. C for a period of 45 days. The micro-structural studies carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

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.

Effect of nano silica based modifying agent for hydrophobic coating application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurul Huda Mudri; Nik Ghazali Nik Salleh; Mek Zah Salleh

2016-01-01

Hydrophobic coatings find wide application in industry due to their unique features such as water repellent and self-cleaning properties. In this study, modifying agent was synthesized by way of nano silica particles dispersion in polydimethyl siloxane with addition of surfactant, catalyst and stabilizer using high speed distemper. The modifying agent was added into coating formulation and cured under UV exposure. Scanning Electron Microscopy image of the film found that the nano silica particles were distributed well on substrate. Contact angle measurement gave the highest reading of 116 degree for 20 % wt of the modifying agent. The optical properties of the film were evaluated via transmission and haze test. (author)

Effect of surface organic coatings of cellulose nanocrystals on the viability of mammalian cell lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimenez AS

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ambar S Jimenez,1 Francesca Jaramillo,1 Usha D Hemraz,2 Yaman Boluk,3 Karina Ckless,1 Rajesh Sunasee1 1Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, USA; 2National Research Council, Montreal, QC, Canada, 3Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta and National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council, Edmonton, AB, Canada Abstract: Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs have emerged as promising candidates for a number of bio-applications. Surface modification of CNCs continues to gain significant research interest as it imparts new properties to the surface of the nanocrystals for the design of multifunctional CNCs-based materials. A small chemical surface modification can potentially lead to drastic behavioral changes of cell-material interactions thereby affecting the intended bio-application. In this work, unmodified CNCs were covalently decorated with four different organic moieties such as a diaminobutane fragment, a cyclic oligosaccharide (β-cyclodextrin, a thermoresponsive polymer (poly[N-isopropylacrylamide], and a cationic aminomethacrylamide-based polymer using different synthetic covalent methods. The effect of surface coatings of CNCs and the respective dose-response of the above organic moieties on the cell viability were evaluated on mammalian cell cultures (J774A.1 and MFC-7, using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Overall, the results indicated that cells exposed to surface-coated CNCs for 24 h did not display major changes in cell viability, membrane permeability as well as cell morphology. However, with longer exposure, all these parameters were somewhat affected, which appears not to be correlated with either anionic or cationic surface coatings of CNCs used in this study. Keywords: cellulose nanocrystals, surface coating, cell viability, MTT, LDH

Highly aqueous soluble CaF2:Ce/Tb nanocrystals: effect of surface functionalization on structural, optical band gap, and photoluminescence properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Anees A; Parchur, Abdul K; Kumar, Brijesh; Rai, S B

2016-12-01

The design of nanostructured materials with highly stable water-dispersion and luminescence efficiency is an important concern in nanotechnology and nanomedicine. In this paper, we described the synthesis and distinct surface modification on the morphological structure and optical (optical absorption, band gap energy, excitation, emission, decay time, etc.) properties of highly crystalline water-dispersible CaF 2 :Ce/Tb nanocrystals (core-nanocrystals). The epitaxial growth of inert CaF 2 and silica shell, respectively, on their surface forming as CaF 2 :Ce/Tb@CaF 2 (core/shell) and CaF 2 :Ce/Tb@CaF 2 @SiO 2 (core/shell/SiO 2 ) nanoarchitecture. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope image shows that the nanocrystals were in irregular spherical phase, highly crystalline (~20 nm) with narrow size distribution. The core/shell nanocrystals confirm that the surface coating is responsible in the change of symmetrical nanostructure, which was determined from the band gap energy and luminescent properties. It was found that an inert inorganic shell formation effectively enhances the luminescence efficiency and silica shell makes the nanocrystals highly water-dispersible. In addition, Ce 3+ /Tb 3+ -co-doped CaF 2 nanocrystals show efficient energy transfer from Ce 3+ to Tb 3+ ion and strong green luminescence of Tb 3+ ion at 541 nm( 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 ). Luminescence decay curves of core and core/shell nanocrystals were fitted using mono and biexponential equations, and R 2 regression coefficient criteria were used to discriminate the goodness of the fitted model. The lifetime values for the core/shell nanocrystals are higher than core-nanocrystals. Considering the high stable water-dispersion and intensive luminescence emission in the visible region, these luminescent core/shell nanocrystals could be potential candidates for luminescent bio-imaging, optical bio-probe, displays, staining, and multianalyte optical sensing. A newly designed CaF 2 :Ce

Improving colloidal properties of quantum dots with combined silica and polymer coatings for in vitro immuofluorenscence assay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Bingbo [Tongji University, Institute for Advanced Materials and Nano Biomedicine (China); Xing Da [South China Normal University, MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science (China); Lin Chao; Guo Fangfang; Zhao Peng [Tongji University, Institute for Advanced Materials and Nano Biomedicine (China); Wen Xuejun [Clemson University, Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering Program, Department of Bioengineering (United States); Bao Zhihao, E-mail: zbao@tongji.edu.cn; Shi Donglu [Tongji University, Institute for Advanced Materials and Nano Biomedicine (China)

2011-06-15

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are promising fluorescence probes for immuofluorescence assay in the biological applications. However, water solubilization and non-specific binding are two critical issues to be addressed for the practical uses. Here, we reported a new type of QDs with combined silica and polymer coating. QDs with excellent colloidal properties were prepared via carboxylation of the amino groups on the surface of silica-coated QDs by reacting with multi-carboxyl poly (acrylic acid) (PAA). Hydrodynamic size of PAA-functionalized silica-coated QDs was around 40 nm. They were highly fluorescent (about 47.8% quantum yield). No precipitate of QDs was observed after 3 month storage at 4 Degree-Sign C. When cancer cells (HeLa) were used, the functionalized QDs exhibited little or no non-specific cellular binding. The results from in vitro experiments indicated that PAA-functionalized silica-coated QDs-antibody bioconjugates had excellent antigen-capture ability and exhibited little or no non-specific binding to polystyrene spheres which were used to immobilize the antigen for immuoflurescence assay. The PAA-functionalized silica-coated QDs with improved colloidal properties could serve as excellent alternative fluorescent probes for biodetection.

Drag reduction in silica nanochannels induced by graphitic wall coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Wagemann, Enrique; Walther, J. H.; Zambrano, Harvey A.

2017-11-01

Transport of water in hydrophilic nanopores is of significant technological and scientific interest. Water flow through hydrophilic nanochannels is known to experience enormous hydraulic resistance. Therefore, drag reduction is essential for the development of highly efficient nanofluidic devices. In this work, we propose the use of graphitic materials as wall coatings in hydrophilic silica nanopores. Specifically, by conducting atomistic simulations, we investigate the flow inside slit and cylindrical silica channels with walls coated with graphene (GE) layers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), respectively. We develop realistic force fields to simulate the systems of interest and systematically, compare flow rates in coated and uncoated nanochannels under different pressure gradients. Moreover, we assess the effect that GE and CNT translucencies to wettability have on water hydrodynamics in the nanochannels. The influence of channel size is investigated by systematically varying channel heights and nanopore diameters. In particular, we present the computed water density and velocity profiles, volumetric flow rates, slip lengths and flow enhancements, to clearly demonstrate the drag reduction capabilities of graphitic wall coatings. We wish to thank partial funding from CRHIAM Conicyt/ Fondap Project 15130015 and computational support from DTU and NLHPC (Chile).

Comparison of neutron and gamma irradiation effects on KU1 fused silica monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bravo, D. [Department Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: david.bravo@uam.es; Lagomacini, J.C. [Department Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Leon, M.; Martin, P. [Materiales para Fusion, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Martin, A. [Department Fisica e Instalaciones, ETS Arquitectura UPM, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Lopez, F.J. [Department Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Ibarra, A. [Materiales para Fusion, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22, E-28040 Madrid (Spain)

2009-06-15

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies have been carried out on KU1 fused silica irradiated with neutrons at fluences 10{sup 21} and 10{sup 22} n/m{sup 2}, and gamma-ray doses up to 12 MGy. The effects of post-irradiation thermal annealing treatments, up to 850 deg. C, have also been investigated. Paramagnetic oxygen-related defects (POR and NBOHC) and E'-type defects have been identified and their concentration has been measured as a function of neutron fluence, gamma dose and post-irradiation annealing temperature. It is found that neutrons at the highest fluence generate a much higher concentration of defects (mainly E' and POR, both at concentrations about 5 x 10{sup 18} spins/cm{sup 3}) than gamma irradiations at the highest dose (mainly E' at a concentration about 4 x 10{sup 17} spins/cm{sup 3}). Moreover, for gamma-irradiated samples a lower treatment temperature (about 400 deg. C) is required to annihilate most of the observed defects than for neutron-irradiated ones (about 600 deg. C)

The adhesion of SiNx thin layers on silica-acrylate coated polymer substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abdallah, Amir; Lu, K.; Ovchinnikov, C.D.; Bulle-Lieuwma, C.W.T.; Bouten, P.C.P.; With, de G.

2009-01-01

Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) was used to grow 200, 300 and 400 nm thick silicon nitride layers (SiN x ) on a high temperature aromatic polyester substrate spin coated with a silica-acrylate hybrid coating (hard coat). Layers deposited without oxygen plasma treatment remained

Heating ability and biocompatibility study of silica-coated magnetic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science; Volume 38; Issue 6. Heating ability and biocompatibility study of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles as heating mediators for magnetic hyperthermia and magnetically triggered drug delivery systems. Meysam Soleymani Mohammad Edrissi. Volume 38 Issue 6 October 2015 ...

Upgrading offshore pipelines concrete coated by silica fume additive against aggressive mechanical laying

OpenAIRE

M.I. Abdou; Hesham Abuseda

2016-01-01

Studies have been carried out to investigate the possibility of utilizing a broad range of micro-silica partial additions with cement in the production of concrete coating. This study investigated the strength properties and permeability of micro-silica concrete to achieve resistance toward concrete cracking and damage during laying. The chemical composition of micro-silica (silica fume) was determined, and has been conducted on concrete mixes with additions of 3 up to 25% by weight of cement...

Surface properties and water treatment capacity of surface engineered silica coated with 3-(2-aminoethyl) aminopropyltrimethoxysilane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majewski, Peter, E-mail: peter.majewski@unisa.edu.au [School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide (Australia); Keegan, Alexandra [Microbiology Research, Australian Water Quality Centre, South Australian Water Corporation, Adelaide (Australia)

2012-01-15

This study's focus was on the water-based, one-pot preparation and characterisation of silica particles coated with 3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (Diamo) and the efficiency of the material in removing the pathogens Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium immunogenum, Vibrio cholerae, poliovirus, and Cryptosporidium parvum. The water-based processing resulted in Diamo coated silica particles with significantly increased positive surface charge as determined by zeta potential measurements. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry of pure and Diamo coated silica confirmed the presence of Diamo on the surface of the particles. Thermogravimetric measurements and chemical analysis of the silica indicated a surface concentration of amine groups of about 1 mmol/g{sub silica}. Water treatment tests with the pathogens showed that a dose of about 10 g appeared to be sufficient to remove pathogens from pure water samples which were spiked with pathogen concentrations between about 10{sup 2} and 10{sup 4} cfu/mL.

Surface properties and water treatment capacity of surface engineered silica coated with 3-(2-aminoethyl) aminopropyltrimethoxysilane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majewski, Peter; Keegan, Alexandra

2012-01-01

This study's focus was on the water-based, one-pot preparation and characterisation of silica particles coated with 3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (Diamo) and the efficiency of the material in removing the pathogens Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium immunogenum, Vibrio cholerae, poliovirus, and Cryptosporidium parvum. The water-based processing resulted in Diamo coated silica particles with significantly increased positive surface charge as determined by zeta potential measurements. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry of pure and Diamo coated silica confirmed the presence of Diamo on the surface of the particles. Thermogravimetric measurements and chemical analysis of the silica indicated a surface concentration of amine groups of about 1 mmol/g silica . Water treatment tests with the pathogens showed that a dose of about 10 g appeared to be sufficient to remove pathogens from pure water samples which were spiked with pathogen concentrations between about 10 2 and 10 4 cfu/mL.

Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals functionalized with alendronate as bioactive components for bone implant coatings to decrease osteoclastic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Bosco, Ruggero; Iafisco, Michele; Tampieri, Anna; Jansen, John A.; Leeuwenburgh, Sander C. G.; van den Beucken, Jeroen J. J. P.

2015-02-01

The integration of bone implants within native bone tissue depends on periprosthetic bone quality, which is severely decreased in osteoporotic patients. In this work, we have synthesized bone-like hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (nHA) using an acid-base neutralization reaction and analysed their physicochemical properties. Subsequently, we have functionalized the nHA with alendronate (nHAALE), a well-known bisphosphonate drug used for the treatment of osteoporosis. An in vitro osteoclastogenesis test was carried out to evaluate the effect of nHAALE on the formation of osteoclast-like cells from monocytic precursor cells (i.e. RAW264.7 cell line) showing that nHAALE significantly promoted apoptosis of osteoclast-like cells. Subsequently, nHA and nHAALE were deposited on titanium disks using electrospray deposition (ESD), for which characterisation of the deposited coatings confirmed the presence of alendronate in nHAALE coatings with nanoscale thickness of about 700 nm. These results indicate that alendronate linked to hydroxyapatite nanocrystals has therapeutic potential and nHAALE can be considered as an appealing coating constituent material for orthopaedic and oral implants for application in osteoporotic patients.

Rheological and thermo-mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystal composites

Science.gov (United States)

Anju Gupta; William Simmons; Gregory T. Schueneman; Donald Hylton; Eric A. Mintz

2017-01-01

Improving the processability and physical properties of sustainable biobased polymers and biobased fillers is essential to preserve its biodegradability and make them suitable for different end user applications. Herein, we report the use of spray-dried lignin-coated cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs), a biobased filler, to modify the rheological and thermos-mechanical...

Development of a CVD silica coating for UK advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactor fuel pins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, M.J.; Houlton, M.R.; Moore, D.A.; Foster, A.I.; Swidzinski, M.A.M.

1983-04-01

Vapour deposited silica coatings could extend the life of the 20% Cr/25% Ni niobium stabilised (20/25/Nb) stainless steel fuel cladding of the UK advanced gas cooled reactors. A CVD coating process developed originally to be undertaken at atmospheric pressure has now been adapted for operation at reduced pressure. Trials on the LP CVD process have been pursued to the production scale using commercial equipment. The effectiveness of the LP CVD silica coatings in providing protection to 20/25/Nb steel surfaces against oxidation and carbonaceous deposition has been evaluated. (author)

Nano-porosity in silica reinforced methyltrimethoxysilane coatings studied by positron beam analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Escobar Galindo, R.; Veen, A. van; Schut, H.; Falub, C.V.; Balkenende, A.R.; With, G. de; Hosson, J.Th.M. De

The porosity in particle reinforced sol-gel coatings has been studied. Silica particles (Ludox-TM40) are introduced into methyl silicate coatings to increase the hardness, the elastic modulus and the fracture toughness. The methyl silicate has a relatively low density (about 1.2 g/cm(2)), while the

Study of silica coatings degradation under laser irradiation and in controlled environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, S.

2006-11-01

Performances of optical components submitted to high laser intensities are usually determined by their laser-induced damage threshold. This value represents the highest density of energy (fluence) sustainable by the component before its damage. When submitted to laser fluences far below this threshold, optical performances may also decrease with time. The degradation processes depend on laser characteristics, optical materials, and environment around the component. Silica being the most used material in optics, the aim of this study was to describe and analyse the physical-chemical mechanisms responsible for laser-induced degradation of silica coatings in controlled environment. Experimental results show that degradation is due to the growth of a carbon deposit in the irradiated zone. From these results, a phenomenological model has been proposed and validated with numerical simulations. Then, several technological solutions have been tested in order to reduce the laser-induced contamination of silica coatings. (author)

SiC Conversion Coating Prepared from Silica-Graphite Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Back-Sub Sung

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The β-SiC conversion coatings were successfully synthesized by the SiO(v-graphite(s reaction between silica powder and graphite specimen. This paper is to describe the effects on the characteristics of the SiC conversion coatings, fabricated according to two different reaction conditions. FE-SEM, FE-TEM microstructural morphologies, XRD patterns, pore size distribution, and oxidation behavior of the SiC-coated graphite were investigated. In the XRD pattern and SAD pattern, the coating layers showed cubic SiC peak as well as hexagonal SiC peak. The SiC coatings showed somewhat different characteristics with the reaction conditions according to the position arrangement of the graphite samples. The SiC coating on graphite, prepared in reaction zone (2, shows higher intensity of beta-SiC main peak (111 in XRD pattern as well as rather lower porosity and smaller main pore size peak under 1 μm.

Effect of the size of silica nanoparticles on wettability and surface chemistry of sol–gel superhydrophobic and oleophobic nanocomposite coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lakshmi, R.V., E-mail: lakshmi_rv@nal.res.in; Bera, Parthasarathi; Anandan, C.; Basu, Bharathibai J.

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Superhydrophobic coatings from Cab-O-Sil EH5 and M5 particles in MTEOS sol. • Particle size of Cab-O-Sil influenced its optimum concentration in coating. • FAS-13 modification improved the oleophobicity of the coating. • Coating surface exhibited porous structure with nanovoids and microscale bumps. • Coatings with Cab-O-Sil EH5 retained water repelling property for a long time. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic sol–gel nanocomposite coatings have been fabricated by incorporating silica nanoparticles with different particle sizes separately in an acid-catalyzed sol of methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS). Water contact angle (WCA) of the coatings increased with increase in the concentration of silica nanoparticles in both the cases. The coatings became superhydrophobic at an optimum silica concentration. The water repellency was further improved by the addition of fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The optimum silica concentration was found to depend on the size of silica nanoparticles and FAS content and the coatings exhibited WCA of about 160° and water sliding angle (WSA) of <2°. FAS addition also improved the oleophobicity of the coatings. The coatings exhibited oil-repellency with a lubricant oil contact angle of 126° and ethylene glycol contact angle of 153.3°. Surface morphology of the coatings analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed a rough surface with microscale bumps and nanoscale pores. XPS was used to study the surface composition of the coatings. The superhydrophobic property of the coatings was due to the synergistic effect of surface chemistry and surface microstructure and can be explained using Cassie-Baxter model.

Moisture sensor based on evanescent wave light scattering by porous sol-gel silica coating

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Shiquan; Singh, Jagdish P.; Winstead, Christopher B.

2006-05-02

An optical fiber moisture sensor that can be used to sense moisture present in gas phase in a wide range of concentrations is provided, as well techniques for making the same. The present invention includes a method that utilizes the light scattering phenomenon which occurs in a porous sol-gel silica by coating an optical fiber core with such silica. Thus, a porous sol-gel silica polymer coated on an optical fiber core forms the transducer of an optical fiber moisture sensor according to an embodiment. The resulting optical fiber sensor of the present invention can be used in various applications, including to sense moisture content in indoor/outdoor air, soil, concrete, and low/high temperature gas streams.

Synthesis of polystyrene, poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine), poly(p-nitrostyrene) and poly(p-aminostyrene)-coated silica and their extraction capabilities for amphetamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Changmei; Zhang Shuanhong; Qu Rongjun; Sun Tao; Zhang Ying; Zhang Xiang; Song Jingyang

2010-01-01

Several novel organic-inorganic hybrid materials, including polystyrene-coated silica (SG-PS), poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine)-coated silica (SG-PVP), poly(p-nitrostyrene)-coated silica (SG-PS-NO 2 ) and poly(p-aminostyrene)-coated silica (SG-PS-NH 2 ), were synthesized in order to improve the extraction methods of harmful stimulants via solid phase extraction. The materials were characterized using infrared spectra (IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The application of the new materials in solid phase extraction columns to extract methamphetamine revealed that the extraction capability of poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine)-coated silica is the best among the four materials, which provides novel supporter materials for extracting amphetamine-derived drugs.

Synthesis of polystyrene, poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine), poly(p-nitrostyrene) and poly(p-aminostyrene)-coated silica and their extraction capabilities for amphetamine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun Changmei; Zhang Shuanhong [School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025 (China); Qu Rongjun, E-mail: qurongjun@eyou.com [School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025 (China); Sun Tao; Zhang Ying; Zhang Xiang; Song Jingyang [School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025 (China)

2010-11-01

Several novel organic-inorganic hybrid materials, including polystyrene-coated silica (SG-PS), poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine)-coated silica (SG-PVP), poly(p-nitrostyrene)-coated silica (SG-PS-NO{sub 2}) and poly(p-aminostyrene)-coated silica (SG-PS-NH{sub 2}), were synthesized in order to improve the extraction methods of harmful stimulants via solid phase extraction. The materials were characterized using infrared spectra (IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The application of the new materials in solid phase extraction columns to extract methamphetamine revealed that the extraction capability of poly(styrene/4-vinylpyridine)-coated silica is the best among the four materials, which provides novel supporter materials for extracting amphetamine-derived drugs.

Thermal repellent properties of surface coating using silica

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Y. Y.; Halim, M. S.; Aminudin, E.; Guntor, N. A.

2017-11-01

Extensive land development in urban areas is completely altering the surface profile of human living environment. As cities growing rapidly, impervious building and paved surfaces are replacing the natural landscape. In the developing countries with tropical climate, large masses of building elements, such as brick wall and concrete members, absorb and store large amount of heat, which in turn radiate back to the surrounding air during the night time. This bubble of heat is known as urban heat island (UHI). The use of high albedo urban surfaces is an inexpensive measure that can reduce surrounded temperature. Thus, the main focus of this study is to investigate the ability of silica, SiO2, with high albedo value, to be used as a thermal-repelled surface coating for brick wall. Three different silica coatings were used, namely silicone resin, silicone wax and rain repellent and one exterior commercial paint (jota shield paint) that commercially available in the market were applied on small-scale brick wall models. An uncoated sample also had been fabricated as a control sample for comparison. These models were placed at the outdoor space for solar exposure. Outdoor environment measurement was carried out where the ambient temperature, surface temperature, relative humidity and UV reflectance were recorded. The effect of different type of surface coating on temperature variation of the surface brick wall and the thermal performance of coatings as potential of heat reduction for brick wall have been studied. Based on the results, model with silicone resin achieved the lowest surface temperature which indicated that SiO2 can be potentially used to reduce heat absorption on the brick wall and further retains indoor passive thermal comfortability.

Silica-coated flexible liposomes as a nanohybrid delivery system for enhanced oral bioavailability of curcumin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li C

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Chong Li, Yan Zhang, Tingting Su, Lianlian Feng, Yingying Long, Zhangbao ChenKey Laboratory on Luminescence and Real-Time Analysis, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, ChinaAbstract: We investigated flexible liposomes as a potential oral drug delivery system. However, enhanced membrane fluidity and structural deformability may necessitate liposomal surface modification when facing the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, silica-coated flexible liposomes loaded with curcumin (CUR-SLs having poor water solubility as a model drug were prepared by a thin-film method with homogenization, followed by the formation of a silica shell by the sol-gel process. We systematically investigated the physical properties, drug release behavior, pharmacodynamics, and bioavailability of CUR-SLs. CUR-SLs had a mean diameter of 157 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.14, while the apparent entrapment efficiency was 90.62%. Compared with curcumin-loaded flexible liposomes (CUR-FLs without silica-coatings, CUR-SLs had significantly higher stability against artificial gastric fluid and showed more sustained drug release in artificial intestinal fluid as determined by in vitro release assays. The bioavailability of CUR-SLs and CUR-FLs was 7.76- and 2.35-fold higher, respectively, than that of curcumin suspensions. Silica coating markedly improved the stability of flexible liposomes, and CUR-SLs exhibited a 3.31-fold increase in bioavailability compared with CUR-FLs, indicating that silica-coated flexible liposomes may be employed as a potential carrier to deliver drugs with poor water solubility via the oral route with improved bioavailability.Keywords: silica, flexible liposome, oral bioavailability, curcumin

Mesoporous silica coatings for cephalosporin active release at the bone-implant interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rădulescu, Dragoş [Bucharest University Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, 169 Splaiul Independentei, 050098 Bucharest (Romania); Voicu, Georgeta; Oprea, Alexandra Elena; Andronescu, Ecaterina [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Grumezescu, Valentina [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma & Radiation Physics, PO Box MG-36, Măgurele, Bucharest (Romania); Holban, Alina Maria [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Lane, Bucharest (Romania); Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Bd. Mihail Kogălniceanu 36-46, 050107 Bucharest (Romania); Vasile, Bogdan Stefan; Surdu, Adrian Vasile [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai, E-mail: grumezescu@yahoo.com [Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1–7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest (Romania); and others

2016-06-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Silica/Zinforo thin coatings by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation. • Anti-adherent coating on medical surfaces against E. coli. • Thin coatings show a great biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. - Abstract: In this study, we investigated the potential of MAPLE-deposited coatings mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to release Zinforo (ceftarolinum fosmil) in biologically active form. The MSNs were prepared by using a classic procedure with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as sacrificial template and tetraethylorthosilicate as the monomer. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed network-forming granules with diameters under 100 nm and an average pore diameter of 2.33 nm. The deposited films were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and IR. Microbiological analyses performed on ceftaroline-loaded films demonstrated that the antibiotic was released in an active form, decreasing the microbial adherence rate and colonization of the surface. Moreover, the in vitro and in vivo assays proved the excellent biodistribution and biocompatibility of the prepared systems. Our results suggest that the obtained bioactive coatings possess a significant potential for the design of drug delivery systems and antibacterial medical-use surfaces, with great applications in bone implantology.

Synthesis, characterization and magnetic properties of monodisperse Ni, Zn-ferrite nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Sanjeev, E-mail: sanjeevkumar.dubey2@gmail.com [University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand (India); Kumar, Pankaj [University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand (India); Singh, Vaishali [University School of Basic and Applied Science (India); Kumar Mandal, Uttam [University of Chemical Technology, GGS Indraprastha University, Sector 16, Dwarka, Delhi 110403 (India); Kumar Kotnala, Ravinder [National Physical laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2015-04-01

Synthesization of monodisperse Ni, Zn-ferrite (Ni{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}, x=1, 0.8, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.2, 0.0) nanocrystals has been achieved by the inverse microemulsion method using CTAB as surfactant and kerosene as an oil phase. The detailed characterization of the synthesized nanocrystals and measurement of the magnetic properties has been done by techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FITR) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) respectively. The relationship between the structure and composition of the nanocrystals with magnetic properties has been investigated. The nanocrystals size is found to be in the range 1–5 nm. The effect of Zn substitution on size and magnetic properties has been studied. It has been observed that magnetism changed from ferromagnetic at X= 0 to super paramagnetic to paramagnetic at X=1 as Zn concentration increased. The Curie temperature is found to decrease with an increase in Zn concentration. - Highlights: • Reverse microemulsion route is very facile route for synthesis of Ni{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ferrite. • Presence of Zn changes the structural and magnetic properties of the Zn substituted NiFe{sub 2}O{sub 4.} • The lattice constant increases with the increase in Zn substitution. • The curie temperature decreases with Zn concentration appreciably. • Magnetic behavior varies from ferromagnetic at x=0 to superparamagnetic to paramagnetic at x=1.

Simple down conversion nano-crystal coatings for enhancing Silicon-solar cells efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gur Mittelman

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Utilizing self-assembled nano-structured coatings on top of existing solar cells has thepotential to increase the total quantum efficiency of the cell using a simple and cheap process. In ourwork we have exploited the controlled absorption of nano-crystal with different band gaps to realizedown conversion artificial antennas that self-assembled on the device surface. The UV sun light isconverted to the visible light enhancing the solar cell performance in two complementary routes; a.protecting the solar cell and coatings from the UV illumination and therefore reducing the UVradiation damage. b. enhancing the total external quantum efficiency of the cell by one percent. Thisis achieved using a simple cheap process that can be adjusted to many different solar cells.

A Comparative Study on Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotube Reinforcement of PMMA-Siloxane-Silica Anticorrosive Coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Harb, Samarah V; Pulcinelli, Sandra H; Santilli, Celso V; Knowles, Kevin M; Hammer, Peter

2016-06-29

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) have been used to reinforce PMMA-siloxane-silica nanocomposites considered to be promising candidates for environmentally compliant anticorrosive coatings. The organic-inorganic hybrids were prepared by benzoyl peroxide (BPO)-induced polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) covalently bonded through 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPTS) to silica domains formed by hydrolytic condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). Single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide nanosheets were dispersed by surfactant addition and in a water/ethanol solution, respectively. These were added to PMMA-siloxane-silica hybrids at a carbon (CNT or GO) to silicon (TEOS and MPTS) molar ratio of 0.05% in two different matrices, both prepared at BPO/MMA molar ratios of 0.01 and 0.05. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed very smooth, homogeneous, and defect-free surfaces of approximately 3-7 μm thick coatings deposited onto A1020 carbon steel by dip coating. Mechanical testing and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that both additives CNT and GO improved the scratch resistance, adhesion, wear resistance, and thermal stability of PMMA-siloxane-silica coatings. Results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3.5% NaCl solution, discussed in terms of equivalent circuits, showed that the reinforced hybrid coatings act as a very efficient anticorrosive barrier with an impedance modulus up to 1 GΩ cm(2), approximately 5 orders of magnitude higher than that of bare carbon steel. In the case of GO addition, the high corrosion resistance was maintained for more than 6 months in saline medium. These results suggest that both carbon nanostructures can be used as structural reinforcement agents, improving the thermal and mechanical resistance of high performance anticorrosive PMMA-siloxane-silica coatings and thus extending their application range to abrasive environments.

Mesoporous silica nanotubes hybrid membranes for functional nanofiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Safty, Sherif A; Shahat, Ahmed; Mekawy, Moataz; Nguyen, Hoa; Warkocki, Wojciech; Ohnuma, Masato

2010-01-01

The development of nanofiltration systems would greatly assist in the production of well-defined particles and biomolecules with unique properties. We report a direct, simple synthesis of hexagonal silica nanotubes (NTs), which vertically aligned inside anodic alumina membranes (AAM) by means of a direct templating method of microemulsion phases with cationic surfactants. The direct approach was used as soft templates for predicting ordered assemblies of surfactant/silica composites through strong interactions within AAM pockets. Thus, densely packed NTs were successfully formed in the entirety of the AAM channels. These silica NTs were coated with layers of organic moieties to create a powerful technique for the ultrafine filtration. The resulting modified-silica NTs were chemically robust and showed affinity toward the transport of small molecular particles. The rigid silica NTs inside AAM channels had a pore diameter of ≤ 4 nm and were used as ultrafine filtration systems for noble metal nanoparticles (NM NPs) and semiconductor nanocrystals (SC NCs) fabricated with a wide range of sizes (1.0-50 nm) and spherical/pyramidal morphologies. Moreover, the silica NTs hybrid membranes were also found to be suitable for separation of biomolecules such as cytochrome c (CytC). Importantly, this nanofilter design retains high nanofiltration efficiency of NM NPs, SC NCs and biomolecules after a number of reuse cycles. Such retention is crucial in industrial applications.

Tuning dipolar magnetic interactions by controlling individual silica coating of iron oxide nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas Rojas, P. C.; Tancredi, P.; Moscoso Londoño, O.; Knobel, M.; Socolovsky, L. M.

2018-04-01

Single and fixed size core, core-shell nanoparticles of iron oxides coated with a silica layer of tunable thickness were prepared by chemical routes, aiming to generate a frame of study of magnetic nanoparticles with controlled dipolar interactions. The batch of iron oxides nanoparticles of 4.5 nm radii, were employed as cores for all the coated samples. The latter was obtained via thermal decomposition of organic precursors, resulting on nanoparticles covered with an organic layer that was subsequently used to promote the ligand exchange in the inverse microemulsion process, employed to coat each nanoparticle with silica. The amount of precursor and times of reaction was varied to obtain different silica shell thicknesses, ranging from 0.5 nm to 19 nm. The formation of the desired structures was corroborated by TEM and SAXS measurements, the core single-phase spinel structure was confirmed by XRD, and superparamagnetic features with gradual change related to dipolar interaction effects were obtained by the study of the applied field and temperature dependence of the magnetization. To illustrate that dipolar interactions are consistently controlled, the main magnetic properties are presented and analyzed as a function of center to center minimum distance between the magnetic cores.

Antibacterial silver nanocluster/silica composite coatings on stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferraris, M.; Perero, S. [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-10129 (Italy); Ferraris, S., E-mail: sara.ferraris@polito.it [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-10129 (Italy); Miola, M.; Vernè, E. [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-10129 (Italy); Skoglund, S. [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, Dr. Kristinas v. 51, SE-100 44 (Sweden); Blomberg, E. [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, Dr. Kristinas v. 51, SE-100 44 (Sweden); SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Chemistry, Materials and Surfaces, P.O. Box 5607, SE-114 86 Stockholm (Sweden); Odnevall Wallinder, I. [KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, Dr. Kristinas v. 51, SE-100 44 (Sweden)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • A silver nanocluster-silica composite coating sputter-deposited onto stainless steel. • Good adhesion and resistance upon cleaning with NaOH, H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and detergents. • Low release of silver ions and no release as silver nanoparticles. • Good antibacterial activity against S. aureus even after heating to 450 °C. • Good antibacterial activity shown during cheese production. - Abstract: A coating made of silver nanocluster/silica composites has been deposited, via a radio frequency (RF) co-sputtering technique, for the first time onto stainless steel (AISI 304L) with the aim to improve its antibacterial properties. Different thermal treatments after coating deposition have been applied in order to optimize the coating adhesion, cohesion and its antibacterial properties. Its applicability has been investigated at realistic conditions in a cheese production plant. The physico-chemical characteristics of the coatings have been analyzed by means of different bulk and surface analytical techniques. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to assess coating morphology, composition, surface roughness, wetting properties, size and local distribution of the nanoparticles within the coating. Tape tests were used to determine the adhesion/cohesion properties of the coating. The amount and time-dependence of released silver in solutions of acetic acid, artificial water, artificial tap water and artificial milk were determined by means of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The antibacterial effect of the coating was evaluated at different experimental conditions using a standard bacterial strain of Staphylococcus aureus in compliance with National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and AATCC 147 standards. The Ahearn test was performed to measure the adhesion of bacteria to the coated stainless steel

Antibacterial silver nanocluster/silica composite coatings on stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferraris, M.; Perero, S.; Ferraris, S.; Miola, M.; Vernè, E.; Skoglund, S.; Blomberg, E.; Odnevall Wallinder, I.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A silver nanocluster-silica composite coating sputter-deposited onto stainless steel. • Good adhesion and resistance upon cleaning with NaOH, H_2SO_4 and detergents. • Low release of silver ions and no release as silver nanoparticles. • Good antibacterial activity against S. aureus even after heating to 450 °C. • Good antibacterial activity shown during cheese production. - Abstract: A coating made of silver nanocluster/silica composites has been deposited, via a radio frequency (RF) co-sputtering technique, for the first time onto stainless steel (AISI 304L) with the aim to improve its antibacterial properties. Different thermal treatments after coating deposition have been applied in order to optimize the coating adhesion, cohesion and its antibacterial properties. Its applicability has been investigated at realistic conditions in a cheese production plant. The physico-chemical characteristics of the coatings have been analyzed by means of different bulk and surface analytical techniques. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to assess coating morphology, composition, surface roughness, wetting properties, size and local distribution of the nanoparticles within the coating. Tape tests were used to determine the adhesion/cohesion properties of the coating. The amount and time-dependence of released silver in solutions of acetic acid, artificial water, artificial tap water and artificial milk were determined by means of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The antibacterial effect of the coating was evaluated at different experimental conditions using a standard bacterial strain of Staphylococcus aureus in compliance with National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and AATCC 147 standards. The Ahearn test was performed to measure the adhesion of bacteria to the coated stainless steel surface

Acceptors in ZnO nanocrystals: A reinterpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Gehlhoff, W.; Hoffmann, A.

2012-12-01

In a recent article, Teklemichael et al. reported on the identification of an uncompensated acceptor in ZnO nanocrystals using infrared spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in the dark and under illumination. Most of their conclusions, interpretations, and suggestions turned out to be erroneous. The observed EPR signals were interpreted to originate from axial and nonaxial VZn-H defects. We show that the given interpretation of the EPR results is based on misinterpretations of EPR spectra arising from defects in nanocrystals. The explanation of the infrared absorption lines is in conflict with recent results of valence band ordering and valence band splitting.

Highly stable silica-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles as high-efficacy T2 contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Ashfaq; Bae, Hongsub; Rhee, Ilsu

2018-05-01

Highly stable silica-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles were fabricated for application as magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) contrast agents. The manganese ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized using a hydrothermal technique and coated with silica. The particle size was investigated using transmission electron microscopy and was found to be 40-60 nm. The presence of the silica coating on the particle surface was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystalline structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction, and the particles were revealed to have an inverse spinel structure. Superparamagnetism was confirmed by the magnetic hysteresis curves obtained using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The efficiency of the MRI contrast agents was investigated by using aqueous solutions of the particles in a 4.7 T MRI scanner. The T1 and T2 relaxivities of the particles were 1.42 and 60.65 s-1 mM-1, respectively, in water. The ratio r2/r1 was 48.91, confirming that the silica-coated manganese ferrite nanoparticles were suitable high-efficacy T2 contrast agents.

Monomer functionalized silica coated with Ag nanoparticles for enhanced SERS hotspots

Science.gov (United States)

Newmai, M. Boazbou; Verma, Manoj; Kumar, P. Senthil

2018-05-01

Mesoporous silica (SiO2) spheres are well-known for their excellent chromatographic properties such as the relatively high specific surface, large pore volume, uniform particle size, narrow pore size distribution with favorable pore connectivity; whereas the noble metal Ag nanoparticles have unique size/shape dependant surface plasmon resonance with wide ranging applications. Thus, the desire to synchronize both their properties for specific applications has naturally prompted research in the design and synthesis of core-shell type novel nanoAg@mesoSiO2 nanocomposites, which display potential utility in applications such as photothermal therapy, photocatalysis, molecular sensing, and photovoltaics. In the present work, SiO2 spheres were carefully functionalized with the monomer, N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), which cohesively controls the uniform mass transfer of Ag+ metal ions, thereby enabling its sequential reduction to zerovalent Ag (in the presence of slightly excess NaOH) by electron transfer from nucleophilic attack of the NVP vinyl group by the water molecules even under ambient conditions. Complete metal nanoshell coverage of the silica surface was obtained after multiple Ag deposition cycles, as systematically confirmed from the BET, TEM, optical and FTIR characterization. Our present Ag-coated silica spheres were directly utilized as viable SERS substrates with high sensitivity in contrast with other long chain polymer/surfactant coated silica spheres, owing to the presence of significant number of nanogaps enhanced SERS 'hotspots', which were methodically analyzed utilizing two example analytes, such as crystal violet (CV) and calendula officinalis (CaF).

Improving the interfacial and mechanical properties of short glass fiber/epoxy composites by coating the glass fibers with cellulose nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

A. Asadi; M. Miller; Robert Moon; K. Kalaitzidou

2016-01-01

In this study, the interfacial and mechanical properties of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) coated glass fiber/epoxy composites were investigated as a function of the CNC content on the surface of glass fibers (GF). Chopped GF rovings were coated with CNC by immersing the GF in CNC (0–5 wt%) aqueous suspensions. Single fiber fragmentation (SFF) tests showed that the...

Coating of Zircaloy sheaths with silica glass using the Sol-Gel technique for protection against oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Sanctis, O.; Pellegri, N.; Gomez, L.

1990-01-01

With the aim of improving corrosion resistance of Zircaloy, a few Zircaloy sheaths were covered with vitreous silica. Deposition was made by dip coating in tetraetilortosilicate (TEOS) solutions and later densification treatment at 500 degrees C. Oxidation tests were performed and compared with sheaths not covered with silica. As a result, an effective increase in the resistance to dry oxidation was found in sheaths which had been protected. The coating-Zircaloy interface was studied using XPS (scanner). (Author). 6 refs., 3 figs

Composite material including nanocrystals and methods of making

Science.gov (United States)

Bawendi, Moungi G.; Sundar, Vikram C.

2010-04-06

Temperature-sensing compositions can include an inorganic material, such as a semiconductor nanocrystal. The nanocrystal can be a dependable and accurate indicator of temperature. The intensity of emission of the nanocrystal varies with temperature and can be highly sensitive to surface temperature. The nanocrystals can be processed with a binder to form a matrix, which can be varied by altering the chemical nature of the surface of the nanocrystal. A nanocrystal with a compatibilizing outer layer can be incorporated into a coating formulation and retain its temperature sensitive emissive properties.

Ceria nanoparticles vis-à-vis cerium nitrate as corrosion inhibitors for silica-alumina hybrid sol-gel coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lakshmi, R.V. [Surface Engineering Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories, HAL Airport Road, Kodihalli, Bengaluru 560017 (India); Aruna, S.T., E-mail: staruna194@gmail.com [Surface Engineering Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories, HAL Airport Road, Kodihalli, Bengaluru 560017 (India); Sampath, S. [Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012 (India)

2017-01-30

Highlights: • Corrosion protection efficiency comparison of ceria nanoparticles and cerium nitrate. • Silica-alumina hybrid coating exhibited good barrier protection. • Detailed XPS study confirm the hybrid structure and presence of Ce species in coating. • Loss of cerium ions not prevalent in ceria doped coating unlike that of cerium nitrate. • Ceria increased the coating integrity, corrosion inhibition and barrier protection. - Abstract: The present work provides a comparative study on the corrosion protection efficiency of defect free sol-gel hybrid coating containing ceria nanoparticles and cerium nitrate ions as corrosion inhibitors. Less explored organically modified alumina-silica hybrid sol-gel coatings are synthesized from 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and aluminium-tri-sec-butoxide. The microemulsion derived nanoparticles and the hybrid coatings are characterized and compared with coatings containing cerium nitrate. Corrosion inhibiting capability is assessed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Scanning Kelvin probe measurements are also conducted on the coatings for identifying the apparent corrosion prone regions. Detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis is carried out to comprehend the bonding and corrosion protection rendered by the hybrid coatings.

Synthesis and Doping of Silicon Nanocrystals for Versatile Nanocrystal Inks

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Nicolaas Johannes

The impact of nanotechnology on our society is getting larger every year. Electronics are becoming smaller and more powerful, the "Internet of Things" is all around us, and data generation is increasing exponentially. None of this would have been possible without the developments in nanotechnology. Crystalline semiconductor nanoparticles (nanocrystals) are one of the latest developments in the field of nanotechnology. This thesis addresses three important challenges for the transition of silicon nanocrystals from the lab bench to the marketplace: A better understanding of the nanocrystal synthesis was obtained, the electronic properties of the nanocrystals were characterized and tuned, and novel silicon nanocrystal inks were formed and applied using simple coating technologies. Plasma synthesis of nanocrystals has numerous advantages over traditional solution-based synthesis methods. While the formation of nanoparticles in low pressure nonthermal plasmas is well known, the heating mechanism leading to their crystallization is poorly understood. A combination of comprehensive plasma characterization with a nanoparticle heating model presented here reveals the underlying plasma physics leading to crystallization. The model predicts that the nanoparticles reach temperatures as high as 900 K in the plasma as a result of heating reactions on the nanoparticle surface. These temperatures are well above the gas temperature and sufficient for complete nanoparticle crystallization. Moving the field of plasma nanoparticle synthesis to atmospheric pressures is important for lowering its cost and making the process attractive for industrial applications. The heating and charging model for silicon nanoparticles was adapted in Chapter 3 to study plasmas maintained over a wide range of pressures (10 -- 105 Pa). The model considers three collisionality regimes and determines the dominant contribution of each regime under various plasma conditions. Strong nanoparticle cooling at

Inhomogeneous magnetic phase in Co–Al–O spinel nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, K., E-mail: sato.koichi@nims.go.jp [National Institute for Materials Science, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Naka, T., E-mail: naka.takashi@nims.go.jp [National Institute for Materials Science, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Nakane, T. [National Institute for Materials Science, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Rangappa, D. [International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Balapur PO, Hyderabad 500-005 (India); Takami, S. [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 (Japan); Ohara, S. [Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University, 11-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047 (Japan); Adschiri, T. [WPI, Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 (Japan)

2014-01-15

We report on the crystallographic structure and magnetism of 5-nm Co–Al–O spinel nanocrystals synthesized under supercritical hydrothermal conditions. Structural examination using powder X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis showed the composition of the sample to be Co{sub 0.47}Al{sub 2.36}O{sub 4} rather than the stoichiometric composition of CoAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The site occupancy of Co on the A-site forming the diamond lattice was 0.47, which is slightly larger than the site percolation limit. Magnetization measurements showed that magnetic clusters emerged below 40 K. At temperatures below 40 K, a Griffiths-phase-like inhomogeneous state appeared in the sample in which magnetic clusters and paramagnetic spins coexisted. The dc-paramagnetic and ac-susceptibilities exhibited an anomaly below 7 K. - Highlights: • The synthesized sample had an Al-rich structure described by Co{sub 0.47}Al{sub 2.36}O{sub 4}. • The site occupancy of Co at the A-site is larger than the site percolation limit of the A-site. • The non-linearity of the magnetization appeared at T<40 K. • The paramagnetic component showed a peak at 7 K. • An inhomogeneous state is established in our Co–Al oxide nanocrystals.

Effects of silica coating and silane surface conditioning on the bond strength of rebonded metal and ceramic brackets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saadet Atsü

2011-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tribochemical silica coating and silane surface conditioning on the bond strength of rebonded metal and ceramic brackets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty debonded metal and 20 debonded ceramic brackets were randomly assigned to receive one of the following surface treatments (n=10 for each group: (1 sandblasting (control; (2 tribochemical silica coating combined with silane. Brackets were rebonded to the enamel surface on the labial and lingual sides of premolars with a light-polymerized resin composite. All specimens were stored in distilled water for 1 week and then thermocycled (5,000 cycles between 5-55ºC. Shear bond strength values were measured using a universal testing machine. Student's t-test was used to compare the data (α=0.05. Failure mode was assessed using a stereomicroscope, and the treated and non-treated bracket surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: Rebonded ceramic brackets treated with silica coating followed by silanization had significantly greater bond strength values (17.7±4.4 MPa than the sandblasting group (2.4±0.8 MPa, P<0.001. No significant difference was observed between the rebonded metal brackets treated with silica coating with silanization (15±3.9 MPa and the sandblasted brackets (13.6±3.9 MPa. Treated rebonded ceramic specimens primarily exhibited cohesive failure in resin and adhesive failure at the enamel-adhesive interface. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to sandblasting, silica coating with aluminum trioxide particles followed by silanization resulted in higher bond strengths of rebonded ceramic brackets.

Magnetic heating by silica-coated Co–Zn ferrite particles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Veverka, Miroslav; Závěta, K.; Kaman, Ondřej; Veverka, Pavel; Knížek, Karel; Pollert, Emil; Burian, M.; Kašpar, P.

2014-01-01

Roč. 47, č. 6 (2014), "065503-1"-"065503-11" ISSN 0022-3727 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP204/10/0035; GA ČR(CZ) GAP108/11/0807 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : cobalt–zinc ferrite * magnetic nanoparticles * coprecipitation * silica coating * hysteresis loops * calorimetric measurements * hyperthermia Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.721, year: 2014 http://stacks.iop.org/0022-3727/47/065503

A novel silica nanotube reinforced ionic incorporated hydroxyapatite composite coating on polypyrrole coated 316L SS for implant application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prem Ananth, K., E-mail: kpananth01@gmail.com [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046 (India); Joseph Nathanael, A. [Department of Nano, Medical and Polymer Materials, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jose, Sujin P. [Department of Materials Science and Nano engineering, Rice University, Texas 77005 (United States); School of Physics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-625021 (India); Oh, Tae Hwan [Department of Nano, Medical and Polymer Materials, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Mangalaraj, D. [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046 (India)

2016-02-01

An attempt has been made to deposit a novel smart ion (Sr, Zn, Mg) substituted hydroxyapatite (I-HAp) and silica nanotube (SiNTs) composite coatings on polypyrrole (PPy) coated surgical grade 316L stainless steel (316L SS) to improve its biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. The I-HAp/SiNTS/PPy bilayer coating on 316L SS was prepared by electrophoretic deposition technique. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies were carried out. These results confirmed the significant improvement of the corrosion resistance of the 316L SS alloy by the I-HAp/SiNTs/PPy bilayer composite coating. The adhesion strength and hardness test confirmed the anticipated mechanical properties of the composite. A low contact angle value revealed the hydrophilic nature. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) was used for the leach out analysis of the samples. Added to this, the bioactivity of the composite was analyzed by observing the apatite formation in the SBF solution for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of incubation. An enhancement of in vitro osteoblast attachment and cell viability was observed, which could lead to the optimistic orthopedic and dental applications. - Highlights: • Polypyrrole (PPy) coated 316L SS substrates were fabricated using electrodeposition method. • A novel silica nanotube (SiNTs) and ionic substituted (Sr, Zn, Mg) hydroxyapatite composite (I-HAp) were prepared. • The composite (I-HAp/SiNTs) was coated on PPy coated 316L SS substrate using electrophoretic deposition. • These results are favorable for corrosion resistance and enhanced osteoblast cell attachment for bone formation.

D. C. plasma-sprayed coatings of nano-structured alumina-titania-silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Xianliang

2002-01-01

nano-crystalline powders of ω(Al 2 O 3 ) = 95%, ω(TiO 2 ) = 3%, and ω(SiO 2 ) = 2%, were reprocessed into agglomerated particles for plasma spraying, by using consecutive steps of ball milling, slurry forming, spray drying, and heat treatment. D.C. plasma was used to spray the agglomerated nano-crystalline powders, and resultant coatings were deposited on the substrate of stainless steel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the agglomerated powders and the cross section of the alumina-titania-silica coatings. Experimental results show that the agglomerated nano-crystalline particles are spherical, with a size from (10-90) μm. The flow ability of the nano-crystalline powders is greatly improved after the reprocessing. The coatings deposited by the plasma spraying are mainly of nano-structure. Unlike conventional plasma-sprayed coatings, no laminar layer could be found in the nano-structured coatings. Although the nano-structured coatings have a lower microhardness than conventional microstructured coatings, the toughness of the nano-structured ceramic coatings is significantly improved

D. C. plasma-sprayed coatings of nano-structured alumina-titania-silica

CERN Document Server

Jiang Xian Liang

2002-01-01

nano-crystalline powders of omega(Al sub 2 O sub 3) = 95%, omega(TiO sub 2) = 3%, and omega(SiO sub 2) = 2%, were reprocessed into agglomerated particles for plasma spraying, by using consecutive steps of ball milling, slurry forming, spray drying, and heat treatment. D.C. plasma was used to spray the agglomerated nano-crystalline powders, and resultant coatings were deposited on the substrate of stainless steel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the agglomerated powders and the cross section of the alumina-titania-silica coatings. Experimental results show that the agglomerated nano-crystalline particles are spherical, with a size from (10-90) mu m. The flow ability of the nano-crystalline powders is greatly improved after the reprocessing. The coatings deposited by the plasma spraying are mainly of nano-structure. Unlike conventional plasma-sprayed coatings, no laminar layer could be found in the nano-structured coatings. Although the nano-structured coatings have a lo...

Thickness and morphology of polyelectrolyte coatings on silica surfaces before and after protein exposure studied by atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haselberg, Rob, E-mail: r.haselberg@vu.nl [Biomolecular Analysis, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht (Netherlands); AIMMS Division of BioMolecular Analysis, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Flesch, Frits M. [Biomolecular Analysis, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht (Netherlands); Boerke, Arjan [Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD Utrecht (Netherlands); Somsen, Govert W. [Biomolecular Analysis, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht (Netherlands); AIMMS Division of BioMolecular Analysis, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2013-05-24

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Atomic force microscopy is used to characterize polyelectrolyte coatings. •Coating procedure leads to nm-thick layers on a silica surface. •Polyelectrolyte coatings effectively prevent protein adsorption. •AFM provides the high resolution to investigate these thin films. •AFM results support earlier findings obtained with capillary electrophoresis. -- Abstract: Analyte–wall interaction is a significant problem in capillary electrophoresis (CE) as it may compromise separation efficiencies and migration time repeatability. In CE, self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer films of Polybrene (PB) and dextran sulfate (DS) or poly(vinylsulfonic acid) (PVS) have been used to coat the capillary inner wall and thereby prevent analyte adsorption. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to investigate the layer thickness and surface morphology of monolayer (PB), bilayer, (PB-DS and PB-PVS), and trilayer (PB-DS-PB and PB-PVS-PB) coatings on glass surfaces. AFM nanoshaving experiments providing height distributions demonstrated that the coating procedures led to average layer thicknesses between 1 nm (PB) and 5 nm (PB-DS-PB), suggesting the individual polyelectrolytes adhere flat on the silica surface. Investigation of the surface morphology of the different coatings by AFM revealed that the PB coating does not completely cover the silica surface, whereas full coverage was observed for the trilayer coatings. The DS-containing coatings appeared on average 1 nm thicker than the corresponding PVS-containing coatings, which could be attributed to the molecular structure of the anionic polymers applied. Upon exposure to the basic protein cytochrome c, AFM measurements showed an increase of the layer thickness for bare (3.1 nm) and PB-DS-coated (4.6 nm) silica, indicating substantial protein adsorption. In contrast, a very small or no increase of the layer thickness was observed for the PB and PB-DS-PB coatings

Upgrading offshore pipelines concrete coated by silica fume additive against aggressive mechanical laying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Abdou

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Studies have been carried out to investigate the possibility of utilizing a broad range of micro-silica partial additions with cement in the production of concrete coating. This study investigated the strength properties and permeability of micro-silica concrete to achieve resistance toward concrete cracking and damage during laying. The chemical composition of micro-silica (silica fume was determined, and has been conducted on concrete mixes with additions of 3 up to 25% by weight of cement in concrete. Properties of hardened concrete such as compressive strength, flexural strength, and permeability have been assessed and analyzed. Cubic specimens and beams were produced and cured in a curing tank for 7 and 28 days. Testing results have shown that additions of silica fume to cement between 5% and 7%, which acts as a filler and cementations material, developed high flexural and compressive strength with reduction of permeability.

Phospholipid-Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Acting as Lubricating Drug Nanocarriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Sun

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Osteoarthritis (OA is a severe disease caused by wear and inflammation of joints. In this study, phospholipid-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs@lip were prepared in order to treat OA at an early stage. The phospholipid layer has excellent lubrication capability in aqueous media due to the hydration lubrication mechanism, while mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs act as effective drug nanocarriers. The MSNs@lip were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectrum, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic light scattering techniques to confirm that the phospholipid layer was coated onto the surface of MSNs successfully. A series of tribological tests were performed under different experimental conditions, and the results showed that MSNs@lip with multi-layers of phospholipids greatly reduced the friction coefficient in comparison with MSNs. Additionally, MSNs@lip demonstrated sustained drug release behavior and were biocompatible based on CCK-8 assay using MC3T3-E1 cells. The MSNs@lip developed in the present study, acting as effective lubricating drug nanocarriers, may represent a promising strategy to treat early stage OA by lubrication enhancement and drug delivery therapy.

Shear bond strengths of an indirect composite layering material to a tribochemically silica-coated zirconia framework material.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Taro; Komine, Futoshi; Fushiki, Ryosuke; Kubochi, Kei; Shinohara, Mitsuyo; Matsumura, Hideo

2016-01-01

This study evaluated shear bond strengths of a layering indirect composite material to a zirconia framework material treated with tribochemical silica coating. Zirconia disks were divided into two groups: ZR-PRE (airborne-particle abrasion) and ZR-PLU (tribochemical silica coating). Indirect composite was bonded to zirconia treated with one of the following primers: Clearfil Ceramic Primer (CCP), Clearfil Mega Bond Primer with Clearfil Porcelain Bond Activator (MGP+Act), ESPE-Sil (SIL), Estenia Opaque Primer, MR. Bond, Super-Bond PZ Primer Liquid A with Liquid B (PZA+PZB), and Super-Bond PZ Primer Liquid B (PZB), or no treatment. Shear bond testing was performed at 0 and 20,000 thermocycles. Post-thermocycling shear bond strengths of ZR-PLU were higher than those of ZR-PRE in CCP, MGP+Act, SIL, PZA+PZB, and PZB groups. Application of silane yielded better durable bond strengths of a layering indirect composite material to a tribochemically silica-coated zirconia framework material.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and X-ray Diffraction of Boron- and Phosphorus-Doped Nanodiamonds

Science.gov (United States)

Binh, Nguyen Thi Thanh; Dolmatov, V. Yu.; Lapchuk, N. M.; Shymanski, V. I.

2017-11-01

Powders of boron- and phosphorus-doped detonation nanodiamonds and sintered pellets of non-doped nanodiamond powders were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance and x-ray diffraction. Doping of detonation nanodiamond crystals with boron and phosphorus was demonstrated to be possible. These methods could be used to diagnose diamond nanocrystals doped during shock-wave synthesis.

Blocked-micropores, surface functionalized, bio-compatible and silica-coated iron oxide nanocomposites as advanced MRI contrast agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darbandi, Masih; Laurent, Sophie; Busch, Martin; Li Zian; Yuan Ying; Krüger, Michael; Farle, Michael; Winterer, Markus; Vander Elst, Luce; Muller, Robert N.; Wende, Heiko

2013-01-01

Biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles have been found promising in several biomedical applications for tagging, imaging, sensing and separation in recent years. In this article, a systematic study of the design and development of surface-modification schemes for silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) via a one-pot, in situ method at room temperature is presented. Silica-coated IONP were prepared in a water-in-oil microemulsion, and subsequently the surface was modified via addition of organosilane reagents to the microemulsion system. The structure and the morphology of the as synthesized nanoparticles have been investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and measurement of N 2 adsorption–desorption. Electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images of the nanoparticles showed the highly crystalline nature of the IONP structures. Nitrogen adsorption indicates microporous and blocked-microporous structures for the silica-coated and amine functionalized silica-coated IONP, respectively which could prove less cytotoxicity of the functionalized final product. Besides, the colloidal stability of the final product and the presence of the modified functional groups on top of surface layer have been proven by zeta-potential measurements. Owing to the benefit from the inner IONP core and the hydrophilic silica shell, the as-synthesized nanocomposites were exploited as an MRI contrast enhancement agent. Relaxometric results prove that the surface functionalized IONP have also signal enhancement properties. These surface functionalized nanocomposites are not only potential candidates for highly efficient contrast agents for MRI, but could also be used as ultrasensitive biological-magnetic labels, because they are in nanoscale size, having magnetic properties, blocked-microporous and are well dispersible in biological environment.

Luminescent Polymer Electrolyte Composites Using Silica Coated-Y2O3:Eu as Fillers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikrajuddin Abdullah

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Luminescent polymer electrolyte composites composed of silica coated Y2O3:Eu in polyethylene glycol (PEG matrix has been produced by initially synthesizing silica coated Y2O3:Eu and mixing with polyethylene glycol in a lithium salt solution. High luminescence intensity at round 600 nm contributed by electron transitions in Eu3+ (5D0 -> 7F0, 5D0 -> 7F1, and 5D0 -> 7F3 transitions were observed. The measured electrical conductivity was comparable to that reported for polymer electrolyte composites prepared using passive fillers (non luminescent. This approach is therefore promising for production of high intensity luminescent polymer electrolyte composites for use in development of hybrid battery/display.

Coating of calcia-doped ceria with amorphous silica shell by seeded polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Yin, Shu; Yabe, Shinryo; Sato, Tsugio

2005-01-01

Calcia-doped ceria is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products. However, its high catalytic ability for oxidation of organic materials makes it difficult to use as a sunscreen material. Therefore, calcia-doped ceria was coated with amorphous silica by means of seeded polymerization technique in order to depress its oxidation catalytic ability. The catalytic ability as well as UV-shielding ability was investigated for coated particles

Morphology and orientational behavior of silica-coated spindle-type hematite particles in a magnetic field probed by small-angle X-ray scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Reufer, Mathias; Dietsch, Hervé; Gasser, Urs; Hirt, Ann; Menzel, Andreas; Schurtenberger, Peter

2010-04-15

Form factor and magnetic properties of silica-coated spindle-type hematite nanoparticles are determined from SAXS measurements with applied magnetic field and magnetometry measurements. The particle size, polydispersity and porosity are determined using a core-shell model for the form factor. The particles are found to align with their long axis perpendicular to the applied field. The orientational order is determined from the SAXS data and compared to the orientational order obtained from magnetometry. The direct access to both, the orientational order of the particles, and the magnetic moments allow one to determine the magnetic properties of the individual spindle-type hematite particles. We study the influence of the silica coating on the magnetic properties and find a fundamentally different behavior of silica-coated particles. The silica coating reduces the effective magnetic moment of the particles. This effect is enhanced with field strength and can be explained by superparamagnetic relaxation in the highly porous particles.

Encapsulated Silicon Nanocrystals Formed in Silica by Ion Beam Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Han Woo; Woo, Hyung Joo; Kim, Joon Kon; Kim, Gi Dong; Hong, Wan; Ji, Young Yong

2004-01-01

The photoluminescence (PL) emission of Si nanocrystals synthesized by 400 keV Si ion implanted in SiO 2 is studied as a function of ion dose and annealing time. The formation of nanocrystals at around 600 nm from the surface was confirmed by RBS and HRTEM, and the Si nanocrystals showed a wide and very intense PL emission at 700-900 nm. The intensity of this emission showed a typical behaviour with a fast transitory increase to reach a saturation with the annealing time, however, the red shift increased continuously because of the Ostwald ripening. The oversaturation of dose derived a decrease of PL intensity because of the diminishment of quantum confinement. A strong enhancement of PL intensity by H passivation was confirmed also, and the possible mechanism is discussed

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.

"Nanocrystal bilayer for tandem catalysis"

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamada, Yusuke; Tsung, Chia Kuang; Huang, Wenyu; Huo, Ziyang; E.Habas, Susan E; Soejima, Tetsuro; Aliaga, Cesar E; Samorjai, Gabor A; Yang, Peidong

2011-01-24

Supported catalysts are widely used in industry and can be optimized by tuning the composition and interface of the metal nanoparticles and oxide supports. Rational design of metal-metal oxide interfaces in nanostructured catalysts is critical to achieve better reaction activities and selectivities. We introduce here a new class of nanocrystal tandem catalysts that have multiple metal-metal oxide interfaces for the catalysis of sequential reactions. We utilized a nanocrystal bilayer structure formed by assembling platinum and cerium oxide nanocube monolayers of less than 10 nm on a silica substrate. The two distinct metal-metal oxide interfaces, CeO2-Pt and Pt-SiO2, can be used to catalyse two distinct sequential reactions. The CeO2-Pt interface catalysed methanol decomposition to produce CO and H2, which were subsequently used for ethylene hydroformylation catalysed by the nearby Pt-SiO2 interface. Consequently, propanal was produced selectively from methanol and ethylene on the nanocrystal bilayer tandem catalyst. This new concept of nanocrystal tandem catalysis represents a powerful approach towards designing high-performance, multifunctional nanostructured catalysts

Silica coating of PbS quantum dots and their position control using a nanohole on Si substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Mukai, Kohki; Okumura, Isao; Nishizaki, Yuta; Yamashita, Shuzo; Niwa, Keisuke

2018-04-01

We succeeded in controlling the apparent size of a colloidal PbS quantum dot (QD) in the range of 20 to 140 nm by coating with silica and trapping the coated QDs in a nanohole prepared by scanning probe microscope lithography. Photoluminescence intensity was improved by controlling the process of adding the silica source material of tetraethoxysilane for the coating. Nanoholes of different sizes were formed on a single substrate by scanning probe oxidation with the combination of SF6 dry etching and KOH wet etching. QDs having an arbitrary energy structure can be arranged at an arbitrary position on the semiconductor substrate using this technique, which will aid in the fabrication of future nanosize solid devices such as quantum information circuits.

Mega-electron-volt ion beam induced anisotropic plasmon resonance of silver nanocrystals in glass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Penninkhof, JJ; Polman, A; Sweatlock, LA; Maier, SA; Atwater, HA; Vredenberg, AM; Kooi, BJ; Sweatlock, Luke A.; Maier, Stefan A.

2003-01-01

30 MeV Si ion beam irradiation of silica glass containing Ag nanocrystals causes alignment of Ag nanocrystals in arrays along the ion tracks. Optical transmission measurements show a large splitting of the surface plasmon resonance bands for polarizations longitudinal and transversal to the arrays.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction based on mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for analysis of oral antidiabetic drugs in human plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Karynne Cristina de; Andrade, Gracielle Ferreira [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, CDTN/CNEN, Rua Professor Mário Werneck, s/n. Campus Universitário, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30.123-970 (Brazil); Vasconcelos, Ingrid; Oliveira Viana, Iara Maíra de; Fernandes, Christian [Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Martins Barros de Sousa, Edésia, E-mail: sousaem@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear, CDTN/CNEN, Rua Professor Mário Werneck, s/n. Campus Universitário, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30.123-970 (Brazil)

2014-07-01

In the present work, magnetic nanoparticles embedded into mesoporous silica were prepared in two steps: first, magnetite was synthesized by oxidation–precipitation method, and next, the magnetic nanoparticles were coated with mesoporous silica by using nonionic block copolymer surfactants as structure-directing agents. The mesoporous SiO{sub 2}-coated Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} samples were functionalized using octadecyltrimethoxysilane as silanizing agent. The pure and functionalized silica nanoparticles were physicochemically and morphologically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), N{sub 2} adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The resultant magnetic silica nanoparticles were applied as sorbents for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of oral antidiabetic drugs in human plasma. Our results revealed that the magnetite nanoparticles were completely coated by well-ordered mesoporous silica with free pores and stable pore walls, and that the structural and magnetic properties of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were preserved in the applied synthesis route. Indeed, the sorbent material was capable of extracting the antidiabetic drugs from human plasma, being useful for the sample preparation in biological matrices. - Highlights: • SBA-15/Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} was synthesized and functionalized with octadecyltrimethoxysilane. • Magnetite nanoparticles were completely coated by well-ordered mesoporous silica. • The samples were used as sorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). • The sorbent material was capable of extracting drugs from human plasma. • The extraction ability makes the material a candidate to be employed as MSPE.

Cloning nanocrystal morphology with soft templates

Science.gov (United States)

Thapa, Dev Kumar; Pandey, Anshu

2016-08-01

In most template directed preparative methods, while the template decides the nanostructure morphology, the structure of the template itself is a non-general outcome of its peculiar chemistry. Here we demonstrate a template mediated synthesis that overcomes this deficiency. This synthesis involves overgrowth of silica template onto a sacrificial nanocrystal. Such templates are used to copy the morphologies of gold nanorods. After template overgrowth, gold is removed and silver is regrown in the template cavity to produce a single crystal silver nanorod. This technique allows for duplicating existing nanocrystals, while also providing a quantifiable breakdown of the structure - shape interdependence.

Superheating and supercooling of Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Q; Sharp, I D; Yuan, C W; Yi, D O; Liao, C Y; Glaeser, A M; Minor, A M; Beeman, J W; Ridgway, M C; Kluth, P; Iii, J W Ager; Chrzan, D C; Haller, E E

2007-01-01

Free-standing nanocrystals exhibit a size-dependant thermodynamic melting point reduction relative to the bulk melting point that is governed by the surface free energy. The presence of an encapsulating matrix, however, alters the interface free energy of nanocrystals and their thermodynamic melting point can either increase or decrease relative to bulk. Furthermore, kinetic contributions can significantly alter the melting behaviours of embedded nanoscale materials. To study the effect of an encapsulating matrix on the melting behaviour of nanocrystals, we performed in situ electron diffraction measurements on Ge nanocrystals embedded in a silicon dioxide matrix. Ge nanocrystals were formed by multi-energy ion implantation into a 500 nm thick silica thin film on a silicon substrate followed by thermal annealing at 900 deg. C for 1 h. We present results demonstrating that Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO 2 exhibit a 470 K melting/solidification hysteresis that is approximately symmetric about the bulk melting point. This unique behaviour, which is thought to be impossible for bulk materials, is well described using a classical thermodynamic model that predicts both kinetic supercooling and kinetic superheating. The presence of the silica matrix suppresses surface pre-melting of nanocrystals. Therefore, heterogeneous nucleation of both the liquid phase and the solid phase are required during the heating and cooling cycle. The magnitude of melting hysteresis is governed primarily by the value of the liquid Ge/solid Ge interface free energy, whereas the relative values of the solid Ge/matrix and liquid Ge/matrix interface free energies govern the position of the hysteresis loop in absolute temperature

Spectroscopic and magnetic studies of highly dispersible superparamagnetic silica coated magnetite nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tadyszak, Krzysztof [NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznań (Poland); Institute of Molecular Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Mariana Smo.luchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland); Kertmen, Ahmet, E-mail: ahmet.kertmen@pg.gda.pl [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk (Poland); Coy, Emerson [NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznań (Poland); Andruszkiewicz, Ryszard; Milewski, Sławomir [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk (Poland); Kardava, Irakli; Scheibe, Błażej; Jurga, Stefan [NanoBioMedical Centre, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznań (Poland); Chybczyńska, Katarzyna, E-mail: katarzyna.chybczynska@ifmpan.poznan.pl [Institute of Molecular Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Mariana Smo.luchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Superparamagnetic core-shell nanoparticles of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}@Silica were obtained. • Magnetic response was studied by DC, AC magnetometry and EPR spectroscopy. • Nanoparticles show magnetite structure with a well-defined Verwey transition. • Samples show no inter particle magnetic interactions or agglomeration. - Abstract: Superparamagnetic behavior in aqueously well dispersible magnetite core-shell Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles is presented. The magnetic properties of core-shell nanoparticles were measured with use of the DC, AC magnetometry and EPR spectroscopy. Particles where characterized by HR-TEM and Raman spectroscopy, showing a crystalline magnetic core of 11.5 ± 0.12 nm and an amorphous silica shell of 22 ± 1.5 nm in thickness. The DC, AC magnetic measurements confirmed the superparamagnetic nature of nanoparticles, additionally the EPR studies performed at much higher frequency than DC, AC magnetometry (9 GHz) have confirmed the paramagnetic nature of the nanoparticles. Our results show the excellent magnetic behavior of the particles with a clear magnetite structure, which are desirable properties for environmental remediation and biomedical applications.

Dopant concentration dependent magnetism of Cu-doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anitha, B.; Khadar, M. Abdul, E-mail: mabdulkhadar@rediffmail.com [University of Kerala, Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (India)

2016-06-15

Undoped and Cu-doped nanocrystals of TiO{sub 2} having the size range of 8–11 nm were synthesized by peroxide gel method. XRD analysis using Rietveld refinement confirmed anatase phase with a small percentage of rutile content for undoped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals while a pure anatase phase with preferential growth along [004] direction was observed for nanocrystals of Cu-doped TiO{sub 2}. Variation in the intensity ratios of the XRD peaks of the doped samples compared to that of the undoped sample offered an evidence for the substitutional incorporation of Cu ions in the TiO{sub 2} lattice. The preferential growth of the nanocrystals along the [004] direction was verified using HRTEM analysis. Cu doping extended the optical absorption edge of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals to the visible spectral region and caused a blue shift and broadening of the E{sub g} (1) Raman active mode of anatase TiO{sub 2}. Undoped TiO{sub 2} sample showed a weak ferromagnetism superimposed on a diamagnetic background while Cu-doped TiO{sub 2} samples exhibited a weak ferromagnetism in the low-field region with a paramagnetic component in the high-field region. The magnetic moment exhibited by the doped samples is interpreted as the resultant of a weak ferromagnetic moment in the low-field region arising from the presence of defects near the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles or from the interaction of the substituted Cu ions with the oxygen vacancies, and the paramagnetic contribution from the increased Cu dopant concentration near the surface of the particles arising from self-purification mechanism.

Processing of Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Nanocrystal Dispersions for Thin Film Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Bryce Arthur

A scalable and inexpensive renewable energy source is needed to meet the expected increase in electricity demand throughout the developed and developing world in the next 15 years without contributing further to global warming through CO2 emissions. Photovoltaics may meet this need but current technologies are less than ideal requiring complex manufacturing processes and/or use of toxic, rare-earth materials. Copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu 2ZnSnS4, CZTS) solar cells offer a true "green" alternative based upon non-toxic and abundant elements. Solution-based processes utilizing CZTS nanocrystal dispersions followed by high temperature annealing have received significant research attention due to their compatibility with traditional roll-to-roll coating processes. In this work, CZTS nanocrystal (5-35 nm diameters) dispersions were utilized as a production pathway to form solar absorber layers. Aerosol-based coating methods (aerosol jet printing and ultrasonic spray coating) were optimized for formation of dense, crack-free CZTS nanocrystal coatings. The primary variables underlying determination of coating morphology within the aerosol-coating parameter space were investigated. It was found that the liquid content of the aerosol droplets at the time of substrate impingement play a critical role. Evaporation of the liquid from the aerosol droplets during coating was altered through changes to coating parameters as well as to the CZTS nanocrystal dispersions. In addition, factors influencing conversion of CZTS nanocrystal coatings into dense, large-grained polycrystalline films suitable for solar cell development during thermal annealing were studied. The roles nanocrystal size, carbon content, sodium uptake, and sulfur pressure were found to have pivotal roles in film microstructure evolution. The effects of these parameters on film morphology, grain growth rates, and chemical makeup were analyzed from electron microscopy images as well as compositional analysis

Effect of thermal treatments on sputtered silver nanocluster/silica composite coatings on soda-lime glasses: ionic exchange and antibacterial activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferraris, M.; Ferraris, S., E-mail: sara.ferraris@polito.it; Miola, M.; Perero, S.; Balagna, C.; Verne, E. [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Institute of Materials Physics and Engineering (Italy); Gautier, G. [IMAMOTER Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (Italy); Manfredotti, Ch.; Battiato, A.; Vittone, E. [University of Torino, Physics Department, NIS Excellence Centre and CNISM (Italy); Speranza, G. [Fondazione Bruno Kessler FBK (Italy); Bogdanovic, I. [Ruder Boskovic Institute, Experimental Physics Department (Croatia)

2012-12-15

Silver nanocluster/silica composite coatings were deposited on both soda-lime and silica glasses by radio frequency (RF) co-sputtering. The effect of thermal treatments on the microstructure in the range of 150-450 Degree-Sign C were examined by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Time of Flight-Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. Sodium/silver ionic exchange was evidenced for coatings sputtered on soda-lime substrates after heating at 450 Degree-Sign C; presence of silver ions and/or silver nanoclusters, nanocluster size and their position inside the sputtered layers will be discussed for as-deposited and heated coatings on both substrates. The antibacterial activity of all coatings was determined against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans by disk diffusion method and colonies forming units count; in agreement with microstructural results, the antibacterial activity present on all coatings was slightly reduced after heating at 450 Degree-Sign C. All coatings have been submitted to humidity plus UV ageing and sterilization by autoclave, gamma ray and ethylene oxide gas. Tape resistance (ASTM D3359-97) tests have been done on each coating before and after ageing and sterilizations, revealing a good adhesion on soda-lime substrates, except for those aged in humidity plus UV and sterilized by autoclave. Scratch tests and nanoindentation tests have been done on each coating, as-deposited and after heating at 450 Degree-Sign C. The coating hardness was improved by heating only when coatings were deposited on silica. The heating of coatings deposited on soda-lime substrates gave opposite effect on their hardness.

Self-Cleaning Antireflective Optical Coatings

KAUST Repository

Guldin, Stefan; Kohn, Peter; Stefik, Morgan; Song, Juho; Divitini, Giorgio; Ecarla, Fanny; Ducati, Caterina; Wiesner, Ulrich; Steiner, Ullrich

2013-01-01

-copolymer in combination with silica-based sol-gel chemistry and preformed TiO2 nanocrystals. The spontaneous dense packing of copolymer micelles followed by a condensation reaction results in an inverse opal-type silica morphology that is loaded with TiO2 photocatalytic

Fabrication of poly(o-anisidine) coated silica core-shell microspheres and their electrorheological response

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chul Joo; Choi, Hyoung Jin

2017-11-01

In this work, silica/poly(o-anisidine) (POA) core-shell structured microspheres were synthesized by coating the silica core surface with POA with a help of a chemical grafting agent, N-[(3-trimethoxylsilyl)-propyl] aniline. The synthesized silica microspheres were then applied as a polymer/inorganic composite particle-based electrorheological (ER) fluid. The morphology of the silica/POA microspheres was examined by using both transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while their thermal properties and chemical structure were checked by thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The ER properties of the silica/POA particle-based ER fluid were examined by using a Couette-type rotational rheometer equipped with a high-voltage power supplier and analyzed by the Bingham model and modified Mason number. In order to obtain additional information about the electrical polarization properties, the dielectric spectra were measured by an LCR meter and fitted by using the Cole-Cole equation. Furthermore, suspension stability of the ER fluid was tested using Turbiscan.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Coated Microneedle Arrays for Intradermal Antigen Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Jing; Du, Guangsheng; Reza Nejadnik, M; Mönkäre, Juha; van der Maaden, Koen; Bomans, Paul H H; Sommerdijk, Nico A J M; Slütter, Bram; Jiskoot, Wim; Bouwstra, Joke A; Kros, Alexander

2017-08-01

To develop a new intradermal antigen delivery system by coating microneedle arrays with lipid bilayer-coated, antigen-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (LB-MSN-OVA). Synthesis of MSNs with 10-nm pores was performed and the nanoparticles were loaded with the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA), and coated with a lipid bilayer (LB-MSN-OVA). The uptake of LB-MSN-OVA by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BDMCs) was studied by flow cytometry. The designed LB-MSN-OVA were coated onto pH-sensitive pyridine-modified microneedle arrays and the delivery of LB-MSN-OVA into ex vivo human skin was studied. The synthesized MSNs demonstrated efficient loading of OVA with a maximum loading capacity of about 34% and the lipid bilayer enhanced the colloidal stability of the MSNs. Uptake of OVA loaded in LB-MSN-OVA by BMDCs was higher than that of free OVA, suggesting effective targeting of LB-MSN-OVA to antigen-presenting cells. Microneedles were readily coated with LB-MSN-OVA at pH 5.8, yielding 1.5 μg of encapsulated OVA per microneedle array. Finally, as a result of the pyridine modification, LB-MSN-OVA were effectively released from the microneedles upon piercing the skin. Microneedle arrays coated with LB-MSN-OVA were successfully developed and shown to be suitable for intradermal delivery of the encapsulated protein antigen.

Modulation of human dermal microvascular endothelial cell and human gingival fibroblast behavior by micropatterned silica coating surfaces for zirconia dental implant applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laranjeira, Marta S; Carvalho, Ângela; Ferraz, Maria Pia; Monteiro, Fernando Jorge; Pelaez-Vargas, Alejandro; Hansford, Derek; Coimbra, Susana; Costa, Elísio; Santos-Silva, Alice; Fernandes, Maria Helena

2014-01-01

Dental ceramic implants have shown superior esthetic behavior and the absence of induced allergic disorders when compared to titanium implants. Zirconia may become a potential candidate to be used as an alternative to titanium dental implants if surface modifications are introduced. In this work, bioactive micropatterned silica coatings were produced on zirconia substrates, using a combined methodology of sol–gel processing and soft lithography. The aim of the work was to compare the in vitro behavior of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) on three types of silica-coated zirconia surfaces: flat and micropatterned (with pillars and with parallel grooves). Our results showed that cells had a higher metabolic activity (HGF, HDMEC) and increased gene expression levels of fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1) and collagen type I (COL I) on surfaces with pillars. Nevertheless, parallel grooved surfaces were able to guide cell growth. Even capillary tube-like networks of HDMEC were oriented according to the surface geometry. Zirconia and silica with different topographies have shown to be blood compatible and silica coating reduced bacteria adhesion. All together, the results indicated that microstructured bioactive coating seems to be an efficient strategy to improve soft tissue integration on zirconia implants, protecting implants from peri-implant inflammation and improving long-term implant stabilization. This new approach of micropatterned silica coating on zirconia substrates can generate promising novel dental implants, with surfaces that provide physical cues to guide cells and enhance their behavior. (paper)

Enhanced lifetime characteristics in flexible polymer light-emitting devices by encapsulation of epoxy/silica-coated gold nanoparticles resin (ESGR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Pin-Hsiang; Huang, Chien-Jung; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Meen, Teen-Hang; Wang, Yeong-Her

2010-01-01

This paper reports the effects of a new multilayer encapsulation for the lifetime of flexible PLEDs on plastic substrate. The multilayer encapsulation consisted of a novel epoxy/silica-coated gold nanoparticles resin (ESGR) as the pre-encapsulation layer and a SiO 2 layer as the encapsulation cap. The ESGR was prepared by mixing UV-curable epoxy resin and powders of silica-coated gold nanoparticles. The silica-coated gold nanoparticles is a necessity because the epoxy resin is not a good moisture barrier. The flexible PLEDs with multilayer encapsulation exhibited no dark spots after being stored for over 300 h at 25 deg. C and 60% relative humidity. Also, the operational half-luminance decay time of device was 1360 h, seven times longer than that of a device without encapsulation. These results confirmed that the multilayer encapsulation, which restricted the moisture that penetrated into the devices, could be applied to the encapsulation of flexible PLEDs.

Properties of magnetically diluted nanocrystals prepared by mechanochemical route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaz, P.; Skorvanek, I.; Fabian, M.; Kovac, J.; Steinbach, F.; Feldhoff, A.; Sepelak, V.; Jiang, J.; Satka, A.; Kovac, J.

2010-01-01

The bulk and surface properties of magnetically diluted Cd 0.6 Mn 0.4 S nanocrystals synthesized by solid state route in a planetary mill were studied. XRD, SEM, TEM (HRTEM), low-temperature N 2 sorption, nanoparticle size distribution as well as SQUID magnetometry methods have been applied. The measurements identified the aggregates of small nanocrystals, 5-10 nm in size. The homogeneity of produced particles with well developed specific surface area (15-66 m 2 g -1 ) was documented. The transition from the paramagnetic to the spin-glass-like phase has been observed below ∼40 K. The changes in the magnetic behaviour at low temperatures seem to be correlated with the formation of the new surface area as a consequence of milling. The magnetically diluted Cd 0.6 Mn 0.4 S nanocrystals are obtained in the simple synthesis step, making the process attractive for industrial applications.

Colloidal Fe-doped ZnO nanocrystals: Facile low temperature synthesis, characterization and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singhal, A. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)], E-mail: ansing@barc.gov.in; Achary, S.N.; Tyagi, A.K. [Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Manna, P.K.; Yusuf, S.M. [Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2008-09-25

Colloidal Fe-doped ZnO nanocrystals, Zn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}O (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.1) have been prepared by thermal decomposition of metal precursors at 200 deg. C with hexadecylamine (HDA) as solvent and surfactant. The nanocrystals so prepared can be easily dispersed in non-polar solvents like chloroform and toluene. The nanocrystals have been structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Magnetization measurements on a representative sample, Zn{sub 0.95}Fe{sub 0.05}O using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) reveal that the nanocrystals exhibit a weak ferromagnetic behavior at 300 K. This observation is further confirmed by the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of Zn{sub 0.95}Fe{sub 0.05}O nanocrystals, which shows a distinct ferromagnetic resonance signal at room temperature.

Surface hydrophobic co-modification of hollow silica nanoparticles toward large-area transparent superhydrophobic coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Liangjuan; He, Junhui

2013-04-15

The present paper reports a novel, simple, and efficient approach to fabricate transparent superhydrophobic coatings on glass substrates by spray-coating stearic acid (STA) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perflurooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) co-modified hollow silica nanoparticles (SPHSNs), the surfaces of which were hydrophobic. The surface wettability of coatings was dependent on the conditions of post-treatment: the water contact angle of coating increased and then leveled off with increase in either the drying temperature or the drying time. When the coating was treated at 150°C for 5h, the water contact angle was as high as 160° and the sliding angle was lower than 1°, reaching excellent superhydrophobicity. They remained 159° and ≤1°, respectively, even after 3months storage under indoor conditions (20°C, 20%RH), demonstrating the long time stability of coating superhydrophobicity. The coating was robust both to the impact of water droplets (297 cm/s) and to acidic (pH=1) and basic (pH=14) droplets. It showed good transparency in the visible-near infrared spectral range, and the maximum transmittance reached as high as 89%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to investigate the interactions among STA, POTS, and hollow silica nanoparticles (HSNs). Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to observe and estimate the morphology and surface roughness of coatings. Optical properties were characterized by a UV-visible-near infrared spectrophotometer. Surface wettability was studied by a contact angle/interface system. The enhancement of hydrophobicity to superhydrophobicity by post-treatment was discussed based on the transition from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica - coated magnetite nanoparticles for efficient removal of Pb(II) from water

Science.gov (United States)

Culita, Daniela C.; Simonescu, Claudia Maria; Patescu, Rodica-Elena; Dragne, Mioara; Stanica, Nicolae; Oprea, Ovidiu

2016-06-01

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica - coated magnetite (Fe3O4@MCM-41-N-oVan) was synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption technique and magnetic measurements. The capacity of Fe3O4@MCM-41-N-oVan to adsorb Pb(II) from aqueous solutions was evaluated in comparison with raw mesoporous silica - coated magnetite (Fe3O4@MCM-41) and amino - modified mesoporous silica coated magnetite (Fe3O4@MCM-41-NH2). The effect of adsorption process parameters such us pH, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration was also investigated. The adsorption data were successfully fitted with the Langmuir model, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 155.71 mg/g at pH=4.4 and T=298 K. The results revealed that the adsorption rate was very high at the beginning of the adsorption process, 80-90% of the total amount of Pb(II) being removed within the first 60 min, depending on the initial concentration. The results of the present work suggest that Fe3O4@MCM-41-N-oVan is a suitable candidate for the separation of Pb(II) from contaminated water.

In situ crystallization of b-oriented MFI films on plane and curved substrates coated with a mesoporous silica layer

KAUST Repository

Deng, Zhiyong

2013-05-01

A simple and reproducible method is presented for preparing b-oriented MFI films on plane (disc) and curved (hollow fiber) supports by in situ hydrothermal synthesis. A mesoporous silica (sub-)layer was pre-coated on the supports by dip coating followed by a rapid thermal calcination step (973 K during 1 min) to reduce the number of grain boundaries while keeping the hydrophilic behavior of silica. The role of the silica sub-layer is not only to smoothen the substrate surface, but also to provide a silica source to promote the nucleation and growth of zeolite crystals via a heterogeneous nucleation mechanism (zeolitization), and adsorb zeolite moieties generated in the synthesis solution via a homogeneous nucleation mechanism. A monolayer of b-oriented MFI crystals was obtained on both supports after 3 h synthesis time with a moderate degree of twinning on the surface. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Synthesis and green up-conversion fluorescence of colloidal La0.78Yb0.20Er0.02F3/SiO2 core/shell nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yan; Qin Weiping; Zhang Jisen; Cao Chunyan; Zhang Jishuang; Jin Ye; Zhu Peifen; Wei Guodong; Wang Guofeng; Wang Lili

2007-01-01

Water-soluble PVP-stabilized hexagonal-phase La 0.78 Yb 0.20 Er 0.02 F 3 nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The NCs were coated with a very thin silica shell, and amino groups were introduced to the surface of silica shells by copolymerization of 3-aminopropyl(triethoxy)silane. The core/shell NCs can be dispersed in ethanol and water to form stable colloidal solution. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize the core/shell materials. In addition, the green up-conversion fluorescence mechanism of La 0.78 Yb 0.20 Er 0.02 F 3 /SiO 2 NCs was studied with a 980-nm diode laser as excitation source. The water solubility, small core/shell particles size, and well colloidal stability mean the green up-conversion fluorescence NCs have potential applications in bioassay. - Graphical abstract: Colloidal La 0.78 Yb 0.20 Er 0.02 F 3 /SiO 2 Core/Shell nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized and the free amino groups were introduced to the surface of silica shells by copolymerization 3-aminopropyl(triethoxy)silane. The NCs can be dispersed in ethanol and water to form stable colloidal solution. In addition, the NCs exhibit green up-conversion fluorescence under 980-nm excitation

Osseointegration properties of titanium dental implants modified with a nanostructured coating based on ordered porous silica and bioactive glass nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Covarrubias, Cristian, E-mail: ccovarrubias@odontologia.uchile.cl [Laboratory of Nanobiomaterials, Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile); Mattmann, Matías [Laboratory of Nanobiomaterials, Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile); Von Marttens, Alfredo [Department of Prosthesis, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile); Caviedes, Pablo; Arriagada, Cristián [Laboratory of Cell Therapy, ICBM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile (Chile); Valenzuela, Francisco [Laboratory of Nanobiomaterials, Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile); Rodríguez, Juan Pablo [Laboratory of Cell Biology, INTA, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile); Corral, Camila [Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile)

2016-02-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The fabrication of a coating for osseointegration of titanium implant is presented. • The coating consists of nanoporous silica loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles. • Coating accelerates the in vitro formation of apatite in simulated body fluid. • Coating promotes the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. • Coating accelerates the formation of bone tissue in the periphery of the implant. - Abstract: The fabrication of a nanoporous silica coating loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles (nBG/NSC) on titanium dental implant surface and its in vitro and in vivo evaluation is presented. The coating was produced by a combined sol–gel and evaporation induced self-assembly process. In vitro bioactivity was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF) and investigating the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). A rat tibial model was employed to analyze the bone response to nBG/NSC-modified titanium implant surface in vivo. The nBG/NSC coating was confirmed at nano level to be constituted by a highly ordered nanoporous silica structure. The coating nanotopography in conjunction with the bioactivity of the BG particles accelerate the in vitro apatite formation and promote the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs in absence of osteogenic supplements. These properties accelerate the formation of bone tissue in the periphery of the implant after 3 weeks of implantation. Backscattered scanning electron microscopy images revealed the presence of gaps and soft tissue in the unmodified implant after 6 weeks, whereas the nBG/NSC-modified implant showed mature bone in intimate contact with the implant surface. The nBG/NSC coating appears promising for accelerating the osseointegration of dental implants.

Osseointegration properties of titanium dental implants modified with a nanostructured coating based on ordered porous silica and bioactive glass nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Covarrubias, Cristian; Mattmann, Matías; Von Marttens, Alfredo; Caviedes, Pablo; Arriagada, Cristián; Valenzuela, Francisco; Rodríguez, Juan Pablo; Corral, Camila

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The fabrication of a coating for osseointegration of titanium implant is presented. • The coating consists of nanoporous silica loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles. • Coating accelerates the in vitro formation of apatite in simulated body fluid. • Coating promotes the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. • Coating accelerates the formation of bone tissue in the periphery of the implant. - Abstract: The fabrication of a nanoporous silica coating loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles (nBG/NSC) on titanium dental implant surface and its in vitro and in vivo evaluation is presented. The coating was produced by a combined sol–gel and evaporation induced self-assembly process. In vitro bioactivity was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF) and investigating the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). A rat tibial model was employed to analyze the bone response to nBG/NSC-modified titanium implant surface in vivo. The nBG/NSC coating was confirmed at nano level to be constituted by a highly ordered nanoporous silica structure. The coating nanotopography in conjunction with the bioactivity of the BG particles accelerate the in vitro apatite formation and promote the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs in absence of osteogenic supplements. These properties accelerate the formation of bone tissue in the periphery of the implant after 3 weeks of implantation. Backscattered scanning electron microscopy images revealed the presence of gaps and soft tissue in the unmodified implant after 6 weeks, whereas the nBG/NSC-modified implant showed mature bone in intimate contact with the implant surface. The nBG/NSC coating appears promising for accelerating the osseointegration of dental implants.

Synthesis of a colloid solution of silica-coated gold nanoparticles for X-ray imaging applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Yoshio; Nagasu, Ryoko; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Nakagawa, Tomohiko; Kubota, Yohsuke; Gonda, Kohsuke; Ohuchi, Noriaki

2014-08-01

This work proposes a method for fabricating silica-coated gold (Au) nanoparticles, surface modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Au/SiO2/PEG), with a particle size of 54.8 nm. X-ray imaging of a mouse is performed with the colloid solution. A colloid solution of 17.9 nm Au nanoparticles was prepared by reducing Au ions (III) with sodium citrate in water at 80 °C. The method used for silica-coating the Au nanoparticles was composed of surface-modification of the Au nanoparticles with (3-aminopropyl)-trimethoxysilane (APMS) and a sol-gel process. The sol-gel process was performed in the presence of the surface-modified Au nanoparticles using tetraethylorthosilicate, APMS, water, and sodium hydroxide, in which the formation of silica shells and the introduction of amino groups to the silica-coated particles took place simultaneously (Au/SiO2-NH2). Surface modification of the Au/SiO2-NH2 particles with PEG, or PEGylation of the particle surface, was performed by adding PEG with a functional group that reacted with an amino group in the Au/SiO2-NH2 particle colloid solution. A computed tomography (CT) value of the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles with an actual Au concentration of 0.112 M was as high as 922 ± 12 Hounsfield units, which was higher than that of a commercial X-ray contrast agent with the same iodine concentration. Injecting the aqueous colloid solution of Au/SiO2/PEG particles into a mouse increased the light contrast of tissues. A CT value of the heart rose immediately after the injection, and this rise was confirmed for up to 6 h.

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite nanoparticles for efficient removal of Pb(II) from water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Culita, Daniela C., E-mail: danaculita@yahoo.co.uk [“Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry, Splaiul Independentei 202, Bucharest (Romania); Simonescu, Claudia Maria; Patescu, Rodica-Elena [Politehnica University, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Bucharest (Romania); Dragne, Mioara [S.C. KEMCRISTAL S.R.L., Muncii Str., No. 51, Fundulea, Călăraşi (Romania); Stanica, Nicolae [“Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry, Splaiul Independentei 202, Bucharest (Romania); Oprea, Ovidiu [Politehnica University, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Bucharest (Romania)

2016-06-15

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@MCM-41-N-oVan) was synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption technique and magnetic measurements. The capacity of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@MCM-41-N-oVan to adsorb Pb(II) from aqueous solutions was evaluated in comparison with raw mesoporous silica – coated magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@MCM-41) and amino – modified mesoporous silica coated magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@MCM-41-NH{sub 2}). The effect of adsorption process parameters such us pH, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration was also investigated. The adsorption data were successfully fitted with the Langmuir model, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 155.71 mg/g at pH=4.4 and T=298 K. The results revealed that the adsorption rate was very high at the beginning of the adsorption process, 80–90% of the total amount of Pb(II) being removed within the first 60 min, depending on the initial concentration. The results of the present work suggest that Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@MCM-41-N-oVan is a suitable candidate for the separation of Pb(II) from contaminated water. - Graphical abstract: A novel magnetic adsorbent based on o-vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite was synthesized and fully characterized and its adsorption capacity for Pb(II) ions in aqueous solutions was evaluated. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb(II) ions was determined to be 155.71 mg g{sup −1}. The adsorption rate was very high at the beginning of the adsorption process, 90% of the total amount of Pb(II) being removed within the first 60 min. Display Omitted.

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite nanoparticles for efficient removal of Pb(II) from water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culita, Daniela C.; Simonescu, Claudia Maria; Patescu, Rodica-Elena; Dragne, Mioara; Stanica, Nicolae; Oprea, Ovidiu

2016-01-01

o-Vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 @MCM-41-N-oVan) was synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N 2 adsorption–desorption technique and magnetic measurements. The capacity of Fe 3 O 4 @MCM-41-N-oVan to adsorb Pb(II) from aqueous solutions was evaluated in comparison with raw mesoporous silica – coated magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 @MCM-41) and amino – modified mesoporous silica coated magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 @MCM-41-NH 2 ). The effect of adsorption process parameters such us pH, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration was also investigated. The adsorption data were successfully fitted with the Langmuir model, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 155.71 mg/g at pH=4.4 and T=298 K. The results revealed that the adsorption rate was very high at the beginning of the adsorption process, 80–90% of the total amount of Pb(II) being removed within the first 60 min, depending on the initial concentration. The results of the present work suggest that Fe 3 O 4 @MCM-41-N-oVan is a suitable candidate for the separation of Pb(II) from contaminated water. - Graphical abstract: A novel magnetic adsorbent based on o-vanillin functionalized mesoporous silica – coated magnetite was synthesized and fully characterized and its adsorption capacity for Pb(II) ions in aqueous solutions was evaluated. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb(II) ions was determined to be 155.71 mg g −1 . The adsorption rate was very high at the beginning of the adsorption process, 90% of the total amount of Pb(II) being removed within the first 60 min. Display Omitted

Investigating the mesostructure of ordered porous silica nanocomposites by transmission electron microscopy techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bullita, S.; Casula, M. F., E-mail: casulaf@unica.it [INSTM and Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Canada) (Italy); Piludu, M. [Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Canada) (Italy); Falqui, A. [INSTM and Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Canada) Italy and KAUST-King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Carta, D. [INSTM and Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Canada), Italy and Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, University of Southampton, Southampton (United Kingdom); Corrias, A. [INSTM and Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Cagliari, Monserrato (Canada) Italy and School of Physical Sciences, Ingram Building, University of Kent, Canterbury (United Kingdom)

2014-10-21

Nanocomposites made out of FeCo alloy nanocrystals supported onto pre-formed mesoporous ordered silica which features a cubic arrangement of pores (SBA-16) were investigated. Information on the effect of the nanocrystals on the mesostructure (i.e. pore arrangement symmetry, pore size, and shape) were deduced by a multitechnique approach including N2 physisorption, low angle X-ray diffraction, and Transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that advanced transmission electron microscopy techniques are required, however, to gain direct evidence on key compositional and textural features of the nanocomposites. In particular, electron tomography and microtomy techniques make clear that the FeCo nanocrystals are located within the pores of the SBA-16 silica, and that the ordered mesostructure of the nanocomposite is retained throughout the observed specimen.

Superhydrophobic and transparent coatings prepared by self-assembly of dual-sized silica particles

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qian-Feng; Wang, Jian-Nong

2010-06-01

Superhydrophobic and transparent coatings have been prepared by self-assembly of dual-sized silica particles from a mixed dispersion. The desirable micro/nano hierarchical structure for superhydrophobicity is constructed simply by adjusting the size and ratio of the dual-sized particles without organic/inorganic templates. The transparency of the prepared coatings is also researched, and the light scattering can be reduced by lowering the ratio of big sub-micro particles while the superhydrophobicity maintains unchanged. When nano particles with a diameter of 50 nm and sub-micro particles with a diameter of 350 nm are assembled, a superhydrophobic property with a water contact angle of 161° is achieved. Additionally, the coated glass is also very transparent. The highest transmittance of the coated glass can reach 85%. Compared to traditional colloid self-assembly approach, which often involves dozens of steps of layer-by-layer processing and organic/inorganic templates, the present approach is much simpler and has advantages for large-scale coating.

Fabrication of silica-coated gold nanorods and investigation of their property of photothermal conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inose, Tomoya; Oikawa, Takahiro; Shibuya, Kyosuke; Tokunaga, Masayuki; Hatoyama, Keiichiro; Nakashima, Kouichi; Kamei, Takashi; Gonda, Kohsuke; Kobayashi, Yoshio

2017-01-01

This study described the preparation of silica-coated Au nanorods (AuNR/SiO 2 ) in a colloidal solution, assessed their property of photothermal conversion, and investigated their ability to kill cancer cells using photothermal conversion. Au-seed nanoparticles were produced by reducing hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl 4 ) with sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) in aqueous n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solution. AuNRs were then fabricated by reducing HAuCl 4 and silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) with L-ascorbic acid in the aqueous CTAB solution in the presence of Au-seed nanoparticles. The as-prepared AuNRs were washed by a process composed mainly of centrifugation to remove the CTAB. The washed AuNRs were coated with silica by mixing the AuNR colloidal solution, an aqueous solution of (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane, and tetraethylorthosilicate/ethanol solution with a water/ethanol solution. We found that the addition of AuNR/SiO 2 in water, in mice, and in a culture medium with cancer cells, followed by irradiation with a laser, cause an increase in temperature, demonstrating that AuNR/SiO 2 have the ability of photothermal conversion. In addition, the cancer cells in the culture medium were found to be killed due to the increase in temperature caused by the photothermal conversion. - Highlights: • This study described the preparation of silica-coated Au nanorods (AuNR/SiO 2 ) colloidal solution. • The AuNR/SiO 2 had the ability of photothermal conversion. • The AuNR/SiO 2 also had the ability to kill cancer cells using the photothermal conversion.

Silver nanoprisms self-assembly on differently functionalized silica surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilipavicius, J; Chodosovskaja, A; Beganskiene, A; Kareiva, A

2015-01-01

In this work colloidal silica/silver nanoprisms (NPRs) composite coatings were made. Firstly colloidal silica sols were synthesized by sol-gel method and produced coatings on glass by dip-coating technique. Next coatings were silanized by (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), N-[3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (AEAPTMS), (3- Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). Silver NPRs where synthesized via seed-mediated method and high yield of 94±15 nm average edge length silver NPRs were obtained with surface plasmon resonance peak at 921 nm. Silica-Silver NPRs composite coatings obtained by selfassembly on silica coated-functionalized surface. In order to find the most appropriate silanization way for Silver NPRs self-assembly, the composite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), water contact angle (CA) and surface free energy (SFE) methods. Results have showed that surface functionalization is necessary to achieve self-assembled Ag NPRs layer. MPTMS silanized coatings resulted sparse distribution of Ag NPRs. Most homogeneous, even distribution composite coatings obtained on APTES functionalized silica coatings, while AEAPTMS induced strong aggregation of Silver NPRs

Evaluation of superparamagnetic and biocompatible properties of mesoporous silica coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via microwave modified Pechini method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gharibshahian, M. [Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mirzaee, O., E-mail: O_mirzaee@semnan.ac.ir [Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nourbakhsh, M.S. [Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Semnan University, Semnan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-03-01

Cobalt ferrite nano particles were synthesized by Pechini sol-gel method and calcined at 700 °C in electrical and microwave furnace. The microwave calcined sample was coated with mesoporous silica by hydrothermal method. Characterization was performed by XRD, FESEM, TEM, VSM, BET and FTIR analysis. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay with 3T3 fibroblast cells. The XRD and FTIR results confirmed spinal formation in both cases and verified the formation of silica coating on the nanoparticles. For microwave calcination, The XRD and SEM results demonstrated smaller and flat adhesion forms of nanoparticles with the average size of 15 nm. The VSM results demonstrated nearly superparamagnetic nanoparticles with significant saturation magnetization equal to 64 emu/g. By coating, saturation magnetization was decreased to 36 emu/g. Moreover, the BET results confirmed the formation of mesoporous coating with the average pore diameters of 2.8 nm and average pore volume of 0.82 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1}. Microwave calcined nanoparticles had the best structural and magnetic properties. - Highlights: • CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles were synthesized using the microwave modified Pechini method. • The Effect of calcination route and silica coating on NPs properties was studied. • The nearly superparamagnetic nanoparticles were achieved by microwave calcination. • MFC NPs had the best magnetic properties and MTT assay showed no toxicity for MFC-MSC NPs. • A useful scheme was designed to achieve biological superparamagnetic core/shell NPs.

Evidence of localized amorphous silicon clustering from Raman depth-probing of silicon nanocrystals in fused silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barba, D; Martin, F; Ross, G G

2008-01-01

Silicon nanocrystals (Si-nc) and amorphous silicon (α-Si) produced by silicon implantation in fused silica have been studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Information regarding the Raman signature of the α-Si phonon excitation was extracted from Raman depth-probing measurements using the phenomenological phonon confinement model. The spectral deconvolution of the Raman measurements recorded at different laser focusing depths takes into account both the Si-nc size variation and the Si-nc spatial distribution within the sample. The phonon peak associated with α-Si around 470 cm -1 is greatest for in-sample laser focusing, indicating that the formation of amorphous silicon is more important in the region containing a high concentration of silicon excess, where large Si-nc are located. As also observed for Si-nc systems prepared by SiO x layer deposition, this result demonstrates the presence of α-Si in high excess Si implanted Si-nc systems

Zinc-decorated silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for protein binding and controlled release.

Science.gov (United States)

Bele, Marjan; Hribar, Gorazd; Campelj, Stanislav; Makovec, Darko; Gaberc-Porekar, Vladka; Zorko, Milena; Gaberscek, Miran; Jamnik, Janko; Venturini, Peter

2008-05-01

The aim of this study was to be able to reversibly bind histidine-rich proteins to the surface of maghemite magnetic nanoparticles via coordinative bonding using Zn ions as the anchoring points. We showed that in order to adsorb Zn ions on the maghemite, the surface of the latter needs to be modified. As silica is known to strongly adsorb zinc ions, we chose to modify the maghemite nanoparticles with a nanometre-thick silica layer. This layer appeared to be thin enough for the maghemite nanoparticles to preserve their superparamagnetic nature. As a model the histidine-rich protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used. The release of the BSA bound to Zn-decorated silica-coated maghemite nanoparticles was analysed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We demonstrated that the bonding of the BSA to such modified magnetic nanoparticles is highly reversible and can be controlled by an appropriate change of the external conditions, such as a pH decrease or the presence/supply of other chelating compounds.

Phase- and size-controllable synthesis of hexagonal upconversion rare-earth fluoride nanocrystals through an oleic acid/ionic liquid two-phase system.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Meng; Huang, Peng; Zhang, Chunlei; Ma, Jiebing; He, Rong; Cui, Daxiang

2012-05-07

Herein, we introduce a facile, user- and environmentally friendly (n-octanol-induced) oleic acid (OA)/ionic liquid (IL) two-phase system for the phase- and size-controllable synthesis of water-soluble hexagonal rare earth (RE = La, Gd, and Y) fluoride nanocrystals with uniform morphologies (mainly spheres and elongated particles) and small sizes (size are discussed in detail. More importantly, the mechanism of the (n-octanol-induced) OA/IL two-phase system, the formation of the RE fluoride nanocrystals, and the distinctive size- and morphology-controlling capacity of the system are presented. BmimPF(6) is versatile in term of crystal-phase manipulation, size and shape maintenance, and providing water solubility in a one-step reaction. The luminescent properties of Er(3+)-, Ho(3+)-, and Tm(3+)-doped LaF(3), NaGdF(4), and NaYF(4) nanocrystals were also studied. It is worth noting that the as-prepared products can be directly dispersed in water due to the hydrophilic property of Bmim(+) (cationic part of the IL) as a capping agent. This advantageous feature has made the IL-capped products favorable in facile surface modifications, such as the classic Stober method. Finally, the cytotoxicity evaluation of NaYF(4):Yb,Er nanocrystals before and after silica coating was conducted for further biological applications. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Engineering and characterization of mesoporous silica-coated magnetic particles for mercury removal from industrial effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Jie; Xu Zhenghe; Wang Feng

2008-01-01

Mesoporous silica coatings were synthesized on dense liquid silica-coated magnetite particles using cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride (CTAC) as molecular templates, followed by sol-gel process. A specific surface area of the synthesized particles as high as 150 m 2 /g was obtained. After functionalization with mercapto-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (MPTS) through silanation reaction, the particles exhibited high affinity of mercury in aqueous solutions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential measurement, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) were used to characterize the synthesis processes, surface functionalization, and mercury adsorption on the synthesized magnetite particles. The loading capacity of the particles for mercury was determined to be as high as 14 mg/g at pH 2. A unique feature of strong magnetism of the synthesized nanocomposite particles makes the subsequent separation of the magnetic sorbents from complex multiphase suspensions convenient and effective

Engineering and characterization of mesoporous silica-coated magnetic particles for mercury removal from industrial effluents

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jie; Xu, Zhenghe; Wang, Feng

2008-03-01

Mesoporous silica coatings were synthesized on dense liquid silica-coated magnetite particles using cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride (CTAC) as molecular templates, followed by sol-gel process. A specific surface area of the synthesized particles as high as 150 m 2/g was obtained. After functionalization with mercapto-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (MPTS) through silanation reaction, the particles exhibited high affinity of mercury in aqueous solutions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential measurement, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) were used to characterize the synthesis processes, surface functionalization, and mercury adsorption on the synthesized magnetite particles. The loading capacity of the particles for mercury was determined to be as high as 14 mg/g at pH 2. A unique feature of strong magnetism of the synthesized nanocomposite particles makes the subsequent separation of the magnetic sorbents from complex multiphase suspensions convenient and effective.

Influence of surface modified nanoilmenite/amorphous silica composite particles on the thermal stability of cold galvanizing coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M. Al-Sabagh

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The present approach investigates the use of novel nanoilmenite/amorphous silica composite (NI/AS particles fabricated from ilmenite nanoparticles (FeTiO3 NPs and synthesized amorphous silica grains to improve thermal stability of the cold galvanizing coating. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM images demonstrated that both nanoilmenite and nanocomposite particles were of flaky-like nature and the average diameter of the particles is 20 nm. The lamellar shape of the nanocomposite and spherical nature of Zn-dust particles were illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM micrographs. Different alkyd-based cold galvanizing coating formulations were modified using uniformly dispersing various amounts of the processed nanocomposite particles as a modifier to form some engineering nanocomposite coatings. Thermal stability of the nanocomposite and Zn-dust particles was determined by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA. From the obtained results it could be observed that the weight loss (% as a feature of the thermal stability in case of the nanocomposite particles was 2.9 compared to 85.9 for Zn-dust powder grains. Derivative thermo-gravimetric (DTG measurements were done under nitrogen atmosphere for the cured cold galvanizing coating samples heated from room temperature to 1000 °C. The obtained results revealed that the maximum decomposition temperature point in the third degradation step for 6% nanocomposite surface modified cured sample (CG-F was detected at 693 °C and was less value for unmodified conventional cold galvanizing coating (CG-A at 612 °C. The increase in thermal stability with increasing the concentration of nanocomposite particles could be mainly attributed to the interface surface interaction between the nanocomposite particles and alkyd resin matrix in which enhancing the inorganic-organic network stiffness by causing a reduction in the total free spaces and enhancement in the cross-linking density of the cured film

Eco-friendly approach towards green synthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals and its potential applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Velmurugan, Palanivel; Park, Jung-Hee; Lee, Sang-Myeong; Yi, Young-Joo; Cho, Min; Jang, Jum-Suk; Myung, Hyun; Bang, Keuk-Soo; Oh, Byung-Taek

2016-09-01

In the present study, we investigated a novel green route for synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals using Prunus × yedoensis Matsumura leaf extract as a reducing agent without using any surfactant or external energy. Standard characterization studies were carried out to confirm the obtained product using UV-Vis spectra, SEM-EDS, FTIR, TEM, and XRD. In addition, the synthesized ZnO nanocrystals were coated onto fabric and leather samples to study their bacteriostatic effect against odor-causing bacteria Brevibacterium linens and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Zinc oxide nanocrystal-coated fabric and leather showed good activity against both bacteria.

Nonadhesive, silica nanoparticles-based brush-coated contact lens casesCompromising between ease of cleaning and microbial transmission to contact lenses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Qu, Wenwen; Hooymans, Johanna M. M.; Qiu, Jun; de-Bont, Nik; Gelling, Onko-Jan; van der Mei, Henny C.; Busscher, Henk J.

Surface properties of lens cases are determinant for their cleanability and for microbial transmission from lens cases to contact lenses (CLs). PEG-polymer-brush-coatings are known to decrease microbial adhesion more than other surface-coatings. Here, we applied a robust, silica nanoparticles-based

Synthesis and characterization of the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles modified with cationic chitosan and coated with silica shell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewandowska-Łańcucka, Joanna, E-mail: lewandow@chemia.uj.edu.pl [Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow (Poland); Staszewska, Magdalena; Szuwarzyński, Michał; Kępczyński, Mariusz [Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow (Poland); Romek, Marek [Department of Cytology and Histology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Krakow (Poland); Tokarz, Waldemar [Department of Solid State Physics, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Szpak, Agnieszka; Kania, Gabriela; Nowakowska, Maria [Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow (Poland)

2014-02-15

Highlights: • The new, facile methodology for synthesis of silica covered SPIONs is proposed. • The SPIONs was modified with cationic chitosan and coated with silica shell. • Negatively charged, rounded in shape particles of ca. 330 nm were obtained. • The product exhibits the superparamagnetic properties. • The product properties imply its potential applications in biomedicine areas. -- Abstract: Novel method for synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) modified with a cationic chitosan (CCh) and coated with a silica shell, SPION-CCh-SiO{sub 2} was developed. The process was carried out in two steps. In the first step the chitosan coated SPIONs were obtained by co-precipitation of Fe{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+} with ammonium hydroxide in aqueous solution of CCh. In the second one, the silica shell is formed on their surfaces. The formation of SPION-CCh-SiO{sub 2} was achieved by direct decomposition of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) adsorbed on a surface of SPION-CCh dispersed in aqueous phase under sonication and mechanical stirring at room temperature. The chemical composition and physicochemical properties of the materials were determined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The morphology of the particles was evaluated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Magnetic properties were confirmed using Atomic Force Microscopy/Magnetic Force Microscopy (AFM/MFM) and magnetization measurements. The resulting products are negatively charged, rounded in shape and exhibit the superparamagnetic properties what implies their potential applications in engineering and biomedicine areas.

Synthesis and characterization of the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles modified with cationic chitosan and coated with silica shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewandowska-Łańcucka, Joanna; Staszewska, Magdalena; Szuwarzyński, Michał; Kępczyński, Mariusz; Romek, Marek; Tokarz, Waldemar; Szpak, Agnieszka; Kania, Gabriela; Nowakowska, Maria

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The new, facile methodology for synthesis of silica covered SPIONs is proposed. • The SPIONs was modified with cationic chitosan and coated with silica shell. • Negatively charged, rounded in shape particles of ca. 330 nm were obtained. • The product exhibits the superparamagnetic properties. • The product properties imply its potential applications in biomedicine areas. -- Abstract: Novel method for synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) modified with a cationic chitosan (CCh) and coated with a silica shell, SPION-CCh-SiO 2 was developed. The process was carried out in two steps. In the first step the chitosan coated SPIONs were obtained by co-precipitation of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ with ammonium hydroxide in aqueous solution of CCh. In the second one, the silica shell is formed on their surfaces. The formation of SPION-CCh-SiO 2 was achieved by direct decomposition of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) adsorbed on a surface of SPION-CCh dispersed in aqueous phase under sonication and mechanical stirring at room temperature. The chemical composition and physicochemical properties of the materials were determined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The morphology of the particles was evaluated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Magnetic properties were confirmed using Atomic Force Microscopy/Magnetic Force Microscopy (AFM/MFM) and magnetization measurements. The resulting products are negatively charged, rounded in shape and exhibit the superparamagnetic properties what implies their potential applications in engineering and biomedicine areas

Enhanced electrochemiluminescence quenching of CdS:Mn nanocrystals by CdTe QDs-doped silica nanoparticles for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Yun; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

2011-07-01

This work reports an aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin based on remarkably efficient energy-transfer induced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching from CdS:Mn nanocrystals (NCs) film to CdTe QDs-doped silica nanoparticles (CdTe/SiO2 NPs). CdTe/SiO2 NPs were synthesized via the Stöber method and showed black bodies' strong absorption in a wide spectral range without excitonic emission, which made them excellent ECL quenchers. Within the effective distance of energy scavenging, the ECL quenching efficiency was dependent on the number of CdTe QDs doped into the silica NPs. Using ca. 200 CdTe QDs doped silica NPs on average of 40 nm in diameter as ECL quenching labels, attomolar detection of thrombin was successfully realized. The protein detection involves a competition binding event, based on thrombin replacing CdTe/SiO2 NPs labeled probing DNA which is hybridized with capturing aptamer immobilized on a CdS:Mn NCs film modified glassy carbon electrode surface by specific aptamer-protein affinity interactions. It results in the displacement of ECL quenching labels from CdS:Mn NCs film and concomitant ECL signal recovery. Owing to the high-content CdTe QDs in silica NP, the increment of ECL intensity (ΔIECL) and the concentration of thrombin showed a double logarithmic linear correlation in the range of 5.0 aM~5.0 fM with a detection limit of 1aM. And, the aptasensor hardly responded to antibody, bovine serum albumin (BSA), haemoglobin (Hb) and lysozyme, showing good detection selectivity for thrombin. This long-distance energy scavenging could have a promising application perspective in the detection of biological recognition events on a molecular level.This work reports an aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin based on remarkably efficient energy-transfer induced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching from CdS:Mn nanocrystals (NCs) film to CdTe QDs-doped silica nanoparticles (CdTe/SiO2 NPs). CdTe/SiO2 NPs were synthesized via

Deep reactive ion etching of fused silica using a single-coated soft mask layer for bio-analytical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, Tathagata; Zhu, Haixin; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2010-01-01

In this note, we present our results from process development and characterization of reactive ion etching (RIE) of fused silica using a single-coated soft masking layer (KMPR® 1025, Microchem Corporation, Newton, MA). The effects of a number of fluorine-radical-based gaseous chemistries, the gas flow rate, RF power and chamber pressure on the etch rate and etching selectivity of fused silica were studied using factorial experimental designs. RF power and pressure were found to be the most important factors in determining the etch rate. The highest fused silica etch rate obtained was about 933 Å min −1 by using SF 6 -based gas chemistry, and the highest etching selectivity between the fused silica and KMPR® 1025 was up to 1.2 using a combination of CF 4 , CHF 3 and Ar. Up to 30 µm deep microstructures have been successfully fabricated using the developed processes. The average area roughness (R a ) of the etched surface was measured and results showed it is comparable to the roughness obtained using a wet etching technique. Additionally, near-vertical sidewalls (with a taper angle up to 85°) have been obtained for the etched microstructures. The processes developed here can be applied to any application requiring fabrication of deep microstructures in fused silica with near-vertical sidewalls. To our knowledge, this is the first note on deep RIE of fused silica using a single-coated KMPR® 1025 masking layer and a non-ICP-based reactive ion etcher. (technical note)

Multifunctional EuYVO4 nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Justino, Larissa G.; Nigoghossian, Karina; Capote, Ticiana S.O.; Scarel-Caminaga, Raquel M.; Ribeiro, Sidney J.L.; Caiut, José Maurício A.

2016-01-01

Mesoporous structures are interesting materials for the incorporation of dyes, drugs, and luminescent systems, leading to materials with important multifunctionalities. In a very unique way, these guest/host materials combine the high stability of inorganic systems, new guest-structuring features, and adsorption mechanisms in their well-defined pores. This work evaluates the luminescent properties of rare earth-doped YVO 4 nanoparticles coated with a mesoporous silica shell. The use of two different synthesis methodologies allowed for particle size control. The crystalline phase emerged without further heat treatment. The mesoporous shell decreased undesirable quenching effects on YVO 4 :Eu 3+ nanoparticles and rendered them biocompatible. The materials prepared herein could have interesting applications as luminescent markers or drug release systems.

Chemical changes in DMP1-null murine bone & silica based pecvd coatings for titanium implant osseoapplications

Science.gov (United States)

Maginot, Megen

In order to improve clinical outcomes in bone-implant systems, a thorough understanding of both local bone chemistry and implant surface chemistry is necessary. This study consists, therefore, of two main parts: one focused on determining the nature of the changes in bone chemistry in a DMP1-null transgenic disease model and the other on the development of amorphous silica-based coatings for potential use as titanium bone implant coatings. For the study of bone mineral in the DMP1 transgenic model, which is known to have low serum phosphate levels, transgenic DMP1-null and wild type mice were fed a high phosphate diet, sacrificed, and had their long bone harvested. This bone was characterized using SEM, FTIR, microCT and XANES and compared to DMP1-null and wild type control groups to assess the therapeutic effect of high Pi levels on the phenotype and the role of DMP1 in mineralization in vivo. Findings suggest that though the high phosphate diet results in restoring serum phosphate levels, it does not completely rescue the bone mineral phenotype at an ultrastructural level and implicates DMP1 in phosphate nucleation. Since plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silica like coatings have not previously been fabricated for use in oessoapplications, the second part of this study initially focused on the characterization of novel SiOx chemistries fabricated via a chemical vapor deposition process that were designed specifically to act as bioactive coatings with a loose, hydrogenated structure. These coatings were then investigated for their potential initial stage response to bone tissue through immersion in a simulated body fluid and through the culture of MC3T3 cells on the coating surfaces. Coating surfaces were characterized by SEM, FTIR, contact angle measurements, and XANES. Coating dissolution and ionic release were also investigated by ICP-OES. Findings suggest that some SiOx chemistries may form a bioactive coating while more highly substituted

Cellulose Nanocrystal/Poly(ethylene glycol) Composite as an Iridescent Coating on Polymer Substrates: Structure-Color and Interface Adhesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Mingyue; Jiang, Chenyu; Liu, Dagang; Prempeh, Nana; Smalyukh, Ivan I

2016-11-30

The broad utility as an environmentally friendly and colorful coating of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was limited by its instability of coloration, brittleness, and lack of adhesion to a hydrophobic surface. In the present work, a neutral polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was introduced into CNC coatings through evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) on polymer matrices. The structure-color and mechanical properties of the composite coating or coating film were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and tensile tests. Results showed that the reflective wavelength of the iridescent CNCs could be finely tuned by incorporation of PEG with varied loadings from 2.5 to 50 wt %, although the high loading content of PEG would produce some side effects because of the severe microphase separation. Second, PEG played an effective plasticizer to improve the ductility or flexibility of the CNC coating or coating film. Furthermore, as a compatibilizer, PEG could effectively and tremendously enhance the adhesion strength between CNCs and neutral polymer matrices without destroying the chiral nematic mesophases of CNCs. Environmentally friendly CNC/PEG composites with tunable iridescence, good flexibility, and high bonding strength to hydrophobic polymer matrices are expected to be promising candidates in the modern green paint industry.

Enhancing Hydrogen Diffusion in Silica Matrix by Using Metal Ion Implantation to Improve the Emission Properties of Silicon Nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Bornacelli

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Efficient silicon-based light emitters continue to be a challenge. A great effort has been made in photonics to modify silicon in order to enhance its light emission properties. In this aspect silicon nanocrystals (Si-NCs have become the main building block of silicon photonic (modulators, waveguide, source, and detectors. In this work, we present an approach based on implantation of Ag (or Au ions and a proper thermal annealing in order to improve the photoluminescence (PL emission of Si-NCs embedded in SiO2. The Si-NCs are obtained by ion implantation at MeV energy and nucleated at high depth into the silica matrix (1-2 μm under surface. Once Si-NCs are formed inside the SiO2 we implant metal ions at energies that do not damage the Si-NCs. We have observed by, PL and time-resolved PL, that ion metal implantation and a subsequent thermal annealing in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere could significantly increase the emission properties of Si-NCs. Elastic Recoil Detection measurements show that the samples with an enhanced luminescence emission present a higher hydrogen concentration. This suggests that ion metal implantation enhances the hydrogen diffusion into silica matrix allowing a better passivation of surface defects on Si NCs.

Electrochemical behaviour of silica basic hybrid coatings deposited on stainless steel by dipping and EPD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Y.; Duran, A.; Damborenea, J.J.; Conde, A.

2008-01-01

The aim of this work is the characterisation of the corrosion behaviour of stainless steel (AISI 304) substrates coated by dipping and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from a sol-gel basic sol. Particulate silica sols (labelled NaSi) were prepared by basic catalysis from ethyltriethoxysilane (TEOS), methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and sodium hydroxide. Coatings between 2 and 10 μm were prepared by using concentrated and diluted sols by dipping and EPD process and the corrosion behaviour of the coated substrates were studied through potentiodynamic and impedance spectroscopy measurements (EIS). Potentiodynamic studies of coatings produced by dipping reveal a strong dependence of the protective properties with the concentration of the sol. This behaviour was confirmed by EIS showing that only the coatings obtained from concentrated sol present enough protective properties. On the contrary, EPD coatings prepared from diluted NaSi sol showed an excellent corrosion resistance, maintaining a pure capacitive behaviour for long periods of immersion. EPD deposition is thus proposed as a good alternative method for obtaining thicker and denser coatings with good protective properties from dilute and stable sols

Enhanced electrochemiluminescence quenching of CdS:Mn nanocrystals by CdTe QDs-doped silica nanoparticles for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Yun; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

2011-07-01

This work reports an aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin based on remarkably efficient energy-transfer induced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching from CdS:Mn nanocrystals (NCs) film to CdTe QDs-doped silica nanoparticles (CdTe/SiO(2) NPs). CdTe/SiO(2) NPs were synthesized via the Stöber method and showed black bodies' strong absorption in a wide spectral range without excitonic emission, which made them excellent ECL quenchers. Within the effective distance of energy scavenging, the ECL quenching efficiency was dependent on the number of CdTe QDs doped into the silica NPs. Using ca. 200 CdTe QDs doped silica NPs on average of 40 nm in diameter as ECL quenching labels, attomolar detection of thrombin was successfully realized. The protein detection involves a competition binding event, based on thrombin replacing CdTe/SiO(2) NPs labeled probing DNA which is hybridized with capturing aptamer immobilized on a CdS:Mn NCs film modified glassy carbon electrode surface by specific aptamer-protein affinity interactions. It results in the displacement of ECL quenching labels from CdS:Mn NCs film and concomitant ECL signal recovery. Owing to the high-content CdTe QDs in silica NP, the increment of ECL intensity (ΔI(ECL)) and the concentration of thrombin showed a double logarithmic linear correlation in the range of 5.0 aM∼5.0 fM with a detection limit of 1aM. And, the aptasensor hardly responded to antibody, bovine serum albumin (BSA), haemoglobin (Hb) and lysozyme, showing good detection selectivity for thrombin. This long-distance energy scavenging could have a promising application perspective in the detection of biological recognition events on a molecular level.

Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Iron Oxide-Coated Silica Gel Adsorbents for Arsenic Removal: Adsorption Isotherms and Kinetic Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arifin, Eric; Lee, Jiukyu [Interdisciplinary Program in Nanoscience and Technology, Virginia (United States); Cha, Jinmyung [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

Iron oxide (ferrihydrite, hematite, and magnetite) coated silica gels were prepared using a low-cost, easily-scalable and straightforward method as the adsorbent material for arsenic removal application. Adsorption of the anionic form of arsenic oxyacids, arsenite (AsO{sup 2-}) and arsenate (AsO{sub 4}{sup -3}), onto hematite coated silica gel was fitted against non-linear 3-parameter-model Sips isotherm and 2-parameter-model Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. Adsorption kinetics of arsenic could be well described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model and value of adsorption energy derived from non-linear Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm suggests chemical adsorption. Although arsenic adsorption process was not affected by the presence of sulfate, chloride, and nitrate anions, as expected, bicarbonate and silicate gave moderate negative effects while the presence of phosphate anions significantly inhibited adsorption process of both arsenite and arsenate. When the actual efficiency to remove arsenic was tested against 1 L of artificial arsenic-contaminated groundwater (0.6 mg/L) in the presence competing anions, the reasonable amount (20 g) of hematite coated silica gel could reduce arsenic concentration to below the WHO permissible safety limit of drinking water of 10 μg/L without adjusting pH and temperature, which would be highly advantageous for practical field application.

Processing, adhesion and electrical properties of silicon steel having non-oriented grains coated with silica and alumina sol-gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcelos, D.C.L.; Orefice, R.L.; Vasconcelos, W.L.

2007-01-01

Silicon steels having non-oriented grains are usually coated with a series of inorganic or organic films to be used in electrical applications. However, the commercially available coatings have several disadvantages that include poor adhesion to the substrates, low values of electrical resistance and degradation at higher temperatures. In this work, silica and alumina sol-gel films were deposited onto silicon steel in order to evaluate the possibility of replacing the commercially available coatings by these sol-gel derived materials. Silica and alumina sol-gel coatings were prepared by dipping silicon steel samples into hydrolyzed silicon or aluminum alkoxides. Samples coated with sol-gel films were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Adhesion between silicon steel and sol-gel films was measured by using several standard adhesion tests. Electrical properties were evaluated by the Franklin method. Results showed that homogeneous sol-gel films can be deposited onto silicon steel. Thicknesses of the films could be easily managed by altering the speed of deposition. The structure of the films could also be tailored by introducing additives, such as nitric acid and N,N-dimethyl formamide. Adhesion tests revealed a high level of adhesion between coatings and metal. The Franklin test showed that sol-gel films can produce coated samples with electrical resistances suitable for electrical applications. Electrical properties of the coated samples could also be manipulated by altering the structure of the sol-gel films or by changing the thickness of them

Polymer-Silica nanoparticles composite films as protective coatings for stone-based monuments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manoudis, P [Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki (Greece); Papadopoulou, S [Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki (Greece); Karapanagiotis, I [' Ormylia' Art Diagnosis Centre, Ormylia, Chalkidiki, 63071 (Greece); Tsakalof, A [Medical Department, University of Thessaly, Larissa, 41222 (Greece); Zuburtikudis, I [Department of Industrial Design Engineering, TEI of Western Macedonia, Kozani, 50100 (Greece); Panayiotou, C [Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki (Greece)

2007-04-15

The decrease of surface energy of mineral substrates similar to those used in many stone monuments of cultural heritage by the application of protective polymer coatings along with the simultaneous increase of their surface roughness can increase their ability to repel water substantially. In this work, the effect of artificially induced roughness on the water repellency of mineral substrates coated with protective polymer films was investigated. Natural marble samples or home made calcium carbonate blocks were tried as the mineral substrates. The roughness increase was achieved by mineral chemical etching or by creation of nanoscale binary composition film on the substrate surface. PMMA and PFPE were the polymers used, while different-sized silica nanoparticles were employed for the production of the nanocomposite films. Examination of the coated and uncoated surfaces with profilometry and AFM and measurements of water contact angles reveal a pronounced effect of the surface roughness on water repellency. Especially in the case of nanocomposite coatings, the surfaces become super-hydrophobic. This result indicates that the nanoscale binary composition film scheme, which is characterized by its simplicity and low cost, is a suitable candidate for the water protection of stone-based monuments on large scale.

Polymer-Silica nanoparticles composite films as protective coatings for stone-based monuments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manoudis, P; Papadopoulou, S; Karapanagiotis, I; Tsakalof, A; Zuburtikudis, I; Panayiotou, C

2007-01-01

The decrease of surface energy of mineral substrates similar to those used in many stone monuments of cultural heritage by the application of protective polymer coatings along with the simultaneous increase of their surface roughness can increase their ability to repel water substantially. In this work, the effect of artificially induced roughness on the water repellency of mineral substrates coated with protective polymer films was investigated. Natural marble samples or home made calcium carbonate blocks were tried as the mineral substrates. The roughness increase was achieved by mineral chemical etching or by creation of nanoscale binary composition film on the substrate surface. PMMA and PFPE were the polymers used, while different-sized silica nanoparticles were employed for the production of the nanocomposite films. Examination of the coated and uncoated surfaces with profilometry and AFM and measurements of water contact angles reveal a pronounced effect of the surface roughness on water repellency. Especially in the case of nanocomposite coatings, the surfaces become super-hydrophobic. This result indicates that the nanoscale binary composition film scheme, which is characterized by its simplicity and low cost, is a suitable candidate for the water protection of stone-based monuments on large scale

Nonadhesive, silica nanoparticles-based brush-coated contact lens cases--compromising between ease of cleaning and microbial transmission to contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Wenwen; Hooymans, Johanna M M; Qiu, Jun; de-Bont, Nik; Gelling, Onko-Jan; van der Mei, Henny C; Busscher, Henk J

2013-05-01

Surface properties of lens cases are determinant for their cleanability and for microbial transmission from lens cases to contact lenses (CLs). PEG-polymer-brush-coatings are known to decrease microbial adhesion more than other surface-coatings. Here, we applied a robust, silica nanoparticles-based brush-coating to polypropylene cases to evaluate their ease of cleaning and probability of bacterial transmission to CLs. Adhesion forces of nine bacterial strains (Pseudomonas, Staphylococci, and Serratia) to rigid CLs, polypropylene, and silica nanoparticles-based brush-coated polypropylene were measured using atomic-force-microscopy and subjected to Weibull analyses to yield bacterial transmission probabilities. Biofilms of each strain were grown in coated and uncoated cases and rinsed with a NaCl or antimicrobial lens care solution. Residual, viable organisms were quantified. Bacterial adhesion forces of all strains were significantly, up to tenfold smaller on brush-coated than on uncoated polypropylene. This yielded, higher transmission probabilities to a CL, but mild-rinsing yielded 10-100 fold higher removal of bacteria from brush-coated than from polypropylene cases. Moreover, due to weak adhesion forces, bacteria on brush-coated cases were two-to-three fold more susceptible to an antimicrobial lens care solution than on polypropylene cases. Therewith, the design of lens case surfaces is a compromise between ease of cleaning and transmission probability to CLs. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis and silica coating of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like titanate (K0.8Li0.27Ti1.73O4) nanocomposite by seeded polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Toni, Ahmed Mohamed; Yin, Shu; Sato, Tsugio

2007-01-01

Calcia-doped ceria is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products because of the excellent UV light absorption property and low catalytic ability for the oxidation of organic materials superior to undoped ceria. In order to reduce the oxidation catalytic activity further, calcia-doped ceria was coated with amorphous silica by means of seeded polymerization technique. Generally, nanoparticles of inorganic materials do not provide a good coverage for human skin because of the agglomeration of the particles. The plate-like particles are required to enhance the coverage ability of inorganic materials. This can be accomplished by synthesis of calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate (K 0.8 Li 0.27 Ti 1.73 O 4 ) nanocomposite with subsequent silica coating to control catalytic activity of calcia-doped ceria. Calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was prepared by soft chemical method followed by silica coating via seeded polymerization technique. Silica coated calcia-doped ceria/plate-like potassium lithium titanate nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, TEM, XPS and FT-IR

Relative Abundances of Calcite and Silica in Fracture Coatings as a Possible Indicator of Evaporation in a Thick Unsaturated Zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, B. D.; Moscati, R. J.

2005-12-01

Yucca Mountain, a ridge of shallowly dipping, Miocene-age volcanic rocks in southwest Nevada, is the proposed site for a nuclear waste repository to be constructed in the 500- to 700-m-thick unsaturated zone (UZ). At the proposed repository, the 300-m-thick Topopah Spring Tuff welded unit (TSw) is overlain by approximately 30 m of nonwelded tuffs (PTn); the Tiva Canyon Tuff welded unit (TCw) overlies the PTn with a range in thickness from 0 to approximately 130 m at the site. The amount of water percolation through the UZ is low and difficult to measure directly, but local seepage into mined tunnels has been observed in the TCw. Past water seepage in the welded tuffs is recorded by widespread, thin (0.3 cm) coatings of calcite and silica on fracture surfaces and within cavities. Abundances of calcite and silica in the coatings were determined by X-ray microfluorescence mapping and subsequent multispectral image analysis of over 200 samples. The images were classified into constituent phases including opal-chalcedony-quartz (secondary silica) and calcite. In the TCw samples, the median calcite/silica ratio is 8; in the TSw samples within 35 m below the PTn, median calcite/silica falls to 2, perhaps reflecting an increase in soluble silica from the presence of glass in the nonwelded tuffs. In the deeper parts of the TSw, median calcite/silica reaches 100 and many samples contain no detectable secondary silica phase. Evaporation and changing pCO2 control precipitation of calcite from water percolating downward in the UZ, but precipitation of opal requires only evaporation. Calcite/silica ratios, therefore, can constrain the relative importance of evaporation in the UZ. Although calcite/silica values scatter widely within the TSw, reflecting the spatial variability of gas and water flow, average calcite/silica ratios increase with stratigraphic depth, indicating less evaporation at the deeper levels of the UZ. Coupled with the much smaller calcite/silica ratios

Reduced bacteria adhesion on octenidine loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles coating on titanium substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Gaoqiang; Shen, Xinkun; Dai, Liangliang; Ran, Qichun; Ma, Pingping; Cai, Kaiyong

2017-01-01

Bacterial infection is one of the most severe postoperative complications leading to implantation failure. The early bacterial stage (4-6h) was proved to be the "decisive period" for long-term bacteria-related infection. Thus, to endow potential early antibacterial capacity for a titanium (Ti) based implant, an effective antiseptic agent of octenidine dihydrochloride (OCT) was effectively loaded on the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs)-incorporated titania coating which was fabricated by an electrophoretic-enhanced micro-arc oxidation technique. The surface characteristic of the coatings were characterized by various methods (SEM, AFM, XPS, XRD, etc.), and its corrosion resistance was also examined by the potentiodynamic polarization curves. The composite coating without OCT loading not only displayed good cytocompatibility but also exhibited certain anti-bacterial property. After loading with OCT, its antibacterial efficiency of the titanium substrates with composite coating was greatly enhanced without compromising their cytocompatibility. The study provides an approach for the fabrication of anti-bacterial Ti implant for potential orthopedic application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silica reinforced triblock copolymer gels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theunissen, E.; Overbergh, N.; Reynaers, H.

2004-01-01

The effect of silica and polymer coated silica particles as reinforcing agents on the structural and mechanical properties of polystyrene-poly(ethylene/butylene)-polystyrene (PS-PEB-PS) triblock gel has been investigated. Different types of chemically modified silica have been compared in order...

Novel green synthetic strategy to prepare ZnO nanocrystals using rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) peel extract and its antibacterial applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuvakkumar, R; Suresh, J; Nathanael, A Joseph; Sundrarajan, M; Hong, S I

2014-08-01

In the present investigation, we report a sustainable novel green synthetic strategy to synthesis zinc oxide nanocrystals. This is the first report on sustainable biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals employing Nephelium lappaceum L., peel extract as a natural ligation agent. Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanocrystals was carried out via zinc-ellagate complex formation using rambutan peel wastes. The successful formation of zinc oxide nanocrystals was confirmed employing standard characterisation studies. A possible mechanism for the formation of ZnO nanocrystals with rambutan peel extract was also proposed. The prepared ZnO nanocrystals were coated on the cotton fabric and their antibacterial activity were analyzed. ZnO nanocrystals coated cotton showed good antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli (E. coli), gram negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), gram positive bacteria. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy down converting organic fluorophore functionalized mesoporous silica hybrids for monolith-coated light emitting diodes

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Markus Börgardts

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The covalent attachment of organic fluorophores in mesoporous silica matrices for usage as energy down converting phosphors without employing inorganic transition or rare earth metals is reported in this article. Triethoxysilylpropyl-substituted derivatives of the blue emitting perylene, green emitting benzofurazane, and red emitting Nile red were synthesized and applied in the synthesis of mesoporous hybrid materials by postsynthetic grafting to commercially available MCM-41. These individually dye-functionalized hybrid materials are mixed in variable ratios to furnish a powder capable of emitting white light with CIE chromaticity coordinates of x = 0.33, y = 0.33 and an external quantum yield of 4.6% upon irradiation at 410 nm. Furthermore, as a proof of concept two different device setups of commercially available UV light emitting diodes, are coated with silica monoliths containing the three triethoxysilylpropyl-substituted fluorophore derivatives. These coatings are able to convert the emitted UV light into light with correlated color temperatures of very cold white (41100 K, 10700 K as well as a greenish white emission with correlated color temperatures of about 5500 K.

Investigation of vacuum deposited hybrid coatings of protic organic UV absorbers embedded in a silica matrix used for the UV protection of Polycarbonate glazing

OpenAIRE

Weber, C.; Schulz, U.; Mühlig, C.; Kaiser, N.; Tünnermann, A.

2016-01-01

A study of vacuum-deposited organic-inorganic hybrid coatings for UV protection of polycarbonate is presented. UV-absorbing compounds, which are commonly used for polycarbonate, were embedded in a silica matrix by thermal co-evaporation under high vacuum. In addition to the optical properties of the coatings, the influence of the silica network on the organic UV absorber and the stability of the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) are discussed. A model is presented to show the interaction be...

Silica coated magnetite nanoparticles for removal of heavy metal ions from polluted waters

CERN Document Server

Dash, Monika

2013-01-01

Magnetic removal of Hg2+ and other heavy metal ions like Cd2+, Pb2+ etc. using silica coated magnetite particles from polluted waters is a current topic of active research to provide efficient water recycling and long term high quality water. The technique used to study the bonding characteristics of such kind of nanoparticles with the heavy metal ions is a very sensitive hyperfine specroscopy technique called the perturbed angular correlation technique (PAC).

Fabrication of silica ceramic membrane via sol-gel dip-coating method at different nitric acid amount

Science.gov (United States)

Kahlib, N. A. Z.; Daud, F. D. M.; Mel, M.; Hairin, A. L. N.; Azhar, A. Z. A.; Hassan, N. A.

2018-01-01

Fabrication of silica ceramics via the sol-gel method has offered more advantages over other methods in the fabrication of ceramic membrane, such as simple operation, high purity homogeneous, well defined-structure and complex shapes of end products. This work presents the fabrication of silica ceramic membrane via sol-gel dip-coating methods by varying nitric acid amount. The nitric acid plays an important role as catalyst in fabrication reaction which involved hydrolysis and condensation process. The tubular ceramic support, used as the substrate, was dipped into the sol of Tetrethylorthosilicate (TEOS), distilled water and ethanol with the addition of nitric acid. The fabricated silica membrane was then characterized by (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) FESEM and (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) FTIR to determine structural and chemical properties at different amount of acids. From the XRD analysis, the fabricated silica ceramic membrane showed the existence of silicate hydrate in the final product. FESEM images indicated that the silica ceramic membrane has been deposited on the tubular ceramic support as a substrate and penetrate into the pore walls. The intensity peak of FTIR decreased with increasing of amount of acids. Hence, the 8 ml of acid has demonstrated the appropriate amount of catalyst in fabricating good physical and chemical characteristic of silica ceramic membrane.

Confocal microscopy and spectroscopy of nanocrystals on a high-Q microsphere resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goetzinger, S; Menezes, L de S; Benson, O; Talapin, D V; Gaponik, N; Weller, H; Rogach, A L; Sandoghdar, V

2004-01-01

We report on experiments where we used a home-made confocal microscope to excite single nanocrystals on a high-Q microsphere resonator. In that way spectra of an individual quantum emitter could be recorded. The Q factor of the microspheres coated with nanocrystals was still up to 10 9 . We also demonstrate the use of a prism coupler as a well-defined output port to collect the fluorescence of an ensemble of nanocrystals coupled to whispering-gallery modes

Ferromagnetism in Fe-doped ZnO Nanocrystals: Experimental and Theoretical investigations

OpenAIRE

Karmakar, Debjani; Mandal, S. K.; Kadam, R. M.; Paulose, P. L.; Rajarajan, A. K.; Nath, T. K.; Das, A. K.; Dasgupta, I.; Das, G. P.

2007-01-01

Fe-doped ZnO nanocrystals are successfully synthesized and structurally characterized by using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Magnetization measurements on the same system reveal a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition temperature > 450 K with a low-temperature transition from ferromagnetic to spin-glass state due to canting of the disordered surface spins in the nanoparticle system. Local magnetic probes like EPR and Mossbauer indicate the presence of Fe in both v...

Effects of cadmium chloride as inhibitor on stability and kinetics of immobilized Lactoperoxidase(LPO on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles versus free LPO

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Narges Babadaie Samani

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: Enzyme immobilization via nanoparticles is perfectly compatible against the other chemical or biological approximate to improve enzyme functions and stability. In this study lactoperoxidase was immobilized onto silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles to improve enzyme properties in the presence of cadmium chloride as an inhibitor. Materials and Methods:  The process consists of the following steps: (1 preparing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using the co-precipitation method, (2 coating NP with silica (SiO2 by sol–gel reaction, (3 characterizations of NPs were examined by FT-IR, XRD, AGFM and TEM. (4 Immobilization of LPO on the magnetite NPs, (5 Study kinetic and stability of both free and immobilized LPO in the presence of various concentrations of cadmium chloride. Results:  The size of the Fe3O4 and silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles were about 9 nm and 12 nm, respectively. The results showed that the highest immobilization yield, nearly 90 %, was attained at 240 to 300 µg of LPO at 15h. It was found that the concentration of cadmium chloride directly affects the LPO activity and changes the kinetic parameters of it. Also, the results showed that immobilized LPO has better tolerance than the free LPO, so that after immobilization, Vmax of immobilized LPO was increased and Km of immobilized LPO was decreased. Conclusion: The results demonstrating that the effect of immobilized lactoperoxidase on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles increases the stability of the LPO in the presence of cadmium chloride as inhibitor. Michaelis–Menten parameters (Km and Vmax also revealed the considerable improvement of immobilized.

Modified sol-gel coatings for biotechnological applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beganskiene, A [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Vilnius LT-03225 (Lithuania); Raudonis, R [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Vilnius LT-03225 (Lithuania); Jokhadar, S Zemljic [Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biophysics, Lipiceva 2, Ljubljana SI-1000 (Slovenia); Batista, U [Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biophysics, Lipiceva 2, Ljubljana SI-1000 (Slovenia); Kareiva, A [Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Vilnius LT-03225 (Lithuania)

2007-12-15

The modified sol-gel derived silica coatings were prepared and characterized. The amino and methyl groups were introduced onto the colloidal silica. The silica coatings with different wettability properties: coloidal silica (water contact angle 17 deg.), polysiloxane (61 deg.), methyl-modified (158 deg. and 46 deg.) coatings samples were tested for CaCo-2 cells proliferation. Methyl-modified coating (46 deg.) proved to be the best substrate for cell proliferation. CaCo-2 cell proliferation two days post seeding was significantly faster on almost laminine, fibronectin and collagen-1 coated samples compared to corresponding controls.

Silica Coated Paper Substrate for Paper-Spray Analysis of Therapeutic Drugs in Dried Blood Spots

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiping; Xu, Wei; Manicke, Nicholas E.; Cooks, R. Graham; Ouyang, Zheng

2011-01-01

Paper spray is a newly developed ambient ionization method that has been applied for direct qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples. The properties of the paper substrate and spray solution have a significant impact on the release of chemical compounds from complex sample matrices, the diffusion of the analytes through the substrate, and the formation of ions for mass spectrometry analysis. In this study, a commercially available silica-coated paper was explored in an attempt to improve the analysis of therapeutic drugs in dried blood spots (DBS). The dichloromethane/isopropanol solvent has been identified as an optimal spray solvent for the analysis. The comparison was made with paper spray using chromatography paper as substrate with methanol/water as solvent for the analysis of verapamil, citalopram, amitriptyline, lidocaine and sunitinib in dried blood spots. It has been demonstrated the efficiency of recovery of the analytes was notably improved with the silica coated paper and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) for the drug analysis was 0.1 ng mL−1 using a commercial triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The use of silica paper substrate also resulted in a sensitivity improvement of 5-50 fold in comparison with chromatography papers, including the Whatmann ET31 paper used for blood card. Analysis using a handheld miniature mass spectrometer Mini 11 gave LOQs of 10~20 ng mL−1 for the tested drugs, which is sufficient to cover the therapeutic ranges of these drugs. PMID:22145627

Thin silica shell coated Ag assembled nanostructures for expanding generality of SERS analytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myeong Geun Cha

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS provides a unique non-destructive spectroscopic fingerprint for chemical detection. However, intrinsic differences in affinity of analyte molecules to metal surface hinder SERS as a universal quantitative detection tool for various analyte molecules simultaneously. This must be overcome while keeping close proximity of analyte molecules to the metal surface. Moreover, assembled metal nanoparticles (NPs structures might be beneficial for sensitive and reliable detection of chemicals than single NP structures. For this purpose, here we introduce thin silica-coated and assembled Ag NPs (SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NPs for simultaneous and quantitative detection of chemicals that have different intrinsic affinities to silver metal. These SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NPs could detect each SERS peak of aniline or 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP from the mixture with limits of detection (LOD of 93 ppm and 54 ppb, respectively. E-field distribution based on interparticle distance was simulated using discrete dipole approximation (DDA calculation to gain insight into enhanced scattering of these thin silica coated Ag NP assemblies. These NPs were successfully applied to detect aniline in river water and tap water. Results suggest that SiO2@Ag@SiO2 NP-based SERS detection systems can be used as a simple and universal detection tool for environment pollutants and food safety.

Liposome-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with L-cysteine for photoelectrochemical immunoassay of aflatoxin B1.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Youxiu; Zhou, Qian; Zeng, Yongyi; Tang, Dianping

2018-06-02

The authors describe a photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay for determination of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) in foodstuff. The competitive immunoreaction is carried out on a microplate coated with a capture antibody against AFB 1 using AFB 1 -bovine serum albumin (BSA)-liposome-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) loaded with L-cysteine as a support. The photocurrent is produced by a photoactive material consisting of cerium-doped Bi 2 MoO 6 . Initially, L-cysteine acting as the electron donor is gated in the pores by interaction between mesoporous silica and liposome. Thereafter, AFB 1 -BSA conjugates are covalently bound to the liposomes. Upon introduction of the analyte (AFB 1 ), the labeled AFB 1 -BSA complex competes with the analyte for the antibody deposited on the microplate. Accompanying with the immunocomplex, the liposomes on the MSNs are lysed upon addition of Triton X-100. This results in the opening of the pores and in a release of L-cysteine. Free cysteine then induces the electron-hole scavenger of the photoactive nanosheets to increase the photocurrent. The photocurrent (relative to background signal) increases with increasing AFB 1 concentration. Under optimum conditions, the photoactive nanosheets display good photoelectrochemical responses, and allow the detection of AFB 1 at a concentration as low as 0.1 pg·mL -1 within a linear response in the 0.3 pg·mL -1 to 10 ng·mL -1 concentration range. Accuracy was evaluated by analyzing naturally contaminated and spiked peanut samples by using a commercial AFB 1 ELISA kit as the reference, and well-matching results were obtained. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a photoelectrochemical immunoassay for AFB 1 . It is based on the use of Ce-doped Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosheets and of liposome-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with L-cysteine.

Osseointegration properties of titanium dental implants modified with a nanostructured coating based on ordered porous silica and bioactive glass nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Covarrubias, Cristian; Mattmann, Matías; Von Marttens, Alfredo; Caviedes, Pablo; Arriagada, Cristián; Valenzuela, Francisco; Rodríguez, Juan Pablo; Corral, Camila

2016-02-01

The fabrication of a nanoporous silica coating loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles (nBG/NSC) on titanium dental implant surface and its in vitro and in vivo evaluation is presented. The coating was produced by a combined sol-gel and evaporation induced self-assembly process. In vitro bioactivity was assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF) and investigating the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). A rat tibial model was employed to analyze the bone response to nBG/NSC-modified titanium implant surface in vivo. The nBG/NSC coating was confirmed at nano level to be constituted by a highly ordered nanoporous silica structure. The coating nanotopography in conjunction with the bioactivity of the BG particles accelerate the in vitro apatite formation and promote the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs in absence of osteogenic supplements. These properties accelerate the formation of bone tissue in the periphery of the implant after 3 weeks of implantation. Backscattered scanning electron microscopy images revealed the presence of gaps and soft tissue in the unmodified implant after 6 weeks, whereas the nBG/NSC-modified implant showed mature bone in intimate contact with the implant surface. The nBG/NSC coating appears promising for accelerating the osseointegration of dental implants.

Photoacoustic imaging of mesenchymal stem cells in living mice via silica-coated gold nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Jokerst, Jesse V.; Thangaraj, Mridhula; Gambhir, Sanjiv S.

2014-03-01

Imaging is crucial for stem cell therapy to monitor the location(s), numbers, and state of the implanted cells. Real-time imaging in particular can ensure proper cell delivery for best engraftment. However, established imaging tools such as MRI are limited by their temporal resolution for guidance during delivery. In contrast, photoacoustic imaging is ideally suited for real time, image-guided therapy. Here, we use silica-coated gold nanorods as photoacoustic contrast agents and deploy them to image and quantitate mesenchymal stem cells during implant into the muscle tissue of live mice. Silica-coated gold nanorods (SiGNRs) were created with standard methods and loaded into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) without transfection agents. There was no significant (pmuscle tissue to simulate a muscular dystrophy patient. Mice (N=5) treated with these SiGNRlabeled MSCs exhibited no adverse events and implants up to 5 mm deep were easily visualized. The in vivo detection limit was 90,000 cells in a 100 uL bolus in mouse thigh muscle. Here, the B-mode signal is useful for orienting the treatment area and visualizing the delivery catheter while the photoacoustic mode offers cell-specific content. The photoacoustic signal was validated with histology a long-term fluorescent tracking dye after MSC transplant.

Structural and chemical analysis of silica-doped β-TCP ceramic coatings on surgical grade 316L SS for possible biomedical application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karuppasamy Prem Ananth

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have developed a novel approach to introduce silica-doped β-tricalcium phosphate (Si-β-TCP on 316L SS substrates for enhanced biological properties. Doping of β-TCP with silica loadings ranging from 0 to 8 mol% was carried out using chemical precipitation method. Si-β-TCP powder was sintered at 800 °C followed by coating it on 316L SS substrate using electrophoretic deposition. The coated and uncoated samples were investigated by various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF. Biomineralization ability of the coatings was evaluated by immersing in simulated body fluid (SBF solution for different number of days such as 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The results obtained in our study have shown that the apatite formation ability was high for the 8 mol% of Si-β-TCP. This will promote better biomineralization ability compared to the other coatings.

Fluorine Based Superhydrophobic Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Denis Brassard

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Superhydrophobic coatings, inspired by nature, are an emerging technology. These water repellent coatings can be used as solutions for corrosion, biofouling and even water and air drag reduction applications. In this work, synthesis of monodispersive silica nanoparticles of ~120 nm diameter has been realized via Stöber process and further functionalized using fluoroalkylsilane (FAS-17 molecules to incorporate the fluorinated groups with the silica nanoparticles in an ethanolic solution. The synthesized fluorinated silica nanoparticles have been spin coated on flat aluminum alloy, silicon and glass substrates. Functionalization of silica nanoparticles with fluorinated groups has been confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR by showing the presence of C-F and Si-O-Si bonds. The water contact angles and surface roughness increase with the number of spin-coated thin films layers. The critical size of ~119 nm renders aluminum surface superhydrophobic with three layers of coating using as-prepared nanoparticle suspended solution. On the other hand, seven layers are required for a 50 vol.% diluted solution to achieve superhydrophobicity. In both the cases, water contact angles were more than 150°, contact angle hysteresis was less than 2° having a critical roughness value of ~0.700 µm. The fluorinated silica nanoparticle coated surfaces are also transparent and can be used as paint additives to obtain transparent coatings.

Molecularly imprinted layer-coated silica nanoparticles for selective solid-phase extraction of bisphenol A from chemical cleansing and cosmetics samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Rong; Zhao Wenhui; Zhai Meijuan; Wei Fangdi; Cai Zheng; Sheng Na; Hu Qin

2010-01-01

Highly selective molecularly imprinted layer-coated silica nanoparticles for bisphenol A (BPA) were synthesized by molecular imprinting technique with a sol-gel process on the supporter of silica nanoparticles. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectrometer, transmission electron microscope, dynamic adsorption and static adsorption tests. The equilibrium association constant, K a , and the apparent maximum number of binding sites, Q max , were estimated to be 1.25 x 10 5 mL μmol -1 and 16.4 μmol g -1 , respectively. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles solid-phase extraction (SPE) column had higher selectivity for BPA than the commercial C18-SPE column. The results of the study indicated that the prepared BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles exhibited high adsorption capacity and selectivity, and offered a fast kinetics for the rebinding of BPA. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles were successfully used in SPE to selectively enrich and determine BPA from shampoo, bath lotion and cosmetic cream samples.

Functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles for oral delivery of budesonide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoncheva, K., E-mail: krassi.yoncheva@gmail.com [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia (Bulgaria); Popova, M. [Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria); Szegedi, A.; Mihaly, J. [Institute of Nanochemistry and Catalysis, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pusztaszeri út. 59-67, 1025 Budapest (Hungary); Tzankov, B.; Lambov, N.; Konstantinov, S.; Tzankova, V. [Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav Str., 1000 Sofia (Bulgaria); Pessina, F.; Valoti, M. [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Universita di Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, Siena (Italy)

2014-03-15

Non-functionalized and amino-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle were loaded with anti-inflammatory drug budesonide and additionally post-coated with bioadhesive polymer (carbopol). TEM images showed spherical shape of the nanoparticles and slightly higher polydispersity after coating with carbopol. Nitrogen physisorption and thermogravimetic analysis revealed that more efficient loading and incorporation into the pores of nanoparticles was achieved with the amino-functionalized silica carrier. Infrared spectra indicated that the post-coating of these nanoparticles with carbopol led to the formation of bond between amino groups of the functionalized carrier and carboxyl groups of carbopol. The combination of amino-functionalization of the carrier with the post-coating of the nanoparticles sustained budesonide release. Further, an in vitro model of inflammatory bowel disease showed that the cytoprotective effect of budesonide loaded in the post-coated silica nanoparticles on damaged HT-29 cells was more pronounced compared to the cytoprotection obtained with pure budesonide. -- Graphical abstract: Silica mesoporous MCM-41 particles were amino-functionalized, loaded with budesonide and post-coated with bioadhesive polymer (carbopol) in order to achieve prolonged residence of anti-inflammatory drug in GIT. Highlights: • Higher drug loading in amino-functionalized mesoporous silica. • Amino-functionalization and post-coating of the nanoparticles sustained drug release. • Achievement of higher cytoprotective effect with drug loaded into the nanoparticles.

Silicon nanocrystals in silica – Novel active waveguides for nanophotonics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Janda, P.; Valenta, J.; Ostatnický, T.; Skopalová, Eva; Pelant, Ivan; Elliman, R. G.; Tomasiunas, R.

2006-01-01

Roč. 121, - (2006), s. 267-273 ISSN 0022-2313 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1010316; GA ČR GP202/01/D030 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : nanocrystal * waveguide * silicon * photonics Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.441, year: 2006

Study the effect of calcination temperature on physical and magnetic properties of bare Cobalt nanoparticles and that coated with silica shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arabi, H.; Pourarian, F.; Chahkandinejad, R.

2012-01-01

In this paper, in order to investigate the effect of calcination temperature on the structural and magnetic properties of cobalt nanoparticles, samples have been prepared by Co-precipitation method at different calcination temperature. Cobalt nanoparticles have been prepared by Co-precipitation method at room temperature using hydrazine as reducing in ethanol hydrazine alkaline environment. This agent reduces cobalt salts to Cobalt nanoparticles in FCC and HCP phases. Phase analysis and investigation of Structural properties of the samples using X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) confirm the formation of hexagonal phases of Co nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy was used for determining the size and shape morphology of nanoparticles. Magnetic properties of these nanoparticles have been investigated using a Vibrating sample magnetometer. The results indicate that these nanoparticles are ferromagnetic at room temperature. In addition, in this paper Co nanoparticles coated with silica shell have been prepared by the wet chemical method. Transmission electron microscopy images showed the cobalt core with average diameter of 17-20 nm coated by a silica shell with thickness of 5-7 nm. Hysteresis Loop of these Co nanoparticles coated by silica shell illustrates 16.9 emu/gr for saturation magnetization at 10000 (Oe), which is much less than that of Cobalt nanoparticles

Microwave-Assisted Combustion Synthesis of Nano Iron Oxide/Iron-Coated Activated Carbon, Anthracite, Cellulose Fiber, and Silica, with Arsenic Adsorption Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mallikarjuna N. Nadagouda

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Combustion synthesis of iron oxide/iron coated carbons such as activated carbon, anthracite, cellulose fiber, and silica is described. The reactions were carried out in alumina crucibles using a Panasonic kitchen microwave with inverter technology, and the reaction process was completed within a few minutes. The method used no additional fuel and nitrate, which is present in the precursor itself, to drive the reaction. The obtained samples were then characterized with X-ray mapping, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS, selected area diffraction pattern (SAED, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP spectroscopy. The size of the iron oxide/iron nanoparticle-coated activated carbon, anthracite, cellulose fiber, and silica samples were found to be in the nano range (50–400 nm. The iron oxide/iron nanoparticles mostly crystallized into cubic symmetry which was confirmed by SAED. The XRD pattern indicated that iron oxide/iron nano particles existed in four major phases. That is, γ-Fe2O3, α-Fe2O3, Fe3O4, and Fe. These iron-coated activated carbon, anthracite, cellulose fiber, and silica samples were tested for arsenic adsorption through batch experiments, revealing that few samples had significant arsenic adsorption.

Colloidal infrared reflective and transparent conductive aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Buonsanti, Raffaella; Milliron, Delia J

2015-02-24

The present invention provides a method of preparing aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) nanocrystals. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes (1) injecting a precursor mixture of a zinc precursor, an aluminum precursor, an amine, and a fatty acid in a solution of a vicinal diol in a non-coordinating solvent, thereby resulting in a reaction mixture, (2) precipitating the nanocrystals from the reaction mixture, thereby resulting in a final precipitate, and (3) dissolving the final precipitate in an apolar solvent. The present invention also provides a dispersion. In an exemplary embodiment, the dispersion includes (1) nanocrystals that are well separated from each other, where the nanocrystals are coated with surfactants and (2) an apolar solvent where the nanocrystals are suspended in the apolar solvent. The present invention also provides a film. In an exemplary embodiment, the film includes (1) a substrate and (2) nanocrystals that are evenly distributed on the substrate.

Modification of silica surface by gamma ray induced Ad micellar Polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buathong, Salukjit; Pongprayoon, Thirawudh; Suwanmala, Phiriyatorn

2005-10-01

Precipitated silica is often added to natural rubber compounds in order to improve performance in commercial application. A problem with using silica as filler is the poor compatibility between silica and natural rubber. In this research, polyisoprene was coated on silica surface by gamma ray induced ad micellar polymerization in order to achieve the better compatibility between silica and natural rubber. The modified silica was characterized by FT-IR, and SEM. The results show that polyisoprene was successfully coated on silica surface via gamma ray induced ad micellar polymerization

Multifunctional EuYVO{sub 4} nanoparticles coated with mesoporous silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Justino, Larissa G. [Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Nigoghossian, Karina [Inst. of Chemistry – São Paulo State University- UNESP, 14801-970 Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Capote, Ticiana S.O.; Scarel-Caminaga, Raquel M. [Department of Morphology, Dental School at Araraquara, Univ. Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Ribeiro, Sidney J.L. [Inst. of Chemistry – São Paulo State University- UNESP, 14801-970 Araraquara, SP (Brazil); Caiut, José Maurício A., E-mail: caiut@ffclrp.usp.br [Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

2016-11-15

Mesoporous structures are interesting materials for the incorporation of dyes, drugs, and luminescent systems, leading to materials with important multifunctionalities. In a very unique way, these guest/host materials combine the high stability of inorganic systems, new guest-structuring features, and adsorption mechanisms in their well-defined pores. This work evaluates the luminescent properties of rare earth-doped YVO{sub 4} nanoparticles coated with a mesoporous silica shell. The use of two different synthesis methodologies allowed for particle size control. The crystalline phase emerged without further heat treatment. The mesoporous shell decreased undesirable quenching effects on YVO{sub 4}:Eu{sup 3+} nanoparticles and rendered them biocompatible. The materials prepared herein could have interesting applications as luminescent markers or drug release systems.

Enhanced microwave absorption properties of graphite nanoflakes by coating hexagonal boron nitride nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Zhong, Bo; Liu, Wei; Yu, Yuanlie; Xia, Long; Zhang, Jiulin; Chai, Zhenfei; Wen, Guangwu

2017-01-01

We report herein the synthesis of a novel hexagonal boron nitride nanocrystal/graphite nanoflake (h-BNNC/GNF) composite through a wet-chemistry coating of graphite nanoflakes and subsequent in-situ thermal treatment process. The characterization results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate that h-BNNCs with diameter of tens of nanometers are highly crystallized and anchored on the surfaces of graphite nanoflakes without obvious aggregation. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value of the h-BNNC/GNF based absorbers could reach −32.38dB (>99.99% attenuation) with the absorber thickness of 2.0mm. This result is superior to the other graphite based and some dielectric loss microwave absorption materials recently reported. Moreover, the frequency range where the RL is less than −10dB is 3.49-17.28GHz with the corresponding thickness of 5.0 to 1.5mm. This reveals a better electromagnetic microwave absorption performance of h-BNNC/GNFs from the X-band to the Ku-band. The remarkable enhancement of the electromagnetic microwave absorption properties of h-BNNC/GNFs can be assigned to the increase of multiple scattering, interface polarization as well as the improvement of the electromagnetic impedance matching of graphite nanoflakes after being coated with h-BNNCs.

Enhanced microwave absorption properties of graphite nanoflakes by coating hexagonal boron nitride nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Zhong, Bo

2017-05-31

We report herein the synthesis of a novel hexagonal boron nitride nanocrystal/graphite nanoflake (h-BNNC/GNF) composite through a wet-chemistry coating of graphite nanoflakes and subsequent in-situ thermal treatment process. The characterization results of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate that h-BNNCs with diameter of tens of nanometers are highly crystallized and anchored on the surfaces of graphite nanoflakes without obvious aggregation. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value of the h-BNNC/GNF based absorbers could reach −32.38dB (>99.99% attenuation) with the absorber thickness of 2.0mm. This result is superior to the other graphite based and some dielectric loss microwave absorption materials recently reported. Moreover, the frequency range where the RL is less than −10dB is 3.49-17.28GHz with the corresponding thickness of 5.0 to 1.5mm. This reveals a better electromagnetic microwave absorption performance of h-BNNC/GNFs from the X-band to the Ku-band. The remarkable enhancement of the electromagnetic microwave absorption properties of h-BNNC/GNFs can be assigned to the increase of multiple scattering, interface polarization as well as the improvement of the electromagnetic impedance matching of graphite nanoflakes after being coated with h-BNNCs.

Erbium and Al2O3 nanocrystals-doped silica optical fibers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kašík, Ivan; Podrazký, Ondřej; Mrázek, Jan; Cajzl, Jakub; Aubrecht, Ivo; Proboštová, Jana; Peterka, Pavel; Honzátko, Pavel; Dhar, A.

2014-01-01

Roč. 62, č. 4 (2014), s. 641-646 ISSN 0239-7528 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) M100761202 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : optical fibers * nanocrystals * luminescence Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 0.914, year: 2014

Mineral contents and their solubility on calcium carbonat calcite nanocrystals from cockle shell powder (Anadara granosa Linn)

Science.gov (United States)

Widyastuti, S.; Pramushinta, I. A.

2018-03-01

Prepared and characterized calcium carbonat calcite nanocrystals improves solubility. Calcium carbonat calcite nanocrystals were synthesized using precipitation method from the waste of blood clam cockle shells (Anadara granosa Linn). This study was conducted to analyze mineral composition of nanocrystals calcium carbonat calcite cockle (Anadara granosa) shell for calcium fortification of food applications and to evaluate the solubilities of Calsium and Phospor. The sample of nanocrystals from cockle shells was evaluated to determine the content of 11 macro-and micro-elements. These elements are Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Ferrum (Fe), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Zink (Zn), Boron (B) and Silica (Si)). Cockleshell powders were found to contain toxic elements below detectable levels. The solubilities of Calcium and Phospor were p<0.05.

Fabrication of robust and thermally stable superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings based on thermoplastic polyurethane and silica nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Seyfi, Javad; Jafari, Seyed Hassan; Khonakdar, Hossein Ali; Sadeghi, Gity Mir Mohamad; Zohuri, Gholamhossein; Hejazi, Iman; Simon, Frank

2015-08-01

In this paper, superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and modified nanosilica were fabricated using a simple solution-based method. The main challenge was to impart superhydrophobicity to an intrinsically hydrophilic polymer substrate. The prepared nanocomposite coatings were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Based on the obtained results, it was proved that in order to achieve superhydrophobicity, no TPU macromolecule should be present on the coating's top layer, thus a complete coverage of coating's top layer by nanosilica particles was necessary for achieving ultra water repellent coatings. Mechanical and thermal resistance of the coatings, which are the main challenges in commercializing superhydrophobic surfaces, were also studied by drop impact and thermal annealing tests, respectively. It was proved that using TPU as a sublayer results in improving mechanical resistance of the coatings as compared with the pure silica nanocoating. Moreover, the samples showed an excellent resistance against elevated temperatures (150 °C) and remained superhydrophobic; however, further increment of the annealing temperatures to 200 °C caused the TPU macromolecules to migrate onto the top layer of the coatings significantly reducing the water repellency, which was visually proved by SEM.

Interfacial interactions between calcined hydroxyapatite nanocrystals and substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Masahiro; Furukawa, Keiko; Serizawa, Takeshi; Yanagisawa, Yoshihiko; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Kawai, Tomoji; Furuzono, Tsutomu

2009-06-02

Interfacial interactions between calcined hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocrystals and surface-modified substrates were investigated by measuring adsorption behavior and adhesion strength with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and a contact-mode atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The goal was to develop better control of HAp-nanocrystal coatings on biomedical materials. HAp nanocrystals with rodlike or spherical morphology were prepared by a wet chemical process followed by calcination at 800 degrees C with an antisintering agent to prevent the formation of sintered polycrystals. The substrate surface was modified by chemical reaction with a low-molecular-weight compound, or graft polymerization with a functional monomer. QCM measurement showed that the rodlike HAp nanocrystals adsorbed preferentially onto anionic COOH-modified substrates compared to cationic NH2- or hydrophobic CH3-modified substrates. On the other hand, the spherical nanocrystals adsorbed onto NH2- and COOH-modified substrates, which indicates that the surface properties of the HAp nanocrystals determined their adsorption behavior. The adhesion strength, which was estimated from the force required to move the nanocrystal in contact-mode AFM, on a COOH-grafted substrate prepared by graft polymerization was almost 9 times larger than that on a COOH-modified substrate prepared by chemical reaction with a low-molecular-weight compound, indicating that the long-chain polymer grafted on the substrate mitigated the surface roughness mismatch between the nanocrystal and the substrate. The adhesion strength of the nanocrystal bonded covalently by the coupling reaction to a Si(OCH3)-grafted substrate prepared by graft polymerization was approximately 1.5 times larger than that when adsorbed on the COOH-grafted substrate.

Identification of paramagnetic nitrogen centers (P1) in diamond crystallites synthesized via the sintering of detonation nanodiamonds at high pressure and temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Osipov, V. Yu.; Shakhov, F. M.; Efimov, N. N.; Minin, V. V.; Kidalov, S. V.; Vul', A. Ya.

2017-06-01

Diamond single crystals synthesized from powder detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) by means of treatment at high pressures ( P 7 GPa) and temperatures ( T > 1300°C) have been studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). A key feature of treatment (high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) sintering) is the use of low molecular weight alcohols in the process. The appearance of a hyperfine EPR signal structure due to "paramagnetic nitrogen" (P1 centers) is explained by the growth of submicron and micron diamond single crystals from DND nanocrystals by the oriented attachment and coalescence mechanism. Such growth and coarsening of crystals appreciably decreases the concentration of paramagnetic centers, the presence of which hinders the detection of a hyperfine structure in the EPR signal from P1 centers, in the near-surface areas of coalesced and grown together DND particles. It has been shown that the concentration of paramagnetic defects of all types decreases to 3.1 × 1018 g-1 ( 60 ppm) during HPHT treatment at T = 1650°C. This causes the successful identification of P1 centers, whose fraction is no less than 40% of the total amount of paramagnetic centers in microcrystals synthesized by HPHT sintering.

Effect of an experimental zirconia-silica coating technique on micro tensile bond strength of zirconia in different priming conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, C.; Kleverlaan, C.J.; Feilzer, A.J.

2012-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the adhesive properties of a MDP-containing resin cement to a colored zirconia ceramic, using an experimental zirconia-silica coating technique with different priming conditions. Methods 18 zirconia ceramic discs (Cercon base colored) were divided into two

The effect of continuous application of MDP-containing primer and luting resin cement on bond strength to tribochemical silica-coated Y-TZP.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Myung-Jin; Yu, Mi-Kyung; Lee, Kwang-Won

2018-05-01

This study investigated the effect of continuous application of 10-methacryloyloxydecyldihydrogen phosphate (MDP)-containing primer and luting resin cement on bond strength to tribochemical silica-coated yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP). Forty bovine teeth and Y-TZP specimens were prepared. The dentin specimens were embedded in molds, with one side of the dentin exposed for cementation with the zirconia specimen. The Y-TZP specimen was prepared in the form of a cylinder with a diameter of 3 mm and a height of 10 mm. The bonding surface of the Y-TZP specimen was sandblasted with silica-coated aluminium oxide particles. The forty tribochemical silica-coated Y-TZP specimens were cemented to the bovine dentin (4 groups; n = 10) with either an MDP-free primer or an MDP-containing primer and either an MDP-free resin cement or an MDP-containing resin cement. After a shear bond strength (SBS) test, the data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test (α = 0.05). The group with MDP-free primer and resin cement showed significantly lower SBS values than the MDP-containing groups ( p Y-TZP was the best choice among the alternatives tested in this study.

Molecularly imprinted layer-coated silica nanoparticles for selective solid-phase extraction of bisphenol A from chemical cleansing and cosmetics samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu Rong; Zhao Wenhui; Zhai Meijuan; Wei Fangdi; Cai Zheng; Sheng Na [School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Hanzhong Road 140, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029 (China); Hu Qin, E-mail: huqin@njmu.edu.cn [School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Hanzhong Road 140, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029 (China)

2010-01-25

Highly selective molecularly imprinted layer-coated silica nanoparticles for bisphenol A (BPA) were synthesized by molecular imprinting technique with a sol-gel process on the supporter of silica nanoparticles. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectrometer, transmission electron microscope, dynamic adsorption and static adsorption tests. The equilibrium association constant, K{sub a}, and the apparent maximum number of binding sites, Q{sub max}, were estimated to be 1.25 x 10{sup 5} mL {mu}mol{sup -1} and 16.4 {mu}mol g{sup -1}, respectively. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles solid-phase extraction (SPE) column had higher selectivity for BPA than the commercial C18-SPE column. The results of the study indicated that the prepared BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles exhibited high adsorption capacity and selectivity, and offered a fast kinetics for the rebinding of BPA. The BPA-imprinted silica nanoparticles were successfully used in SPE to selectively enrich and determine BPA from shampoo, bath lotion and cosmetic cream samples.

EPR study of gamma and neutron irradiation effects on KU1, KS-4V and Infrasil 301 silica glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagomacini, Juan C.; Bravo, David; Leon, Monica; Martin, Piedad; Ibarra, Angel; Martin, Agustin; Lopez, Fernando J.

2011-01-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies have been carried out on KU1 and KS-4V high purity quartz glasses and commercial silica Infrasil 301, irradiated with gamma rays up to a dose of 11.6 MGy and neutron fluences of 10 21 and 10 22 n/m 2 . Gamma irradiations produce a much higher concentration of defect centres (mainly E', POR and NBOHC) for KU1 and I301 than for KS-4V silica. In contrast, neutron irradiation at the highest fluence produces similar concentrations in all silica types. These results agree to a good extent with those obtained in previous optical absorption measurements. Moreover, oxygen-related centres (POR and NBOHC) have been well characterized by means of electron paramagnetic resonance.

EPR study of gamma and neutron irradiation effects on KU1, KS-4V and Infrasil 301 silica glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lagomacini, Juan C., E-mail: jc.lagomacini@uam.es [Dept. Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Bravo, David [Dept. Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Leon, Monica; Martin, Piedad; Ibarra, Angel [Materiales para Fusion, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Martin, Agustin [Dept. Fisica e Instalaciones, ETS Arquitectura UPM, E-28040 Madrid (Spain); Lopez, Fernando J. [Dept. Fisica de Materiales, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)

2011-10-01

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies have been carried out on KU1 and KS-4V high purity quartz glasses and commercial silica Infrasil 301, irradiated with gamma rays up to a dose of 11.6 MGy and neutron fluences of 10{sup 21} and 10{sup 22} n/m{sup 2}. Gamma irradiations produce a much higher concentration of defect centres (mainly E', POR and NBOHC) for KU1 and I301 than for KS-4V silica. In contrast, neutron irradiation at the highest fluence produces similar concentrations in all silica types. These results agree to a good extent with those obtained in previous optical absorption measurements. Moreover, oxygen-related centres (POR and NBOHC) have been well characterized by means of electron paramagnetic resonance.

Construction of a novel pH-sensitive drug release system from mesoporous silica tablets coated with Eudragit

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yingpu; Qu, Fengyu; Wang, Yu; Lin, Huiming; Wu, Xiang; Jin, Yingxue

2011-03-01

A novel pH-sensitive drug release system has been established by coating Eudragit (Eud) on drug-loaded mesoporous silica (MS) tablets. The release rate of ibuprofen (IBU) from the MS was retarded by coating with Eudragit S-100, and the higher retardation was due to the increase of coating concentration and the coating layers. The target position of the release depended on the pH of the release medium, which was confirmed by the drug release from IBU/MS/Eud increasing rapidly with the change of medium pH from 1.2 to 7.4. This drug delivery system could prohibit irritant drug from leaking in the stomach and make it only release in the intestine. The loaded and unloaded drug samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), N 2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of CZTS nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Dumasiya, Ajay; Shah, N. M.

2017-05-01

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a promising thin film absorber material for low cost solar cell applications. CZTS nanoparticle ink synthesized using solvothermal route is an attractive option to deposit absorber layer using screen printing or spin coating method in CZTS thin film solar cell. In this study we have synthesized CZTS nanocrystals using solvothermal method from aqueous solution of Copper nitrate [Cu(NO3)2], Zinc nitrate [Zn(NO3)2], tin chloride [SnCl4] and thiourea with varying concentration of Cu(NO3)2 (viz 0.82 mmol,1.4 mmol, 1.7 mmol) keeping concentrations of rest of solutions constant. As synthesized CZTS nanocrystals are characterized using Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX) to verify stoichiometry of elements. Analysis of EDAX data suggests that CZTS nanocrystals having Copper nitrate [Cu (NO3)2] concentration of 1.4 m mole is near stoichiometric. X-ray diffraction analysis study of CZTS nanocrystals having Copper nitrate [Cu (NO3)2] concentration of 1.4 m mole reveals the preferred orientation of the grains in (112), (220) and (312) direction confirming Kesterite structure of CZTS.

Silica-Based and Borate-Based, Titania-Containing Bioactive Coatings Characterization: Critical Strain Energy Release Rate, Residual Stresses, Hardness, and Thermal Expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Rodriguez

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Silica-based and borate-based glass series, with increasing amounts of TiO2 incorporated, are characterized in terms of their mechanical properties relevant to their use as metallic coating materials. It is observed that borate-based glasses exhibit CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion closer to the substrate’s (Ti6Al4V CTE, translating into higher mode I critical strain energy release rates of glasses and compressive residual stresses and strains at the coating/substrate interface, outperforming the silica-based glasses counterparts. An increase in the content of TiO2 in the glasses results in an increase in the mode I critical strain energy release rate for both the bulk glass and for the coating/substrate system, proving that the addition of TiO2 to the glass structure enhances its toughness, while decreasing its bulk hardness. Borate-based glass BRT3, with 15 mol % TiO2 incorporated, exhibits superior properties overall compared to the other proposed glasses in this work, as well as 45S5 Bioglass® and Pyrex.

Water-resistant, monodispersed and stably luminescent CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5 core-shell-like structure lead halide perovskite nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Bo; Song, Pengjie; Cao, Jingyue; Zhao, Suling; Shen, Zhaohui; Gao, Di; Liang, Zhiqin; Xu, Zheng; Song, Dandan; Xu, Xurong

2017-11-01

Lead halide perovskite materials are thriving in optoelectronic applications due to their excellent properties, while their instability due to the fact that they are easily hydrolyzed is still a bottleneck for their potential application. In this work, water-resistant, monodispersed and stably luminescent cesium lead bromine perovskite nanocrystals coated with CsPb2Br5 were obtained using a modified non-stoichiometric solution-phase method. CsPb2Br5 2D layers were coated on the surface of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals and formed a core-shell-like structure in the synthetic processes. The stability of the luminescence of the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals in water and ethanol atmosphere was greatly enhanced by the photoluminescence-inactive CsPb2Br5 coating with a wide bandgap. The water-stable enhanced nanocrystals are suitable for long-term stable optoelectronic applications in the atmosphere.

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.

Chronotherapeutically Modulated Pulsatile System of Valsartan Nanocrystals-an In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Nikhil; Kuotsu, Ketousetuo

2017-02-01

The objective was to improve the dissolution of valsartan by developing valsartan nanocrystals and design a pulsed release system for the chronotherapy of hypertension. Valsartan nanocrystals were prepared by sonication-anti-solvent precipitation method and lyophilized to obtain dry powder. Nanocrystals were directly compressed to minitablets and coated to achieve pulsatile valsartan release. Pharmacokinetic profiles of optimized and commercial formulations were compared in rabbit model. The mean particle size and PDI of the optimized nanocrystal batch V4 was reported as 211 nm and 0.117, respectively. DSC and PXRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of valsartan in nanocrystals. The dissolution extent of valsartan was markedly enhanced with both nanocrystals and minitablets as compared to pure valsartan irrespective of pH of the medium. Core minitablet V4F containing 5% w/w polyplasdone XL showed quickest release of valsartan, over 90% within 15 min. Coated formulation CV4F showed two spikes in release profile after successive lag times of 235 and 390 min. The pharmacokinetic study revealed that the bioavailability of optimized formulation (72.90%) was significantly higher than the commercial Diovan tablet (30.18%). The accelerated stability studies showed no significant changes in physicochemical properties, release behavior, and bioavialability of CV4F formulation. The formulation was successfully designed to achieve enhanced bioavailability and dual pulsatile release. Bedtime dosing will more efficiently control the circadian spikes of hypertension in the morning.

Silica Based Superhydrophobic Nanocoatings for Natural Rubber Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veromee Kalpana Wimalasiri

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Silica based nonfluorinated superhydrophobic coatings for natural rubber surfaces have been developed. The coating was synthesized using nanosilica dispersion and a polychloroprene type binder as a compatibilizer. This nanocoating of silica was applied on to the surface of finished natural rubber gloves, by spray coating or dipped coating methods. The nanocoating demonstrates a water contact angle of more than 150° and sliding angle of 7°. The morphological features of the coating have been studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to understand the nature of surface functional groups. Both imaging techniques provided evidence for the presence of nanosized particles in the coating. Coated gloves demonstrated comparable mechanical properties and significantly better alcohol resistivity when compared to those of the uncoated gloves.

New Silica Magnetite Sorbent: The Influence of Variations of Sodium Silicate Concentrations on Silica Magnetite Character

Science.gov (United States)

Azmiyawati, C.; Pratiwi, P. I.; Darmawan, A.

2018-04-01

The adsorption capacity of an adsorbent is determined by the adsorbent and the adsorbate properties. The character of the adsorbent will play a major role in its ability to adsorb the corresponding adsorbate. Therefore, in this study we looked at the effects of variations of sodium silicate concentrations on the resulting magnetite silica adsorbent properties. The application of silica coating on the magnetite was carried out through a sol-gel process with sodium silicate and HCl precursors. Based on the characterization data obtained, it was found that the silica coating on magnetite can increase the resistance to acid leaching, increase the particle size, but decrease the magnetic properties of the magnetite. Based on Gas Sorption Analyzer (GSA) and X-ray Difraction (XRD) data it can successively be determined that increase in concentration of sodium silicate will increase the surface area and amorphous structure of the Silica Magnetie.

Titania-Coated Silica Alone and Modified by Sodium Alginate as Sorbents for Heavy Metal Ions

Science.gov (United States)

Kołodyńska, D.; Gęca, M.; Skwarek, E.; Goncharuk, O.

2018-04-01

The novel organic-inorganic biohybrid composite adsorbent was synthesized based on nanosized silica-titania modified with alginate within the development of effective adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Effects of metal species Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II); concentrations; pH; temperature; and adsorption onto titania-coated silica (ST20) initial or modified by sodium alginate (ST20-ALG) were studied. The equilibrium and kinetic data of metal ions adsorption were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models and kinetic models: pseudo first order, pseudo second order, intraparticle kinetic model, and Elovich. The maximum sorption capacities observed were higher for the ST20-ALG composite compared to the initial ST20 oxide for all studied metal ions, namely their values for ST20-ALG were 22.44 mg g- 1 for Cu(II) adsorption, 19.95 mg g- 1 for Zn(II), 18.85 mg g- 1 for Cd(II), and 32.49 mg g- 1 for Pb(II). Structure and properties of initial silica-titania ST20 and modified by sodium alginate ST20-ALG adsorbents were analyzed using nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDS, and pHpzc techniques.

Silica-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes impregnated with polyethyleneimine for carbon dioxide capture under the flue gas condition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Min-Sang; Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr

2015-03-15

In this study, silica-coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes impregnated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) were prepared via a two-step process: (i) hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and (ii) impregnation of PEI. The adsorption properties of CO{sub 2} were investigated using CO{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherms at 298 K and thermogravimetric analysis under the flue gas condition (15% CO{sub 2}/85% N{sub 2}). The results obtained in this study indicate that CO{sub 2} adsorption increases after impregnation of PEI. The increase in CO{sub 2} capture was attributed to the affinity between CO{sub 2} and the amine groups. CO{sub 2} adsorption–desorption experiments, which were repeated five times, also showed that the prepared adsorbents have excellent regeneration properties. - Graphical abstract: Fabrication and CO{sub 2} adsorption process of the S-MWCNTs impregnated with PEI. - Highlights: • Silica coated-MWCNT impregnated with PEI was synthesized. • Amine groups of PEI gave CO{sub 2} affinity sites on MWCNT surfaces. • The S-MWCNT/PEI(50) exhibited the highest CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity.

Au nanocrystals grown on a better-defined one-dimensional tobacco mosaic virus coated protein template genetically modified by a hexahistidine tag

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Nan; Zhang Wei; Luo Zhaopeng; Zhai Niu; Zhang Hongfei; Li Zhonghao; Jiang Xingyi; Tang Gangling; Hu Qingyuan; Wang Chong; Tian Dandan

2012-01-01

In this paper, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coated protein (CP) was genetically modified by introducing a hexahistidine tag into it for a well-defined one-dimensional template, on which Au nanocrystals (NCs) were grown. The results showed that genetic modification could not only ameliorate the one-dimensional structure of the template, but also improve the growth density of Au NCs on the template. This indicated that genetic modification could be an effective method to modulate the structure of the TMVCP template-based nanocomposites allowing for a broader application of them. (paper)

Highly phosphorescent hollow fibers inner-coated with tungstate nanocrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Pui Fai; Bai, Gongxun; Si, Liping; Lee, Ka I.; Hao, Jianhua; Xin, John H.; Fei, Bin

2017-12-01

In order to develop luminescent microtubes from natural fibers, a facile biomimetic mineralization method was designed to introduce the CaWO4-based nanocrystals into kapok lumens. The structure, composition, and luminescence properties of resultant fibers were investigated with microscopes, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and fluorescence spectrometry. The yield of tungstate crystals inside kapok was significantly promoted with a process at high temperature and pressure—the hydrothermal treatment. The tungstate crystals grown on the inner wall of kapok fibers showed the same crystal structure with those naked powders, but smaller in crystal size. The resultant fiber assemblies demonstrated reduced phosphorescence intensity in comparison to the naked tungstate powders. However, the fibers gave more stable luminescence than the naked powders in wet condition. This approach explored the possibility of decorating natural fibers with high load of nanocrystals, hinting potential applications in anti-counterfeit labels, security textiles, and even flexible and soft optical devices.

Synthesis of diluted magnetic semiconductor Bi{sub 2−x}Mn{sub x}Te{sub 3} nanocrystals in a host glass matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, R.S. [Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação (ICENE), Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, 38025-180 Uberaba, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Mikhail, H.D., E-mail: ricardosilva@fisica.uftm.edu.br [Instituto de Ciências Tecnológicas e Exatas (ICTE), Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, 38064-200 Uberaba, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Pavani, R. [Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação (ICENE), Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, 38025-180 Uberaba, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Cano, N.F. [Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 11030-400 Santos, São Paulo (Brazil); Silva, A.C.A.; Dantas, N.O. [Instituto de Física, Laboratório de Novos Materiais Isolantes e Semicondutores (LNMIS), Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, 38400-902 Uberlândia, Minas Gerais (Brazil)

2015-11-05

Diluted magnetic semiconductors of manganese doped in bismuth-telluride nanocrystals (Bi{sub 2−x}Mn{sub x}Te{sub 3} NCs) were grown in a glass matrix and investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy/Magnetic Force Microscopy, and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. TEM images showed that the nanocrystals formed within the glass matrix were nearly spherical, with average sizes between 4 and 5 nm, and d{sub 015}-spacing of approximately 0.322 nm, which corresponds to the (015) interplanar distance in Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} bulk. The diffraction patterns showed that the diffraction peak associated with the (015) plane of the Bi{sub 2−x}Mn{sub x}Te{sub 3} nanocrystals shifts to larger diffraction angles as manganese (Mn) concentration increases, suggesting that the Mn{sup 2+} ions are substitutional defects occupying Bi sites (Mn{sub Bi}). AFM and MFM measurements showed magnetic phase contrast patterns, providing further evidence of Mn{sup 2+} ion incorporation in the nanocrystal structure. EPR signal of manganese ion incorporation and valence states in the crystalline structure of the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} nanocrystals confirmed the presence of the Mn{sup 2+} state. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 2−x}Mn{sub x}Te{sub 3} NCs were synthesized in a glass matrix by fusion method. • Transmission Electronic Microscopy shows the formation of Bi{sub 2−x}Mn{sub x}Te{sub 3} NCs. • The sp-d exchange interaction in DMS NCs can be evidenced by X Ray-Diffraction and Magnetic Force Microscopy. • Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectra confirmed that Mn{sup 2+} ions are located in two distinct Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} NCs sites.

Preparation of Mn-Zn ferrite nanoparticles and their silica-coated clusters: Magnetic properties and transverse relaxivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaman, Ondřej, E-mail: kamano@seznam.cz [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Kuličková, Jarmila [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Herynek, Vít [Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Vídeňská 1958/9, 140 21 Praha 4 (Czech Republic); Koktan, Jakub [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Maryško, Miroslav [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Dědourková, Tereza [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); University of Pardubice, Doubravice 41, 532 10 Pardubice (Czech Republic); Knížek, Karel; Jirák, Zdeněk [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic)

2017-04-01

Hydrothermal synthesis of Mn{sub 1−x}Zn{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles followed by direct encapsulation of the as-grown material into silica is demonstrated as a fast and facile method for preparation of efficient negative contrast agents based on clusters of ferrite crystallites. At first, the hydrothermal procedure is optimized to achieve strictly single-phase magnetic nanoparticles of Mn-Zn ferrites in the compositional range of x≈0.2–0.6 and with the mean size of crystallites ≈10 nm. The products are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and SQUID magnetometry, and the composition close to x=0.4 is selected for the preparation of silica-coated clusters with the mean diameter of magnetic cores ≈25 nm. Their composite structure is studied by means of transmission electron microscopy combined with detailed image analysis and magnetic measurements in DC fields. The relaxometric studies, performed in the magnetic field of B{sub 0}=0.5 T, reveal high transverse relaxivity (r{sub 2}(20 °C)=450 s{sup −1} mmol(Me{sub 3}O{sub 4}){sup −1} L) with a pronounced temperature dependence, which correlates with the observed temperature dependence of magnetization and is ascribed to a mechanism of transverse relaxation similar to the motional averaging regime. - Highlights: • Mn-Zn ferrite particles with size of ≈10 nm are synthesized by hydrothermal method. • Their structure and magnetic properties are analysed in dependence on composition. • Silica-coated clusters with the size ≈26 nm are prepared as contrast agent for MRI. • Their transverse relaxivity shows strong temperature dependence.

Fabrication of robust and thermally stable superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings based on thermoplastic polyurethane and silica nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seyfi, Javad [School of Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jafari, Seyed Hassan, E-mail: shjafari@ut.ac.ir [School of Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khonakdar, Hossein Ali [Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, D-01069 Dresden (Germany); Sadeghi, Gity Mir Mohamad [Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Zohuri, Gholamhossein [Polymer Group, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hejazi, Iman [Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Simon, Frank [Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, D-01069 Dresden (Germany)

2015-08-30

Highlights: • Superhydrophobic coatings were prepared from an intrinsically hydrophilic polymer. • The superhydrophobicity remained intact at elevated temperatures. • Polyurethane plays a key role in improving the mechanical robustness of the coatings. • A complete surface coverage of nanosilica is necessary for superhydrophobicity. - Abstract: In this paper, superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and modified nanosilica were fabricated using a simple solution-based method. The main challenge was to impart superhydrophobicity to an intrinsically hydrophilic polymer substrate. The prepared nanocomposite coatings were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Based on the obtained results, it was proved that in order to achieve superhydrophobicity, no TPU macromolecule should be present on the coating's top layer, thus a complete coverage of coating's top layer by nanosilica particles was necessary for achieving ultra water repellent coatings. Mechanical and thermal resistance of the coatings, which are the main challenges in commercializing superhydrophobic surfaces, were also studied by drop impact and thermal annealing tests, respectively. It was proved that using TPU as a sublayer results in improving mechanical resistance of the coatings as compared with the pure silica nanocoating. Moreover, the samples showed an excellent resistance against elevated temperatures (150 °C) and remained superhydrophobic; however, further increment of the annealing temperatures to 200 °C caused the TPU macromolecules to migrate onto the top layer of the coatings significantly reducing the water repellency, which was visually proved by SEM.

Microwave-assisted combustion synthesis of nano iron oxide/iron-coated activated carbon, anthracite, cellulose fiber, and silica, with arsenic adsorption studies

Science.gov (United States)

Combustion synthesis of iron oxide/iron coated carbons such as activated carbon, anthracite, cellulose fiber and silica is described. The reactions were carried out in alumina crucibles using a Panasonic kitchen microwave with inverter technology, and the reaction process was com...

Ion beam assisted synthesis of nano-crystals in glasses (silver and lead chalcogenides)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espiau de Lamaestre, R.

2005-04-01

This work deals with the interest in ion beams for controlling nano-crystals synthesis in glasses. We show two different ways to reach this aim, insisting on importance of redox phenomena induced by the penetration and implantation of ions in glasses. We first show that we can use the great energy density deposited by the ions to tailor reducing conditions, favorable to metallic nano-crystal precipitation. In particular, we show that microscopic mechanism of radiation induced silver precipitation in glasses are analogous to the ones of classical photography. Ion beams can also be used to overcome supersaturation of elements in a given matrix. In this work, we synthesized lead chalcogenide nano-crystals (PbS, PbSe, PbTe) whose optical properties are interesting for telecommunication applications. We demonstrate the influence of complex chalcogenide chemistry in oxide glasses, and its relationship with the observed loss of growth control when nano-crystals are synthesized by sequential implantation of Pb and S in pure silica. As a consequence of this understanding, we demonstrate a novel and controlled synthesis of PbS nano-crystals, consisting in implanting sulfur into a Pb-containing glass, before annealing. Choice of glass composition provides a better control of precipitation physico-chemistry, whereas the use of implantation allows high nano-crystal volume fractions to be reached. Our study of IR emission properties of these nano-crystals shows a very high excitation cross section, and evidence for a 'dark exciton' emitting level. (author)

Electron paramagnetic resonance

CERN Document Server

Al'tshuler, S A

2013-01-01

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance is a comprehensive text on the field of electron paramagnetic resonance, covering both the theoretical background and the results of experiment. This book is composed of eight chapters that cover theoretical materials and experimental data on ionic crystals, since these are the materials that have been most extensively studied by the methods of paramagnetic resonance. The opening chapters provide an introduction to the basic principles of electron paramagnetic resonance and the methods of its measurement. The next chapters are devoted to the theory of spectra an

A decomposable silica-based antibacterial coating for percutaneous titanium implant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang J

2017-01-01

antibacterial titanium coating continuously released gentamycin and inhibited S. aureus growth. In vitro investigation showed that the obtained nanodelivery system has good biocompatibility. Therefore, this design can be further investigated as a method to prevent infection around percutaneous implants. Keywords: silica nanoparticles, microarc oxidation, gentamycin, control release, fibroblasts

Core/shell fluorescent magnetic silica-coated composite nanoparticles for bioconjugation

Science.gov (United States)

He, Rong; You, Xiaogang; Shao, Jun; Gao, Feng; Pan, Bifeng; Cui, Daxiang

2007-08-01

A new class of highly fluorescent, photostable, and magnetic core/shell nanoparticles has been synthesized from a reverse microemulsion method. The obtained bifunctional nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry, photoluminescence (PL) spectrometry, and fluorescence microscopy in a magnetic field. To further improve their biocompatibility, the silica-coated nanoparticles were functionalized with amino groups. The fluorescent magnetic composite nanoparticles (FMCNPs) had a typical diameter of 50 ± 5 nm and a saturation magnetization of 3.21 emu g-1 at room temperature, and exhibited strong excitonic photoluminescence. Through activation with glutaraldehyde, the FMCNPs were successfully conjugated with goat anti-mouse immunoglobin G (GM IgG), and the bioactivity and binding specificity of the as-prepared FMCNPs-GM IgG were confirmed via immunofluorescence assays, commonly used in bioanalysis. So they are potentially useful for many applications in biolabelling, imaging, drug targeting, bioseparation and bioassays.

Core/shell fluorescent magnetic silica-coated composite nanoparticles for bioconjugation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Rong; You Xiaogang; Shao Jun; Gao Feng; Pan Bifeng; Cui Daxiang

2007-01-01

A new class of highly fluorescent, photostable, and magnetic core/shell nanoparticles has been synthesized from a reverse microemulsion method. The obtained bifunctional nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry, photoluminescence (PL) spectrometry, and fluorescence microscopy in a magnetic field. To further improve their biocompatibility, the silica-coated nanoparticles were functionalized with amino groups. The fluorescent magnetic composite nanoparticles (FMCNPs) had a typical diameter of 50 ± 5 nm and a saturation magnetization of 3.21 emu g -1 at room temperature, and exhibited strong excitonic photoluminescence. Through activation with glutaraldehyde, the FMCNPs were successfully conjugated with goat anti-mouse immunoglobin G (GM IgG), and the bioactivity and binding specificity of the as-prepared FMCNPs-GM IgG were confirmed via immunofluorescence assays, commonly used in bioanalysis. So they are potentially useful for many applications in biolabelling, imaging, drug targeting, bioseparation and bioassays

Preparation of silane-functionalized silica films via two-step dip coating sol–gel and evaluation of their superhydrophobic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramezani, Maedeh; Vaezi, Mohammad Reza; Kazemzadeh, Asghar

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Superhydrophobic silica film was prepared by sol–gel process. • The surfaces exhibited superhydrophobicity with water contact angle greater than 150°. • AFM images showed the roughness increases with increasing the percentage of silylation agent. • Before and after modification, the particle size of silica was lower than 50 nm. - Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration of the surface modification of the silica nanoparticle by iso-OTMS on the glass substrate. - Abstract: In this paper, we study the two-step dip coating via a sol–gel process to prepare superhydrophobic silica films on the glass substrate. The water repellency of the silica films was controlled by surface silylation method using isooctyltrimethoxysilane (iso-OTMS) as a surface modifying agent. Silica alcosol was synthesized by keeping the molar ratio of ethyltriethoxysilane (ETES) precursor, ethanol (EtOH) solvent, water (H 2 O) was kept constant at 1:36:6.6 respectively, with 6 M NH 4 OH throughout the experiment and the percentages of hydrophobic agent in hexane bath was varied from 0 to 15 vol.%. The static water contact angle values of the silica films increased from 108° to 160° with an increase in the vol.% of iso-OTMS. At 15 vol%. of iso-OTMS, the silica film shows static water contact angle as high as 160°. The superhydrophobic silica films are thermally stable up to 440 °C and above this temperature, the silica films lose superhydrophobicity. By controlling the primer particle size of SiO 2 about 26 nm, leading to decrease the final size of silica nanoparticles after modification of nanoparticles by isooctyltrimethoxysilane about 42 nm. The films are transparent and have uniform size on the surface. The silica films have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transparency, contact angle measurement (CA), Zeta-potential, Thermal stability by TG–DTA analysis

Nanoparticles affect PCR primarily via surface interactions with PCR components: using amino-modified silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles as a main model

Science.gov (United States)

Nanomaterials have been widely reported to affect the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, many studies in which these effects were observed were not comprehensive, and many of the proposed mechanisms have been primarily speculative. In this work, we used amino-modified silica-coated magnetic n...

Seed-mediated synthesis of NaY F4:Y b, Er/NaGdF4 nanocrystals with improved upconversion fluorescence and MR relaxivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Hai; Li Zhengquan; Qian Haisheng; Hu Yong; Muhammad, Idris Niagara

2010-01-01

Rational combination of different functional lanthanide materials within a single nanocrystal presents a feasible way to develop a multifunctional nanoplatform for various biomedical applications. The conventional methods of synthesizing and integrating two kinds of material together generally involve laborious procedures, whilst codoping different functional ions inside a single lanthanide nanocrystal usually results in a decrease in both its fluorescence and its magnetic resonance relaxivity. Here, we present a seed-mediated synthetic route to prepare core-shell structured NaY F 4 :Y b, Er/NaGdF 4 nanocrystals. Epitaxial growth of a gadolinium layer on an upconversion lanthanide seed not only improves its upconversion fluorescence, but also creates a paramagnetic shell with high magnetic resonance relaxivity. The prepared nanocrystals are uniform in size, stable in water and easy for conjugation after modification, which may have the potential to serve as a versatile imaging tool for smart detection or diagnosis in future biomedical engineering.

Superhydrophobic silica coating by dip coating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahadik, Satish A.; Parale, Vinayak; Vhatkara, Rajiv S.; Mahadik, Dinesh B.; Kavale, Mahendra S.; Wagh, Pratap B.; Gupta, Satish; Gurav, Jyoti

2013-01-01

Herein, we report a simple and low cost method for the fabrication of superhydrophobic coating surface on quartz substrates via sol-gel dip coating method at room temperature. Desired surface chemistry and texture growth for superhydrophobicity developed under double step sol–gel process at room temperature. The resultant superhydrophobic surfaces were characterized by Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle (WCA) measurement, differential thermal gravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) calorimetry and optical spectrometer. Coating shows the ultra high water contact angle about 168 ± 2° and water sliding angle 3 ± 1° and superoleophilic with petroleum oils. This approach allows a simple strategy for the fabrication process of superhydrophilic–superhydrophobic on same surfaces with high thermal stability of superhydrophobicity up to 560 °C. Thus, durability, special wettability and thermal stability of superhydrophobicity expand their application fields.

Adsorption and spectroscopic characterization of lactoferrin on hydroxyapatite nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Iafisco, Michele; Di Foggia, Michele; Bonora, Sergio; Prat, Maria; Roveri, Norberto

2011-01-28

Lactoferrin (LF), a well-characterized protein of blood plasma and milk with antioxidant, cariostatic, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, has been adsorbed onto biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals at two different pH values (7.4 and 9.0). The interaction was herein investigated by spectroscopic, thermal and microscopic techniques. The positive electrostatic surface potential of LF at pH 7.4 allows a strong surface interaction with the slightly negative HA nanocrystals and avoids the protein-protein interaction, leading to the formation of a coating protein monolayer. In contrast, at pH 9.0 the surface potential of LF is a mix of negative and positive zones favouring the protein-protein interaction and reducing the interaction with HA nanocrystals; as a result a double layer of coating protein was formed. These experimental findings are supported by the good fittings of the adsorption isotherms by different theoretical models according to Langmuir, Freundlich and Langmuir-Freundlich models. The nanosized HA does not appreciably affect the conformation of the adsorbed protein. In fact, using FT-Raman and FT-IR, we found that after adsorption the protein was only slightly unfolded with a small fraction of the α-helix structure being converted into turn, while the β-sheet content remained almost unchanged. The bioactive surface of HA functionalized with LF could be utilized to improve the material performance towards the biological environment for biomedical applications.

Hydrogen storage in Pd nanocrystals covered with a metal-organic framework

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guangqin; Kobayashi, Hirokazu; Taylor, Jared M.; Ikeda, Ryuichi; Kubota, Yoshiki; Kato, Kenichi; Takata, Masaki; Yamamoto, Tomokazu; Toh, Shoichi; Matsumura, Syo; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2014-08-01

Hydrogen is an essential component in many industrial processes. As a result of the recent increase in the development of shale gas, steam reforming of shale gas has received considerable attention as a major source of H2, and the more efficient use of hydrogen is strongly demanded. Palladium is well known as a hydrogen-storage metal and an effective catalyst for reactions related to hydrogen in a variety of industrial processes. Here, we present remarkably enhanced capacity and speed of hydrogen storage in Pd nanocrystals covered with the metal-organic framework (MOF) HKUST-1 (copper(II) 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate). The Pd nanocrystals covered with the MOF have twice the storage capacity of the bare Pd nanocrystals. The significantly enhanced hydrogen storage capacity was confirmed by hydrogen pressure-composition isotherms and solid-state deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The speed of hydrogen absorption in the Pd nanocrystals is also enhanced by the MOF coating.

The hydrodynamic size of polymer stabilized nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krueger, Karl M; Al-Somali, Ali M; Mejia, Michelle; Colvin, Vicki L [Department of Chemistry, Rice University, MS-60 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 (United States)

2007-11-28

For many emerging applications, nanocrystals are surface functionalized with polymers to control self-assembly, prevent aggregation, and promote incorporation into polymer matrices and biological systems. The hydrodynamic diameter of these nanoparticle-polymer complexes is a critical factor for many applications, and predicting this size is complicated by the fact that the structure of the grafted polymer at a nanocrystalline interface is not generally established. In this work we evaluate using size-exclusion chromatography the overall hydrodynamic diameter of nanocrystals (Au, CdSe, d<5 nm) surface coated with polystyrene of varying molecular weight. The polymer is tethered to the nanoparticles via a terminal thiol to provide strong attachment. Our data show that at full coverage the polymer assumes a brush conformation and is 44% longer than the unbound polymer in solution. The brush conformation is confirmed by comparison with models used to describe polymer brushes at flat interfaces. From this work, we suggest an empirical formula which predicts the hydrodynamic diameter of polymer coated nanoparticles based on the size of the nanoparticle core and the size of the randomly coiled unbound polymer in solution.

Self-cleaning behavior in polyurethane/silica coatings via formation of a hierarchical packed morphology of nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hejazi, Iman [Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875/4413, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mir Mohamad Sadeghi, Gity, E-mail: Gsadeghi@aut.ac.ir [Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875/4413, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Seyfi, Javad [Department of Chemical Engineering, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box 36155-163, Shahrood (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jafari, Seyed-Hassan [School of Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khonakdar, Hossein Ali [Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, P.O. Box 14965/115, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-04-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Self-cleaning behavior was imparted to the hydrophilic polyurethane. • A hierarchical packed morphology is responsible for the superhydrophobicity. • Prolonged pressing process cannot lead to superhydrophobicity due to migration of TPU. • Samples exhibited excellent stability against media with a wide range of pH values. - Abstract: In the current research, a hierarchical morphology comprising of packed assembly of nanoparticles was induced in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/silica nanocomposite coatings in order to achieve self-cleaning behavior. Moderately hydrophilic behavior of TPU hinders its transforming to a superhydrophobic material. In the presented method, a very thin layer of silica nanoparticles is applied to the surface of TPU sheets under elevated temperature and pressure. As temperature and pressure of the process remain unchanged, processing time was considered as a main variable. Based on scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy results, it was found that at a certain processing time, nanoparticles can form an utterly packed morphology leading to a self-cleaning behavior. Once the process was prolonged, TPU macromolecules found the chance to migrate onto the coating's top layer due to the enhanced mobility of chains at high temperature. This observation was further proved by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and cross-sectional morphology. The presented method has promising potentials in transforming intrinsically hydrophilic polymers into superhydrophobic materials with self-cleaning behavior.

Stability of anti-reflection coatings via the self-assembly encapsulation of silica nanoparticles by diazo-resins

Science.gov (United States)

Metzman, Jonathan S.; Ridley, Jason I.; Khalifa, Moataz B.; Heflin, James R.

2015-12-01

A modified silica nanoparticle (MSNP) solution was formed by the encapsulation of negatively charged silica nanoparticles by the UV-crosslinkable polycation oligomer diazo-resin (DAR). Appropriate DAR encapsulation concentrations were determined by use of zeta-potential and dynamic light scattering measurements. The MSNPs were used in conjunction with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) to grow homogenous ionic self-assembled multilayer anti-reflection coatings. Stability was induced within the films by the exposure of UV-irradiation that allowed for crosslinking of the DAR and PSS. The films were characterized by UV/vis/IR spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The transmission and reflection levels were >98.5% and <0.05%, respectively. The refractive indices resided in the 1.25-1.26 range. The solvent stability was tested by sonication of the films in a ternary solvent (H2O/DMF/ZnCl2 3:5:2 w/w/w).

Synthesis of biocompatible hydrophobic silica-gelatin nano-hybrid by sol-gel process.

Science.gov (United States)

Smitha, S; Shajesh, P; Mukundan, P; Nair, T D R; Warrier, K G K

2007-03-15

Silica-biopolymer hybrid has been synthesised using colloidal silica as the precursor for silica and gelatin as the biopolymer counterpart. The surface modification of the hybrid material has been done with methyltrimethoxysilane leading to the formation of biocompatible hydrophobic silica-gelatin hybrid. Here we are reporting hydrophobic silica-gelatin hybrid and coating precursor for the first time. The hybrid gel has been evaluated for chemical modification, thermal degradation, hydrophobicity, particle size, transparency under the UV-visible region and morphology. FTIR spectroscopy has been used to verify the presence of CH(3) groups which introduce hydrophobicity to the SiO2-MTMS-gelatin hybrids. The hydrophobic property has also been tailored by varying the concentration of methyltrimethoxysilane. Contact angle by Wilhelmy plate method of transparent hydrophobic silica-gelatin coatings has been found to be as high as approximately 95 degrees . Oxidation of the organic group which induces the hydrophobic character occurs at 530 degrees C which indicates that the surface hydrophobicity is retained up to that temperature. Optical transmittance of SiO2-MTMS-gelatin hybrid coatings on glass substrates has been found to be close to 100% which will enable the hybrid for possible optical applications and also for preparation of transparent biocompatible hydrophobic coatings on biological substrates such as leather.

Superhydrophobic Bilayer Coating Based on Annealed Electrospun Ultrathin Poly(ε-caprolactone Fibers and Electrosprayed Nanostructured Silica Microparticles for Easy Emptying Packaging Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana Lasprilla-Botero

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A coating rendering superhydrophobic properties to low-density polyethylene (LDPE films used in packaging applications was herein generated by means of the electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP technique. To this end, electrospun ultrathin poly(ε-caprolactone (PCL fibers, followed by electrosprayed nanostructured silica (SiO2 microparticles, were deposited on top of the LDPE film. Various electrospinning and electrospraying times were tested and optimized followed by a thermal post-treatment to provide physical adhesion between the bilayer coating and the LDPE substrate. The morphology, hydrophobicity, permeance to limonene, and thermal stability of the resultant nanostructured coatings were characterized. It was observed that by controlling both the deposition time of the electrospun ultrathin PCL fibers and the electrosprayed SiO2 microparticles, as well as the conditions of the thermal post-treatment, effective superhydrophobic coatings were developed onto the LDPE films. The resultant multilayer presented a hierarchical micro/nanostructured surface with an apparent contact angle of 157° and a sliding angle of 8°. The addition of silica reduced, to some extent, the limonene (aroma barrier, likely due to the increased surface-to-volume ratio, which allowed permeant sorption to occur but improved the thermal stability of the LDPE/PCL film. As a result, the developed multilayer system of LDPE/PCL/SiO2 has significant potential for use in easy-to-empty packaging applications of high water activity products.

Synthesis of fluorine- doped silica-coating by fluorosilane nanofluid to ultrahydrophobic and ultraoleophobic surface

Science.gov (United States)

Saboori, R.; Azin, R.; Osfouri, Sh; Sabbaghi, S.; Bahramian, A.

2017-10-01

Liquid repellency treatment has many applications in various sectors including oil and gas reservoirs and self-cleaning surfaces. In this study, effect of silica, fluorine-doped silica and fluorine-doped silica-coating by fluorosilane nanofluid on ultrahydrophobic and ultraoleophobic surface of carbonate and sandstone rock were investigated. The nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized using XRD, FTIR, FESEM and DLS and nanofluid was prepared. F-SiO2-F nanoparticle was adsorbed on surface of rocks and confirmed by FESEM and EDXA. Effect of nanofluid on wettability was investigated by measuring contact angles of water, crude oil, condensate, n-decane and ethylene glycol in air and stability of ultrahydrophobic and ultraoleophobic was investigated. Results show that nanofluid (0.05 wt% of nanoparticle) changes contact angle from strongly liquid-wet to strongly gas-wet in all systems. The original contact angle of water, crude oil, condensate, n-decane and ethylene glycol were 37.95°, 0°, 0°, 0° and 0° for carbonate rock and 40.30°, 0°, 0°, 0° and 0° for sandstone rock which altered to 146.47°, 145.59°, 138.24°, 139.06° and 146.52° for carbonate rock and 160.01°, 151.40°, 131.85°, 140.27° and 151.70° for sandstone rock after treatment. The ultraoleophobic and ultrahydrophobic stability were  >48 h and 120 min.

Colloidal CuInSe2 nanocrystals thin films of low surface roughness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kergommeaux, Antoine de; Fiore, Angela; Faure-Vincent, Jérôme; Pron, Adam; Reiss, Peter

2013-01-01

Thin-film processing of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is a prerequisite for their use in (opto-)electronic devices. The commonly used spin-coating is highly materials consuming as the overwhelming amount of deposited matter is ejected from the substrate during the spinning process. Also, the well-known dip-coating and drop-casting procedures present disadvantages in terms of the surface roughness and control of the film thickness. We show that the doctor blade technique is an efficient method for preparing nanocrystal films of controlled thickness and low surface roughness. In particular, by optimizing the deposition conditions, smooth and pinhole-free films of 11 nm CuInSe 2 NCs have been obtained exhibiting a surface roughness of 13 nm root mean square (rms) for a 350 nm thick film, and less than 4 nm rms for a 75 nm thick film. (paper)

Synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopic analysis of silica nanoparticle-embedded polyester coated steel surfaces subjected to prolonged UV and humidity exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Vongsvivut, Jitraporn; Truong, Vi Khanh; Al Kobaisi, Mohammad; Maclaughlin, Shane; Tobin, Mark J; Crawford, Russell J; Ivanova, Elena P

2017-01-01

Surface modification of polymers and paints is a popular and effective way to enhance the properties of these materials. This can be achieved by introducing a thin coating that preserves the bulk properties of the material, while protecting it from environmental exposure. Suitable materials for such coating technologies are inorganic oxides, such as alumina, titania and silica; however, the fate of these materials during long-term environmental exposure is an open question. In this study, polymer coatings that had been enhanced with the addition of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) and subsequently subjected to environmental exposure, were characterized both before and after the exposure to determine any structural changes resulting from the exposure. High-resolution synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopy and surface topographic techniques, including optical profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM), were used to determine the long-term effect of the environment on these dual protection layers after 3 years of exposure to tropical and sub-tropical climates in Singapore and Queensland (Australia). Principal component analysis (PCA) based on the synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR spectral data revealed that, for the 9% (w/w) SiO2NP/polymer coating, a clear discrimination was observed between the control group (no environmental exposure) and those samples subjected to three years of environmental exposure in both Singapore and Queensland. The PCA loading plots indicated that, over the three year exposure period, a major change occurred in the triazine ring vibration in the melamine resins. This can be attributed to the triazine ring being very sensitive to hydrolysis under the high humidity conditions in tropical/sub-tropical environments. This work provides the first direct molecular evidence, acquired using a high-resolution mapping technique, of the climate-induced chemical evolution of a polyester coating. The observed changes in the surface topography of the

Controlled surface functionalization of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles with terminal amino and carboxyl groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kralj, Slavko; Drofenik, Miha; Makovec, Darko

2011-01-01

General and versatile methods for the functionalization of superparamagnetic, silica-coated, maghemite nanoparticles by surface amino and/or carboxyl groups have been established. The nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation from aqueous solutions and coated with a thin layer of silica using the hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). For the amino functionalization, 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyldimethoxysilane (APMS) was grafted onto the nanoparticle surfaces in their aqueous suspensions. The grafting process was followed by measurements of the ζ-potential and a determination of the concentration of the surface amino groups with conductometric titrations. The surface concentration of the amino groups could be varied by increasing the amount of APMS in the grafting process up to approximately 2.3 –NH 2 groups per nm 2 . The carboxyl functionalization was obtained in two ways: (i) by a ring-opening linker elongation reaction of the surface amines at the functionalized nanoparticles with succinic anhydride (SA) in non-aqueous medium, and (ii) by reacting the APMS and SA first, followed by grafting of the carboxyl-terminated reagent onto the nanoparticle surfaces. Using the first method, the SA only reacted with the terminal primary amino groups (–NH 2 ) of the surface-grafted APMS molecules. Infra-red spectroscopy (ATR FTIR) and mass spectrometry (HRMS) showed that the second method enables the bonding of up to two SA molecules per one APMS molecule, since the SA reacted with both the primary (–NH 2 ) and secondary amino (–NH–) groups of the APMS molecule. When using both methods, the ratio between the surface amino and carboxyl groups can be controlled.

Strong visible-light emission of ZnS nanocrystals embedded in sol-gel silica xerogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Ping; Lue, M.-K.; Song, C.-F.; Zhou, G.-J.; Ai, Z.-P.; Xu Dong; Yuan, D.-R.; Cheng, X.-F.

2003-01-01

ZnS nanoparticles embedded in novel porous phosphor silica xerogel have been synthesized by sol-gel processing. Their fluorescence properties have been evaluated and compared with those of the Na + -doped and un-doped silica xerogels. Stable and strong visible-light emission of the doped samples has been observed. The relative fluorescence intensities of the samples doped with ZnS nanoparticles (S 2- ions have been obtained by the water solution of NaS) are the highest among all of the doped samples. Its relative fluorescence intensity is about 7.5 times of that of the un-doped silica xerogel and about 300 times of that of pure ZnS nanoparticles. The emission wavelength of the ZnS-doped and Na + -doped samples is the same as that of the un-doped silica xerogel and ZnS nanoparticles (λ em =440-450 nm). This high efficiency luminescence of the doped silica xerogels has been assigned to the luminescence centers of ZnS nanoparticles and Na + in the porous phosphorescence silica xerogel

Electrophoretic properties of BSA-coated quantum dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Bücking, Wendelin; Massadeh, Salam; Merkulov, Alexei; Xu, Shu; Nann, Thomas

2010-02-01

Low toxic InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), ZnS:Mn(2+)/ZnS nanocrystals and CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles were rendered water-dispersible by different ligand-exchange methods. Eventually, they were coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. All particles were characterised by isotachophoresis (ITP), laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and agarose gel electrophoresis. It was found that the electrophoretic mobility and colloidal stability of ZnS:Mn(2+)/ZnS and CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles, which bore short-chain surface ligands, was primarily governed by charges on the nanoparticles, whereas InP/ZnS nanocrystals were not charged per se. BSA-coated nanoparticles showed lower electrophoretic mobility, which was attributed to their larger size and smaller overall charge. However, these particles were colloidally stable. This stability was probably caused by steric stabilisation of the BSA coating.

Core-shell designs of photoluminescent nanodiamonds with porous silica coatings for bioimaging and drug delivery II: application.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhakar, Neeraj; Näreoja, Tuomas; von Haartman, Eva; Karaman, Didem Şen; Jiang, Hua; Koho, Sami; Dolenko, Tatiana A; Hänninen, Pekka E; Vlasov, Denis I; Ralchenko, Victor G; Hosomi, Satoru; Vlasov, Igor I; Sahlgren, Cecilia; Rosenholm, Jessica M

2013-05-07

Recent advances within materials science and its interdisciplinary applications in biomedicine have emphasized the potential of using a single multifunctional composite material for concurrent drug delivery and biomedical imaging. Here we present a novel composite material consisting of a photoluminescent nanodiamond (ND) core with a porous silica (SiO2) shell. This novel multifunctional probe serves as an alternative nanomaterial to address the existing problems with delivery and subsequent tracing of the particles. Whereas the unique optical properties of ND allows for long-term live cell imaging and tracking of cellular processes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have proven to be efficient drug carriers. The advantages of both ND and MSNs were hereby integrated in the new composite material, ND@MSN. The optical properties provided by the ND core rendered the nanocomposite suitable for microscopy imaging in fluorescence and reflectance mode, as well as super-resolution microscopy as a STED label; whereas the porous silica coating provided efficient intracellular delivery capacity, especially in surface-functionalized form. This study serves as a demonstration how this novel nanomaterial can be exploited for both bioimaging and drug delivery for future theranostic applications.

Canted spin structure and the first order magnetic transition in CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles coated by amorphous silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyubutin, I.S. [Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119333 (Russian Federation); Starchikov, S.S., E-mail: sergey.s.starchikov@gmail.com [Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119333 (Russian Federation); Gervits, N.E.; Korotkov, N.Yu.; Dmitrieva, T.V. [Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119333 (Russian Federation); Lin, Chun-Rong, E-mail: crlinspin@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung County 90003, Taiwan (China); Tseng, Yaw-Teng [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung County 90003, Taiwan (China); Shih, Kun-Yauh [Department of Applied Chemistry, National Pingtung University, Pingtung County 90003, Taiwan (China); Lee, Jiann-Shing [Department of Applied Physics, National Pingtung University, Pingtung County 90003, Taiwan (China); Wang, Cheng-Chien [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, Taiwan (China)

2016-10-01

The functional polymer (PMA-co-MAA) latex microspheres were used as a core template to prepare magnetic hollow spheres consisting of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} composites. The spinel type crystal structure of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ferrite is formed under annealing, whereas the polymer cores are completely removed after annealing at 450 °C. Magnetic and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements reveal very interesting magnetic properties of the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} hollow spheres strongly dependent on the particle size which can be tuned by the annealing temperature. In the ground state of low temperatures, the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles are in antiferromagnetic state due to the canted magnetic structure. Under heating in the applied field, the magnetic structure gradually transforms from canted to collinear, which increases the magnetization. The Mössbauer data revealed that the small size CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} particles (2.2–4.3 nm) do not show superparamagnetic behavior but transit from the magnetic to the paramagnetic state by a jump-like magnetic transition of the first order This effect is a specific property of the magnetic nanoparticles isolated by inert material, and can be initiated by internal pressure creating at the particle surface. The suggested method of synthesis can be modified with various bio-ligands on the silane surface, and such materials can find many applications in diagnostics and bio-separation. - Highlights: • CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}/SiO{sub 2} nanocomposites in shell of hollow microcapsules designed for biomedical applications • The CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} particle size and magnetic properties can be tuned by thermal treatment • Canted spin structure in the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles coated by SiO{sub 2} • The first order magnetic transition in the CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles coated by silica.

Radiation hardening in sol-gel derived Er3+-doped silica glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hari Babu, B.; León Pichel, Mónica; Ollier, Nadège; El Hamzaoui, Hicham; Bigot, Laurent; Savelii, Inna; Bouazaoui, Mohamed; Poumellec, Bertrand; Lancry, Matthieu; Ibarra, Angel

2015-01-01

The aim of the present paper is to report the effect of radiation on the Er 3+ -doped sol-gel silica glasses. A possible application of these sol-gel glasses could be their use in harsh radiation environments. The sol-gel glasses are fabricated by densification of erbium salt-soaked nanoporous silica xerogels through polymeric sol-gel technique. The radiation-induced attenuation of Er 3+ -doped sol-gel silica is found to increase with erbium content. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies reveal the presence of E′ δ point defects. This happens in the sol-gel aluminum-silica glass after an exposure to γ-rays (kGy) and in sol-gel silica glass after an exposure to electrons (MGy). The concentration levels of these point defects are much lower in γ-ray irradiated sol-gel silica glasses. When the samples are co-doped with Al, the exposure to γ-ray radiation causes a possible reduction of the erbium valence from Er 3+ to Er 2+ ions. This process occurs in association with the formation of aluminum oxygen hole centers and different intrinsic point defects

Paramagnetic Nanocrystals: Remarkable Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles with Varied Shape, Size, and Composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmberg, Rebecca J; Aharen, Tomoko; Murugesu, Muralee

2012-12-20

Magnetic nanoparticles have been developed in recent years with applications in unique and crucial areas such as biomedicine, data storage, environmental remediation, catalysis, and so forth. NaYF4 nanoparticles were synthesized and isolated with lanthanide dopant percentages, confirmed by ICP-OES measurements, of Er, Yb, Tb, Gd, and Dy that were in agreement with the targeted ratios. SEM images showed a distinct variation in particle size and shape with dopant type and percentage. HRTEM and XRD studies confirmed the particles to be crystalline, possessing both α and β phases. Magnetic measurements determined that all of the nanoparticles were paramagnetic and did not exhibit a blocking temperature from 2 to 300 K. The multifunctional properties of these nanoparticles make them suitable for many applications, such as multimodal imaging probes, up-conversion fluorescent markers, as well as MRI contrast agents.

Plasma Polymerization of Acetylene onto silica: and Approach to control the distribution of silica in single elastomers and immiscible blends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiwari, M.; Noordermeer, Jacobus W.M.; Ooij, W.J.; Dierkes, Wilma K.

2008-01-01

Surface modification of silica by acetylene plasma polymerization is applied in order to improve the dispersion in and compatibility with single rubbers and their blends. Silica, used as a reinforcing filler for elastomers, is coated with a polyacetylene (PA) film under vacuum conditions. Water

Polymer-coated quantum dots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tomczak, N.; Liu, Rongrong; Vancso, Gyula J.

2013-01-01

Quantum Dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals with distinct photophysical properties finding applications in biology, biosensing, and optoelectronics. Polymeric coatings of QDs are used primarily to provide long-term colloidal stability to QDs dispersed in solutions and also as a source of

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.

Brilliant molecular nanocrystals emerging from sol-gel thin films: towards a new generation of fluorescent biochips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubuisson, E; Monnier, V; Sanz-Menez, N; Ibanez, A; Boury, B; Usson, Y; Pansu, R B

2009-01-01

To develop highly sensitive biosensors, we made directly available to biological aqueous solutions organic nanocrystals previously grown in the pores of sol-gel films. Through the controlled dissolution of the sol-gel surface, we obtained emerging nanocrystals that remained strongly anchored to the sol-gel coating for good mechanical stability of the final sensing device. We demonstrated that in the presence of a solution of DNA functionalized with a molecular probe, the nanocrystal fluorescence is strongly quenched by Foerster resonance energy transfer thus opening the way towards very sensitive fluorescent biosensors through biomolecules grafted onto fluorescent nanocrystals. Finally, this controlled dissolution, involving weak concentrated NaOH solution, is a generic process that can be used for the thinning of any kind of sol-gel layer.

Study of silica coatings degradation under laser irradiation and in controlled environment; Etude de la degradation de couches minces de silice sous flux laser et en environnement controle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, S

2006-11-15

Performances of optical components submitted to high laser intensities are usually determined by their laser-induced damage threshold. This value represents the highest density of energy (fluence) sustainable by the component before its damage. When submitted to laser fluences far below this threshold, optical performances may also decrease with time. The degradation processes depend on laser characteristics, optical materials, and environment around the component. Silica being the most used material in optics, the aim of this study was to describe and analyse the physical-chemical mechanisms responsible for laser-induced degradation of silica coatings in controlled environment. Experimental results show that degradation is due to the growth of a carbon deposit in the irradiated zone. From these results, a phenomenological model has been proposed and validated with numerical simulations. Then, several technological solutions have been tested in order to reduce the laser-induced contamination of silica coatings. (author)

Ceramic protective coatings applied by sol-gel or electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoch, A.

1993-01-01

Sol-gel and electrophoresis are the complementary techniques which may be used for obtaining the ceramic coatings. The composition of such a coatings depends on the composition of electrophoresis bath or sol solution. Thermal treatment is used for densifying the coating and promoting the adherence of coating to the substrate. In presented work silica, silica-alumina or alumina coatings are applied by sol-gel dip coating procedure on steel, aluminium or ceramic substrates. Electrophoresis is employed for obtaining zirconia, alumina or hydroxyapatite coatings on stainless steel. (author). 7 refs

Improvement of slip property of magnetic tape by wet silica surface treatment on cobalt-coating type {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} magnetic particles; Kobaruto hichakugata {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} jiseibiryushi no shisshiki shirika hyomenshori niyoru jikitepu no suberi tokusei no kaizen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, Kazuyuki; Iwasaki, Keisuke; Tanaka, Yasuyuki; Morii, Hiroko

1999-02-05

During the running of a magnetic taper coated with magnetic particles, sometimes troubles of the slip property between the magnetic tape and a magnetic head occur. In this research, silica coating onto the surfaces of magnetic iron oxide particles in water slurry was carried out, and a magnetic tape coated with these surface-modified particles was prepared so as to investigate the effect of the silica coating on the slip property of the magnetic tape. It was found that, for needle cobalt-coating type {gamma}- Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, the dynamic friction coefficient of the magnetic tape can be reduced from about 0.4 to abut 0.2 by coating silica at nm order. This was estimated that the adsorption amount of myristic acid as a lubricator component existing in the magnetic tape to the magnetic particles are reduced by the silica coating so that the amount of myristic acid effectively acting on the slip property of the magnetic tape surface is increased. Further, within the investigation scope of the present research, it has been clarified that the magnetic characteristics of the magnetic particles and coating dispersion property are not deteriorated by the surface treatment with silica, and a preferable magnetic recording medium retaining both magnetic characteristic and slip property can be obtained. (translated by NEDO)

Surface-dependent chemical equilibrium constants and capacitances for bare and 3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane coated silica nanochannels.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Mathias Bækbo; Frey, Jared; Pennathur, Sumita; Bruus, Henrik

2011-01-01

We present a combined theoretical and experimental analysis of the solid-liquid interface of fused-silica nanofabricated channels with and without a hydrophilic 3-cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane (cyanosilane) coating. We develop a model that relaxes the assumption that the surface parameters C(1), C(2), and pK(+) are constant and independent of surface composition. Our theoretical model consists of three parts: (i) a chemical equilibrium model of the bare or coated wall, (ii) a chemical equilibrium model of the buffered bulk electrolyte, and (iii) a self-consistent Gouy-Chapman-Stern triple-layer model of the electrochemical double layer coupling these two equilibrium models. To validate our model, we used both pH-sensitive dye-based capillary filling experiments as well as electro-osmotic current-monitoring measurements. Using our model we predict the dependence of ζ potential, surface charge density, and capillary filling length ratio on ionic strength for different surface compositions, which can be difficult to achieve otherwise. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of mesoporous silica-encapsulated gold nanorods as enhanced light scattering probes for cancer cell imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhan Qiuqiang; Qian Jun; Li Xin; He Sailing, E-mail: qianjun@coer.zju.edu.cn [Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

2010-02-05

Mesoporous encapsulation of gold nanorods (GNRs) in a silica shell of controllable thickness (4.5-25.5 nm) was realized through a single-step coating method without any intermediary coating. The dependence of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) extinction spectra of the coated GNRs on the thickness of the silica shell was investigated with both simulation and experiments, which agreed well with each other. It was found that cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) molecules, which act as surfactants for the GNRs and dissociate in the solution, greatly affect the silica coating. Mesoporous silica-encapsulated GNRs were also shown to be highly biocompatible and stable in bio-environments. Based on LSPR enhanced scattering, mesoporous silica-encapsulated GNRs were utilized for dark field scattering imaging of cancer cells. Biomolecule-conjugated mesoporous silica-encapsulated GNRs were specifically taken up by cancer cells in vitro, justifying their use as effective optical probes for early cancer diagnosis. Mesoporous silica can also be modified with functional groups and conjugated with certain biomolecules for specific labeling on mammalian cells as well as carrying drugs or biomolecules into biological cells.

Reusable hydroxyapatite nanocrystal sensors for protein adsorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagaya, Motohiro; Ikoma, Toshiyuki; Hanagata, Nobutaka; Chakarov, Dinko; Kasemo, Bengt; Tanaka, Junzo

2010-01-01

The repeatability of the adsorption and removal of fibrinogen and fetal bovine serum on hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocrystal sensors was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring technique. The HAp nanocrystals were coated on a gold-coated quartz sensor by electrophoretic deposition. Proteins adsorbed on the HAp sensors were removed by (i) ammonia/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM), (ii) ultraviolet light (UV), (iii) UV/APM, (iv) APM/UV and (v) sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) treatments. FTIR spectra of the reused surfaces revealed that the APM and SDS treatments left peptide fragments or the proteins adsorbed on the surfaces, whereas the other methods successfully removed the proteins. The QCM-D measurements indicated that in the removal treatments, fibrinogen was slowly adsorbed in the first cycle because of the change in surface wettability revealed by contact angle measurements. The SDS treatment was not effective in removing proteins. The APM or UV treatment decreased the frequency shifts for the reused HAp sensors. The UV/APM treatment did not induce the frequency shifts but decreased the dissipation shifts. Therefore, we conclude that the APM/UV treatment is the most useful method for reproducing protein adsorption behavior on HAp sensors.

Reusable hydroxyapatite nanocrystal sensors for protein adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motohiro Tagaya, Toshiyuki Ikoma, Nobutaka Hanagata, Dinko Chakarov, Bengt Kasemo and Junzo Tanaka

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The repeatability of the adsorption and removal of fibrinogen and fetal bovine serum on hydroxyapatite (HAp nanocrystal sensors was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D monitoring technique. The HAp nanocrystals were coated on a gold-coated quartz sensor by electrophoretic deposition. Proteins adsorbed on the HAp sensors were removed by (i ammonia/hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM, (ii ultraviolet light (UV, (iii UV/APM, (iv APM/UV and (v sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS treatments. FTIR spectra of the reused surfaces revealed that the APM and SDS treatments left peptide fragments or the proteins adsorbed on the surfaces, whereas the other methods successfully removed the proteins. The QCM-D measurements indicated that in the removal treatments, fibrinogen was slowly adsorbed in the first cycle because of the change in surface wettability revealed by contact angle measurements. The SDS treatment was not effective in removing proteins. The APM or UV treatment decreased the frequency shifts for the reused HAp sensors. The UV/APM treatment did not induce the frequency shifts but decreased the dissipation shifts. Therefore, we conclude that the APM/UV treatment is the most useful method for reproducing protein adsorption behavior on HAp sensors.

Toxicity assessment of silica coated iron oxide nanoparticles and biocompatibility improvement by surface engineering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Ada Malvindi

Full Text Available We have studied in vitro toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs coated with a thin silica shell (Fe3O4/SiO2 NPs on A549 and HeLa cells. We compared bare and surface passivated Fe3O4/SiO2 NPs to evaluate the effects of the coating on the particle stability and toxicity. NPs cytotoxicity was investigated by cell viability, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, reactive oxygen species (ROS assays, and their genotoxicity by comet assay. Our results show that NPs surface passivation reduces the oxidative stress and alteration of iron homeostasis and, consequently, the overall toxicity, despite bare and passivated NPs show similar cell internalization efficiency. We found that the higher toxicity of bare NPs is due to their stronger in-situ degradation, with larger intracellular release of iron ions, as compared to surface passivated NPs. Our results indicate that surface engineering of Fe3O4/SiO2 NPs plays a key role in improving particles stability in biological environments reducing both cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.

Magnetic, Fluorescence and Transition Metal Ion Response Properties of 2,6-Diaminopyridine Modified Silica-Coated Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunhui Zhai

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Multi-functional nanoparticles possessing magnetic, fluorescence and transition metal ion response properties were prepared and characterized. The particles have a core/shell structure that consists of silica-coated magnetic Fe3O4 and 2,6-diaminopyridine anchored on the silica surface via organic linker molecules. The resultant nanoparticles were found by transmission electron microscopy to be well-dispersed spherical particles with an average diameter of 10–12 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis suggested the existence of Fe3O4 and silica in/on the particle. Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed that 2,6-diaminopyridine molecules were successfully covalently bonded to the surface of magnetic composite nanoparticles. The prepared particles possessed an emission peak at 364 nm with an excitation wavelength of 307 nm and have a strong reversible response property for some transition metal ions such as Cu2+ and Zn2+. This new material holds considerable promise in selective magneto separation and optical determination applications.

Influence of cell-internalization on relaxometric, optical and compositional properties of targeted paramagnetic quantum dot micelles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Starmans, L. W. E.; Kok, M. B.; Sanders, H. M. H. F.; Zhao, Y.; Donegá, C. de Mello; Meijerink, A.; Mulder, W. J. M.; Grüll, H.; Strijkers, G. J.; Nicolay, K.

2011-01-01

Quantum dot micelles (pQDs) with a paramagnetic coating are promising nanoparticles for bimodal molecular imaging. Their bright fluorescence allows for optical detection, while their Gd payload enables visualization with contrast-enhanced MRI. A popular approach in molecular MRI is the targeting of

Thermally induced structural modifications and O2 trapping in highly porous silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alessi, A.; Agnello, S.; Iovino, G.; Buscarino, G.; Melodia, E.G.; Cannas, M.; Gelardi, F.M.

2014-01-01

In this work we investigate by Raman spectroscopy the effect of isochronal (2 h) thermal treatments in air in the temperature range 200–1000 °C of amorphous silicon dioxide porous nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 5 up to 15 nm and specific surface 590–690 m 2 /g. Our results indicate that the amorphous structure changes similarly to other porous systems previously investigated, in fact superficial SiOH groups are removed, Si–O–Si linkages are created and the ring statistic is modified, furthermore these data evidence that the three membered rings do not contribute significantly to the Raman signal detected at about 495 cm −1 . In addition, after annealing at 900 and 1000 °C we noted the appearance of the O 2 emission at 1272 nm, absent in the not treated samples. The measure of the O 2 emission has been combined with electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of the γ irradiation induced HO · 2 radicals to investigate the O 2 content per mass unit of thin layers of silica. Our data reveal that the porous nanoparticles have a much lower ability to trap O 2 molecules per mass units than nonporous silica supporting a model by which O 2 trapping inside a surface layer of about 1 nm of silica is always limited. - Highlights: • O 2 emission and HO · 2 electron paramagnetic resonance signals are investigated. • Silica surface ability to trap O 2 molecules is explored by thermal treatments. • Raman study of thermally induced structural changes in porous silica nanoparticles. • Raman signal attributable to the three membered rings in silica

Low-Temperature Processed Ga-Doped ZnO Coatings from Colloidal Inks

KAUST Repository

Della Gaspera, Enrico

2013-03-06

We present a new colloidal synthesis of gallium-doped zinc oxide nanocrystals that are transparent in the visible and absorb in the near-infrared. Thermal decomposition of zinc stearate and gallium nitrate after hot injection of the precursors in a mixture of organic amines leads to nanocrystals with tunable properties according to gallium amount. Substitutional Ga3+ ions trigger a plasmonic resonance in the infrared region resulting from an increase in the free electrons concentration. These nanocrystals can be deposited by spin coating, drop casting, and spray coating resulting in homogeneous and high-quality thin films. The optical transmission of the Ga-ZnO nanoparticle assemblies in the visible is greater than 90%, and at the same time, the near-infrared absorption of the nanocrystals is maintained in the films as well. Several strategies to improve the films electrical and optical properties have been presented, such as UV treatments to remove the organic compounds responsible for the observed interparticle resistance and reducing atmosphere treatments on both colloidal solutions and thin films to increase the free carriers concentration, enhancing electrical conductivity and infrared absorption. The electrical resistance of the nanoparticle assemblies is about 30 kΩ/sq for the as-deposited, UV-exposed films, and it drops down to 300 Ω/sq after annealing in forming gas at 450 °C, comparable with state of the art tin-doped indium oxide coatings deposited from nanocrystal inks. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Mechanical and thermal properties of UV curable polyurethane acrylate composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Sofian Alias; Nik Ghazali Nik Salleh; Mohd Hamzah Harun; Mohd Yusof Hamzah; Rosley Che Ismail

2012-01-01

UV curable coating formulation comprises urethane acrylate resin and nano silica as filter were synthesized to develop UV curable inorganic hybrid composite (PUA). The surface of the nano silica was chemically modified to improve its chemical interaction within the urethane acrylate matrix. The modification had been undertaken by applying vinyltrymetoxysilane (VTMOS) that acted as a coupling agent to produce organophilic silica shell (SIMA). The shell is linked to the silica via reaction with the surface silanol group of the silica. The disappearance of methoxy groups in VTMOS was demonstrated by FTIR spectrum. The percentage of silica particles in UV curable hybrid formulation were varied on 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 % and 25 wt % respectively. In this work, the formulation was applied on medium density fiber board (MDF) substrate and subsequent has been irradiated under UV light. Then, the coated MDF were characterized by several testing equipment (TGA, DSC, scratch tester, instron, SEM). From the result, we found that the addition of silica nanoparticles exhibit significant improvement in coating film properties as compared to film without silica nanoparticle includes significant improvement in its modulus and scratch resistance. This make them as promising coating candidate for MDF product. On the other hand, we also found that an increase of silica particle up to 25 wt %, the viscosity has increased rapidly indicates that it is not suitable for acrylate coating formulation due to disappearance of desired effect known as thixotropy. (Author)

Liquid phase deposition of silica: Thin films, colloids and fullerenes

Science.gov (United States)

Whitsitt, Elizabeth A.

Little research has been done to explore liquid phase deposition (LPD) of silica on non-planar substrates. This thesis proves that the seeded growth of silica colloids from fullerene and surfactant micelles is possible via LPD, as is the coating of individual single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and carbon fibers. Working on the premise that a molecular growth mechanism (versus colloidal/gel deposition) is valid for LPD, nanostructured substrates and specific chemical functional groups should act as "seeds," or templates, for silica growth. Seeded growth is confirmed by reactions of the growth solution with a range of surfactants and with materials with distinctive surface moieties. LPD promises lower production costs and environmental impact as compared to present methods of coating technology, because it is an inherently simple process, using low temperatures and inexpensive air-stable reactants. Silica is ubiquitous in materials science. Its applications range from thixotropic additives for paint to gate dielectrics in the semiconductor industry. Nano-structured coatings and thin films are integral in today's electronics industry and will become more vital as the size of electronics shrinks. With the incorporation of nanoparticles in future devices, the ability to deposit quality coatings with finely tuned properties becomes paramount. The methods developed herein have applications in fabricating insulators for use in the future molecular scale electronics industry. Additionally, these silica nanoparticles have applications as templates for use in photonics and fuel cell membrane production and lend strength and durability to composites.

Influence of colloidal nano-silica on alkyd autoxidation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nikolic, Miroslav; Sanadi, Anand Ramesh; Löf, David

2017-01-01

Nanoparticles are often added to coatings in order to improve their mechanical properties. However, nanoparticles can also influence the cross-linking reaction of polymers and overall curing kinetics, and from this follows that properties of interest are further impacted. In research studies...... on alkyd-based coatings, only the physical drying stage during the first 24 h has been studied in this respect until now. In this study, it was shown with the use of Raman spectroscopy that colloidal nano-silica can change the rate of alkyd autoxidation and how this effect is reflected on the tensile...... properties of the coating. One of the consequences of the influence of nano-silica on curing kinetics is that, contrary to implicit assumptions of common testing methods, the real effect of nanoparticles on mechanical properties can emerge much later in the coating lifetime....

Selective porous gates made from colloidal silica nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Nisticò

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Highly selective porous films were prepared by spin-coating deposition of colloidal silica nanoparticles on an appropriate macroporous substrate. Silica nanoparticles very homogenous in size were obtained by sol–gel reaction of a metal oxide silica precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide (PS-b-PEO copolymers as soft-templating agents. Nanoparticles synthesis was carried out in a mixed solvent system. After spin-coating onto a macroporous silicon nitride support, silica nanoparticles were calcined under controlled conditions. An organized nanoporous layer was obtained characterized by a depth filter-like structure with internal porosity due to interparticle voids. Permeability and size-selectivity were studied by monitoring the diffusion of probe molecules under standard conditions and under the application of an external stimulus (i.e., electric field. Promising results were obtained, suggesting possible applications of these nanoporous films as selective gates for controlled transport of chemical species in solution.

Chemical and thermal stability of core-shelled magnetite nanoparticles and solid silica

Science.gov (United States)

Cendrowski, Krzysztof; Sikora, Pawel; Zielinska, Beata; Horszczaruk, Elzbieta; Mijowska, Ewa

2017-06-01

Pristine nanoparticles of magnetite were coated by solid silica shell forming core/shell structure. 20 nm thick silica coating significantly enhanced the chemical and thermal stability of the iron oxide. Chemical and thermal stability of this structure has been compared to the magnetite coated by mesoporous shell and pristine magnetite nanoparticles. It is assumed that six-membered silica rings in a solid silica shell limit the rate of oxygen diffusion during thermal treatment in air and prevent the access of HCl molecules to the core during chemical etching. Therefore, the core/shell structure with a solid shell requires a longer time to induce the oxidation of iron oxide to a higher oxidation state and, basically, even strong concentrated acid such as HCl is not able to dissolve it totally in one month. This leads to the desired performance of the material in potential applications such as catalysis and environmental protection.

Synthesize and characterization of a novel anticorrosive cobalt ferrite nanoparticles dispersed in silica matrix (CoFe2O4-SiO2) to improve the corrosion protection performance of epoxy coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharagozlou, M.; Ramezanzadeh, B.; Baradaran, Z.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An anticorrosive cobalt ferrite nanopigment dispersed in silica matrix was synthesized. • The nanopigment showed proper inhibition performance in solution study. • The nanopigment significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating. - Abstract: This study aimed at studying the effect of an anticorrosive nickel ferrite nanoparticle dispersed in silica matrix (NiFe 2 O 4 -SiO 2 ) on the corrosion protection properties of steel substrate. NiFe 2 O 4 and NiFe 2 O 4 -SiO 2 nanopigments were synthesized and then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Then, 1 wt.% of nanopigments was dispersed in an epoxy coating and the resultant nanocomposites were applied on the steel substrates. The corrosion inhibition effects of nanopigments were tested by an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and salt spray test. Results revealed that dispersing nickel ferrite nanoparticles in a silica matrix (NiFe 2 O 4 -SiO 2 ) resulted in the enhancement of the nanopigment dispersion in the epoxy coating matrix. Inclusion of 1 wt.% of NiFe 2 O 4 -SiO 2 nanopigment into the epoxy coating enhanced its corrosion protection properties before and after scratching.

Iodinated oil-loaded, fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography/fluorescence trimodal imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue S

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Sihan Xue,1 Yao Wang,1 Mengxing Wang,2 Lu Zhang,1 Xiaoxia Du,2 Hongchen Gu,1 Chunfu Zhang1,31School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, Department of Physics, East China Normal University, 3State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaAbstract: In this study, a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI/computed tomography (CT/fluorescence trifunctional probe was prepared by loading iodinated oil into fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (i-fmSiO4@SPIONs. Fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs were prepared by growing fluorescent dye-doped silica onto superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs directed by a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide template. As prepared, fmSiO4@SPIONs had a uniform size, a large surface area, and a large pore volume, which demonstrated high efficiency for iodinated oil loading. Iodinated oil loading did not change the sizes of fmSiO4@SPIONs, but they reduced the MRI T2 relaxivity (r2 markedly. I-fmSiO4@SPIONs were stable in their physical condition and did not demonstrate cytotoxic effects under the conditions investigated. In vitro studies indicated that the contrast enhancement of MRI and CT, and the fluorescence signal intensity of i-fmSiO4@SPION aqueous suspensions and macrophages, were intensified with increased i-fmSiO4@SPION concentrations in suspension and cell culture media. Moreover, for the in vivo study, the accumulation of i-fmSiO4@SPIONs in the liver could also be detected by MRI, CT, and fluorescence imaging. Our study demonstrated that i-fmSiO4@SPIONs had great potential for MRI/C/fluorescence trimodal imaging.Keywords: multifunctional probe, SPIONs, mesoporous silica

Thickness controlled sol-gel silica films for plasmonic bio-sensing devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figus, Cristiana, E-mail: cristiana.figus@dsf.unica.it; Quochi, Francesco, E-mail: cristiana.figus@dsf.unica.it; Artizzu, Flavia, E-mail: cristiana.figus@dsf.unica.it; Saba, Michele, E-mail: cristiana.figus@dsf.unica.it; Marongiu, Daniela, E-mail: cristiana.figus@dsf.unica.it; Mura, Andrea; Bongiovanni, Giovanni [Dipartimento di Fisica - University of Cagliari, S.P. Km 0.7, I-09042 Monserrato (Canada) (Italy); Floris, Francesco; Marabelli, Franco; Patrini, Maddalena; Fornasari, Lucia [Dipartimento di Fisica - University of Pavia, Via Agostino Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia (PV) (Italy); Pellacani, Paola; Valsesia, Andrea [Plasmore S.r.l. -Via Grazia Deledda 4, I-21020 Ranco (Vatican City State, Holy See) (Italy)

2014-10-21

Plasmonics has recently received considerable interest due to its potentiality in many fields as well as in nanobio-technology applications. In this regard, various strategies are required for modifying the surfaces of plasmonic nanostructures and to control their optical properties in view of interesting application such as bio-sensing, We report a simple method for depositing silica layers of controlled thickness on planar plasmonic structures. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as silica precursor. The control of the silica layer thickness was obtained by optimizing the sol-gel method and dip-coating technique, in particular by properly tuning different parameters such as pH, solvent concentration, and withdrawal speed. The resulting films were characterized via atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform (FT) spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Furthermore, by performing the analysis of surface plasmon resonances before and after the coating of the nanostructures, it was observed that the position of the resonance structures could be properly shifted by finely controlling the silica layer thickness. The effect of silica coating was assessed also in view of sensing applications, due to important advantages, such as surface protection of the plasmonic structure.

Engineering of lipid-coated PLGA nanoparticles with a tunable payload of diagnostically active nanocrystals for medical imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Mieszawska, Aneta J; Gianella, Anita; Cormode, David P; Zhao, Yiming; Meijerink, Andries; Langer, Robert; Farokhzad, Omid C; Fayad, Zahi A; Mulder, Willem J M

2012-06-14

Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) based nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable and therefore have been extensively investigated as therapeutic carriers. Here, we engineered diagnostically active PLGA nanoparticles that incorporate high payloads of nanocrystals into their core for tunable bioimaging features. We accomplished this through esterification reactions of PLGA to generate polymers modified with nanocrystals. The PLGA nanoparticles formed from modified PLGA polymers that were functionalized with either gold nanocrystals or quantum dots exhibited favorable features for computed tomography and optical imaging, respectively.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar

2016-01-01

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behzadi, Abed; Mohammadi, Aliasghar, E-mail: amohammadi@sharif.edu [Sharif University of Technology, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-09-15

Environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles are colloidal nanoparticles coated with, at least, two physicochemically distinct surface groups. Recent advances in the synthesis and production of nanoparticles have enabled the production of environmentally responsive surface-modified nanoparticles with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface groups. These nanoparticles act like colloidal surfactants. In this paper, environmentally responsive surface-modified silica nanoparticles are synthesized and used for enhancement of oil recovery. For this purpose, silica nanoparticles are coated with polyethylene glycol chains as hydrophilic agent and propyl chains as hydrophobic agent at various quantities, and their ability to modulate oil–water interface properties and oil recovery is examined. Oil–water interfacial tension and water surface tension are decreased by 50 % in the presence of silica nanoparticles coated with both agents. Measuring oil-drop contact angle on oil-wetted glass slides and carbonate rock sections, after aging in various surface-modified silica nanofluids, indicates that the wettability of various oil-wetted surfaces is modified from strongly oil-wet to water-wet. Flooding nanofluids to glass micro-models and pore-level investigations demonstrate that surface modification of silica nanoparticles, specially, with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents improves considerably their performance in increasing oil recovery and wettability alteration.

Preparation and properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride nanocomposites blended with graphene oxide coated silica hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Fu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Graphene oxide coated silica hybirds (SiO2-GO were fabricated through electrostatic assembly in this work, then blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF by solution mixing to make PVDF nanocomposites. The interfacial interaction was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, polarized optical microscopy (POM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The results showed that the interfacial interaction was enhanced by adding of SiO2-GO and strong hydrogen bonds were observed. The as-made nanocomposites were investigated using standard tensile test and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA measurements, mechanical properties of PVDF with SiO2-GO hybrids showed limited improvement.

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...

Static and kinetic frictional forces of silica-insert ceramic brackets with coated archwires in artificial saliva.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahabi, Mostafa; Salari, Soheil; Poosti, Maryam; Abtahi, Mostafa

2017-01-01

During sliding mechanics, the frictional force (FF) is an important counterforce to orthodontic tooth movement. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the static and kinetic FFs of S silica-insert ceramic (SIC) brackets with Teflon-coated (TC) and conventional S stainless steel (SS) archwires. The target group of this study included 80 maxillary canine 0.022 inch slot SIC brackets. Forty SS brackets were used as the control. TC and conventional uncoated SS archwires of different dimensions (0.016, 0.018, 0.016 × 0.022, and 0.018 × 0.025 inch) were examined. All tests were carried out under artificial saliva injected condition. Scanning Electron Micrographs were prepared for two samples of coated and uncoated archwires. Analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc tests were used for statistical purposes (level of significance P brackets showed significantly lower levels of FFs than SS brackets. TC archwires had greater frictional values than conventional uncoated ones. They also exhibited an unusual behavior of increasing kinetic FFs with time. Indentation and delamination of coating were obvious under scanning electron microscopy observations. From the standpoint of friction, SIC brackets may serve well, even better than SS brackets, in sliding mechanics. The coating layer of the archwires may delaminate and lost, causing an impediment to tooth movement.

Ultrasonic electrodeposition of silver nanoparticles on dielectric silica spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Shaochun; Tang Yuefeng; Gao Feng; Liu Zhiguo; Meng Xiangkang

2007-01-01

In the present study, a facile and one-step ultrasonic electrodeposition method is first applied to controllably coat colloidal silica spheres with silver nanoparticles. This method is additive-free and very direct, because processes necessary in many other approaches, such as pretreatment of the silica sphere surface and pre-preparation of silver nanoparticles, are not involved in it. Furthermore, it makes possible the coating of dielectric substrates with metal through an electrodeposition route. Under appropriate conditions, silver nanoparticles with sizes of 8-10 nm in diameter can be relatively homogeneously deposited onto the surface of preformed colloidal silica spheres. Silver particles with different sizes and dispersive uniformity on silica sphere surfaces can also be obtained by adjusting the current density (I), the concentration of electrolyte (C) and the electrolysis time (t). The possible ultrasonic electrodeposition mechanism is also suggested according to the experimental results

Thermally induced structural modifications and O{sub 2} trapping in highly porous silica nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alessi, A., E-mail: antonino.alessi@unipa.it; Agnello, S.; Iovino, G.; Buscarino, G.; Melodia, E.G.; Cannas, M.; Gelardi, F.M.

2014-12-15

In this work we investigate by Raman spectroscopy the effect of isochronal (2 h) thermal treatments in air in the temperature range 200–1000 °C of amorphous silicon dioxide porous nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 5 up to 15 nm and specific surface 590–690 m{sup 2}/g. Our results indicate that the amorphous structure changes similarly to other porous systems previously investigated, in fact superficial SiOH groups are removed, Si–O–Si linkages are created and the ring statistic is modified, furthermore these data evidence that the three membered rings do not contribute significantly to the Raman signal detected at about 495 cm{sup −1}. In addition, after annealing at 900 and 1000 °C we noted the appearance of the O{sub 2} emission at 1272 nm, absent in the not treated samples. The measure of the O{sub 2} emission has been combined with electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of the γ irradiation induced HO{sup ·}{sub 2} radicals to investigate the O{sub 2} content per mass unit of thin layers of silica. Our data reveal that the porous nanoparticles have a much lower ability to trap O{sub 2} molecules per mass units than nonporous silica supporting a model by which O{sub 2} trapping inside a surface layer of about 1 nm of silica is always limited. - Highlights: • O{sub 2} emission and HO{sup ·}{sub 2} electron paramagnetic resonance signals are investigated. • Silica surface ability to trap O{sub 2} molecules is explored by thermal treatments. • Raman study of thermally induced structural changes in porous silica nanoparticles. • Raman signal attributable to the three membered rings in silica.

Facile template-directed synthesis of carbon-coated SnO2 nanotubes with enhanced Li-storage capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Xiaoshu; Zhu, Jingyi; Yao, Yinan; Zhou, Yiming; Tang, Yawen; Wu, Ping

2015-01-01

Herein, a novel type of carbon-coated SnO 2 nanotubes has been designed and synthesized through a facile two-step hydrothermal approach by using ZnO nanorods as templates. During the synthetic route, SnO 2 nanocrystals and carbon layer have been uniformly deposited on the rod-like templates in sequence, meanwhile ZnO nanorods could be in situ dissolved owing to the generated alkaline and acidic environments during hydrothermal coating of SnO 2 nanocrystals and hydrothermal carbonization of glucose, respectively. When utilized as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries, the carbon-coated SnO 2 nanotubes manifests markedly enhanced Li-storage capabilities in terms of specific capacity and cycling stability in comparison with bare SnO 2 nanocrystals. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • C-coated SnO 2 nanotubes prepared via facile ZnO-nanorod-templated hydrothermal route. • Unique morphological and structural features toward lithium storage. • Enhanced Li-storage performance in terms of specific capacity and cycling stability

Semiconductor nanocrystals dispersed in imidazolium-based ionic liquids: a spectroscopic and morphological investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panniello, Annamaria; Binetti, Enrico; Ingrosso, Chiara; Curri, M. Lucia; Agostiano, Angela; Tommasi, Raffaele; Striccoli, Marinella

2013-01-01

A growing interest is devoted to the study of imidazolium-based ionic liquids as innovative materials to combine with functional elements for advanced technological applications. Materials based on semiconductor and oxide nanocrystals in ionic liquids can be promising for their integration in lithium batteries, as well as in innovative solar cells. Although the physical chemical properties and the solvation dynamics of bare ionic liquids have been extensively studied, their combination with colloidal nanocrystals still remains almost unexplored. Here, the optical properties of organic-capped luminescent cadmium selenide nanocrystals coated by a shell of zinc sulfide (CdSe(ZnS)) dispersed in 1,3-dialkyl imidazolium ionic liquids have been investigated, also in dependence of the alkyl chain length on the imidazolium ring and of the anion nature, by using both time-integrated and time-resolved optical spectroscopy. The observed variations in decay profiles of the ionic liquid in presence of colloidal nanocrystals suggest that the dispersion of the nanostructures induces modifications in the ionic liquid structural order. Finally, atomic force microscopy analysis has provided insight into the topography of the investigated dispersions deposited as film, confirming the organization of the ionic liquids in super-structures, also upon nanocrystal incorporation.

Synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopic analysis of silica nanoparticle-embedded polyester coated steel surfaces subjected to prolonged UV and humidity exposure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitraporn Vongsvivut

Full Text Available Surface modification of polymers and paints is a popular and effective way to enhance the properties of these materials. This can be achieved by introducing a thin coating that preserves the bulk properties of the material, while protecting it from environmental exposure. Suitable materials for such coating technologies are inorganic oxides, such as alumina, titania and silica; however, the fate of these materials during long-term environmental exposure is an open question. In this study, polymer coatings that had been enhanced with the addition of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs and subsequently subjected to environmental exposure, were characterized both before and after the exposure to determine any structural changes resulting from the exposure. High-resolution synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopy and surface topographic techniques, including optical profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM, were used to determine the long-term effect of the environment on these dual protection layers after 3 years of exposure to tropical and sub-tropical climates in Singapore and Queensland (Australia. Principal component analysis (PCA based on the synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR spectral data revealed that, for the 9% (w/w SiO2NP/polymer coating, a clear discrimination was observed between the control group (no environmental exposure and those samples subjected to three years of environmental exposure in both Singapore and Queensland. The PCA loading plots indicated that, over the three year exposure period, a major change occurred in the triazine ring vibration in the melamine resins. This can be attributed to the triazine ring being very sensitive to hydrolysis under the high humidity conditions in tropical/sub-tropical environments. This work provides the first direct molecular evidence, acquired using a high-resolution mapping technique, of the climate-induced chemical evolution of a polyester coating. The observed changes in the surface

Colloidal CuInSe2 nanocrystals thin films of low surface roughness

Science.gov (United States)

de Kergommeaux, Antoine; Fiore, Angela; Faure-Vincent, Jérôme; Pron, Adam; Reiss, Peter

2013-03-01

Thin-film processing of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is a prerequisite for their use in (opto-)electronic devices. The commonly used spin-coating is highly materials consuming as the overwhelming amount of deposited matter is ejected from the substrate during the spinning process. Also, the well-known dip-coating and drop-casting procedures present disadvantages in terms of the surface roughness and control of the film thickness. We show that the doctor blade technique is an efficient method for preparing nanocrystal films of controlled thickness and low surface roughness. In particular, by optimizing the deposition conditions, smooth and pinhole-free films of 11 nm CuInSe2 NCs have been obtained exhibiting a surface roughness of 13 nm root mean square (rms) for a 350 nm thick film, and less than 4 nm rms for a 75 nm thick film. Invited talk at the 6th International Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology, 30 October-2 November 2012, Ha Long, Vietnam.

In Situ Growth of Mesoporous Silica with Drugs on Titanium Surface and Its Biomedical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Mimi; Zhang, Jin; Wang, Qi; Zhan, Shuyue; Chen, Xudong; Mao, Chun; Liu, Yuhong; Shen, Jian

2017-06-07

Mesoporous silica has been developed for the modification of titanium surfaces that are used as implant materials. Yet, the traditional modification methods failed to effectively construct mesoporous silica on the titanium surface evenly and firmly, in which the interaction between mesoporous silica and titanium was mainly physical. Here, in situ growth of mesoporous silica on a titanium surface was performed using a simple evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy. Meantime, in situ introduction of drugs (heparin and vancomycin) to mesoporous silica was also adopted to improve the drug-loading amount. Both the above-mentioned processes were completed at the same time. Transmission electron microscopy, N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and water contact angle measurements were used to characterize the structure of the mesoporous silica film. Results indicated that the mesoporous silica film that in situ grew on the titanium surface was smooth, thin, transparent, and stable. Cytotoxicity, proliferation performance of osteoblast cells, and in vitro and in vivo studies of the antibacterial activity of the coating were tested. This is the first study to modify the titanium surface by the in situ growth of a mesoporous silica coating with two kinds of drugs. The stability of the mesoporous silica coating can be attributed to the chemical bonding between dopamine and silicon hydroxyl of the mesoporous silica coating, and the smooth surface of mesoporous silica is a result of the method of in situ growth. The large amount of drug-loading also could be ascribed to the in situ introduction of drugs during the synthetic process. The strategy proposed in this work will bring more possibilities for the preparation of advanced functional materials based on the combination of mesoporous structure and metallic materials.

Revealing the nanostructure of calcium phosphate coatings using HRTEM/FIB techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solla, E.L.; Rodríguez-González, B.; Aguiar, H.; Rodríguez-Valencia, C.; Serra, J.; González, P.

2016-01-01

Herein, we report on the micro- and nanostructure of the calcium phosphate coating produced by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), using focused ion beam (FIB) lamella sample preparation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as the characterization technique. The initial selected area electron diffraction (SAED) data demonstrated the presence of hydroxyapatite (HA) over any other possible calcium phosphate crystalline structure and the polycrystalline nature of the coating. Moreover, the SAED analyses showed clear textured ring patterns coherent with the presence of a preferred orientation in the HA nano-crystal growth. The SAED data also indicated that the coating appears to be textured in the 〈002〉 crystalline direction. Dark-field images obtained using 002 as the working reflection showed a clear oriented crystal growth in columns, from bottom to top. These columns have a peculiar arrangement of nano-crystals since, in some cases, the preferred orientation appears to start at a certain distance from the substrate. Direct d-spacing measurements on high-resolution TEM images provided further proof of the presence of an HA nano-crystal structure. The reported data may be of interest in the future to adjust the microstructure of the HA coatings. - Highlights: •The FIB lift-out technique allows a very site-specific sample preparation method for HRTEM analysis. •It also permits a fast assessment of the HA coating thickness and elemental composition (EDS). •The coatings exhibit a nano-crystalline nature, with a texturing effect along the 002 planes. •PLD is suitable for the production of crystalline c-axis oriented hydroxyapatite coatings. •The crystalline HA phase in the PLD coating is very similar to the present in bone.

Revealing the nanostructure of calcium phosphate coatings using HRTEM/FIB techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solla, E.L., E-mail: esolla@uvigo.es [Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica, CACTI, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo (Spain); Rodríguez-González, B. [Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica, CACTI, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo (Spain); Aguiar, H.; Rodríguez-Valencia, C.; Serra, J.; González, P. [Applied Physics Department, School of Industrial Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus As Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo (Spain)

2016-12-15

Herein, we report on the micro- and nanostructure of the calcium phosphate coating produced by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), using focused ion beam (FIB) lamella sample preparation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as the characterization technique. The initial selected area electron diffraction (SAED) data demonstrated the presence of hydroxyapatite (HA) over any other possible calcium phosphate crystalline structure and the polycrystalline nature of the coating. Moreover, the SAED analyses showed clear textured ring patterns coherent with the presence of a preferred orientation in the HA nano-crystal growth. The SAED data also indicated that the coating appears to be textured in the 〈002〉 crystalline direction. Dark-field images obtained using 002 as the working reflection showed a clear oriented crystal growth in columns, from bottom to top. These columns have a peculiar arrangement of nano-crystals since, in some cases, the preferred orientation appears to start at a certain distance from the substrate. Direct d-spacing measurements on high-resolution TEM images provided further proof of the presence of an HA nano-crystal structure. The reported data may be of interest in the future to adjust the microstructure of the HA coatings. - Highlights: •The FIB lift-out technique allows a very site-specific sample preparation method for HRTEM analysis. •It also permits a fast assessment of the HA coating thickness and elemental composition (EDS). •The coatings exhibit a nano-crystalline nature, with a texturing effect along the 002 planes. •PLD is suitable for the production of crystalline c-axis oriented hydroxyapatite coatings. •The crystalline HA phase in the PLD coating is very similar to the present in bone.

New generation all-silica based optical elements for high power laser systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tolenis, T.; GrinevičiÅ«tÄ--, L.; Melninkaitis, A.; Selskis, A.; Buzelis, R.; MažulÄ--, L.; Drazdys, R.

2017-08-01

Laser resistance of optical elements is one of the major topics in photonics. Various routes have been taken to improve optical coatings, including, but not limited by, materials engineering and optimisation of electric field distribution in multilayers. During the decades of research, it was found, that high band-gap materials, such as silica, are highly resistant to laser light. Unfortunately, only the production of anti-reflection coatings of all-silica materials are presented to this day. A novel route will be presented in materials engineering, capable to manufacture high reflection optical elements using only SiO2 material and GLancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) method. The technique involves the deposition of columnar structure and tailoring the refractive index of silica material throughout the coating thickness. A numerous analysis indicate the superior properties of GLAD coatings when compared with standard methods for Bragg mirrors production. Several groups of optical components are presented including anti-reflection coatings and Bragg mirrors. Structural and optical characterisation of the method have been performed and compared with standard methods. All researches indicate the possibility of new generation coatings for high power laser systems.

Atmospheric weathering and silica-coated feldspar: analogy with zeolite molecular sieves, granite weathering, soil formation, ornamental slabs, and ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J V

1998-03-31

Feldspar surfaces respond to chemical, biological, and mechanical weathering. The simplest termination is hydroxyl (OH), which interacts with any adsorption layer. Acid leaching of alkalis and aluminum generated a silica-rich, nanometers-thick skin on certain feldspars. Natural K, Na-feldspars develop fragile surfaces as etch pits expand into micrometer honeycombs, possibly colonized by lichens. Most crystals have various irregular coats. Based on surface-catalytic processes in molecular sieve zeolites, I proposed that some natural feldspars lose weakly bonded Al-OH (aluminol) to yield surfaces terminated by strongly bonded Si-OH (silanol). This might explain why some old feldspar-bearing rocks weather slower than predicted from brief laboratory dissolution. Lack of an Al-OH infrared frequency from a feldspar surface is consistent with such a silanol-dominated surface. Raman spectra of altered patches on acid-leached albite correspond with amorphous silica rather than hydroxylated silica-feldspar, but natural feldspar may respond differently. The crystal structure of H-exchanged feldspar provides atomic positions for computer modeling of complex ideas for silica-terminated feldspar surfaces. Natural weathering also depends on swings of temperature and hydration, plus transport of particles, molecules, and ionic complexes by rain and wind. Soil formation might be enhanced by crushing granitic outcrops to generate new Al-rich surfaces favorable for chemical and biological weathering. Ornamental slabs used by architects and monumental masons might last longer by minimizing mechanical abrasion during sawing and polishing and by silicifying the surface. Silica-terminated feldspar might be a promising ceramic surface.

Detection of volatile organic compounds using an optical fiber sensor coated with a sol-gel silica layer containing immobilized Nile red

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dejun; Lian, Xiaokang; Mallik, Arun Kumar; Han, Wei; Wei, Fangfang; Yuan, Jinhui; Yu, Chongxiu; Farrell, Gerald; Semenova, Yuliya; Wu, Qiang

2017-04-01

A simple volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor based on a tapered small core singlemode fiber (SCSMF) structure is reported. The tapered SCSMF fiber structure with a waist diameter of 7.0 μm is fabricated using a customized microheater brushing technique. Silica based material containing immobilized Nile red was prepared by a sol-gel method and was used as a coating applied to the surface of the tapered fiber structure. Different coating thicknesses created by a 2-pass and 4-pass coating process are investigated. The experiments demonstrate that both sensors show a linear response at different gas concentrations to all three tested VOCs (methanol, ethanol and acetone). The sensor with a thicker coating shows better sensitivities but longer response and recovery times. The best measurement resolutions for the 4-pass coating sensor are estimated to be 2.3 ppm, 1.5 ppm and 3.1 ppm for methanol, ethanol and acetone, respectively. The fastest response and recovery time of 1 min and 5 min are demonstrated by the sensor in the case of methanol.

High luminescent fibers with hybrid SiO2-coated CdTe nanocrystals fabricated by electrospinning technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Yongqiang; Liu, Ning; Yang, Ping; Shi, Ruixia; Ma, Qian; Zhang, Aiyu; Zhu, Yuanna; Wang, Junpeng; Wang, Jianrong

2015-01-01

The polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hybrid luminescent micro-/nanofibers doped with the novel hybrid SiO 2 -coated CdTe nanocrystals (HS-CdTe NCs) have been fabricated for the first time via the electrospinning technique. The morphologies and photoluminescence (PL) emissions of HS-CdTe/PVP micro-/nanofibers prepared by doping the HS-CdTe NCs with the different PL peak wavelength (571, 616, and 643 nm) in PVP fibers were investigated by optical and PL microscope. The results revealed that all the HS-CdTe/PVP hybrid fibers showed an ultralong length for several hundreds of micrometers and a relatively uniform diameter of 1000 ∼ 1200 nm. The hybrid fibers displayed a wavelength-tunable PL emission, determining by the PL of doped HS-CdTe NCs. Moreover, similar to the original PL properties of HS-CdTe NCs before the electrospinning, the HS-CdTe/PVP fibers also showed a series of superior PL properties, such as narrow and symmetry PL spectrum, high, and uniform brightness. For comparison purpose, we also prepared three CdTe/PVP hybrid fibers by doping the 553 nm, 600 nm, and 633 nm PL-emitting CdTe NCs respectively in PVP electrospinning fibers. The characterization results showed that, the obtained three CdTe/PVP hybrid fibers had a basically satisfactory micro-/nanofiber morphology with a long length and relatively uniform diameter, but all the fibers exhibited very weak PL emissions. The enormous contrast in PL properties between HS-CdTe/PVP and CdTe/PVP fibers should mainly be ascribed to the different connection modes of ligands with the NCs and the passivation effect of inert hybrid silica shell on HS-CdTe. It is hopeful that the high luminescent HS-CdTe/PVP micro-/nanofibers with the tunable PL peak wavelength would be a good candidate in the optical sensor, light-emitting devices (LEDs), nanometer-scale waveguides, and the other related photonic materials. - Highlights: • The HS-CdTe/PVP electrospun hybrid fibers were fabricated for the first time. • The

Lotus Dust Mitigation Coating and Molecular Adsorber Coating

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Kenneth M.; Abraham, Nithin S.

2015-01-01

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has developed two unique coating formulations that will keep surfaces clean and sanitary and contain contaminants.The Lotus Dust Mitigation Coating, modeled after the self-cleaning, water-repellant lotus leaf, disallows buildup of dust, dirt, water, and more on surfaces. This coating, has been successfully tested on painted, aluminum, glass, silica, and some composite surfaces, could aid in keeping medical assets clean.The Molecular Adsorber Coating is a zeolite-based, sprayable molecular adsorber coating, designed to prevent outgassing in materials in vacuums. The coating works well to adsorb volatiles and contaminates in manufacturing and processing, such as in pharmaceutical production. The addition of a biocide would also aid in controlling bacteria levels.

Synthesis and application of luminescent single CdS quantum dot encapsulated silica nanoparticles directed for precision optical bioimaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veeranarayanan S

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Srivani Veeranarayanan, Aby Cheruvathoor Poulose, M Sheikh Mohamed, Yutaka Nagaoka, Seiki Iwai, Yuya Nakagame, Shosaku Kashiwada, Yasuhiko Yoshida, Toru Maekawa, D Sakthi KumarBio Nano Electronics Research Centre, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, Toyo University, Kawagoe, JapanAbstract: This paper presents the synthesis of aqueous cadmium sulfide (CdS quantum dots (QDs and silica-encapsulated CdS QDs by reverse microemulsion method and utilized as targeted bio-optical probes. We report the role of CdS as an efficient cell tag with fluorescence on par with previously documented cadmium telluride and cadmium selenide QDs, which have been considered to impart high levels of toxicity. In this study, the toxicity of bare QDs was efficiently quenched by encapsulating them in a biocompatible coat of silica. The toxicity profile and uptake of bare CdS QDs and silica-coated QDs, along with the CD31-labeled, silica-coated CdS QDs on human umbilical vein endothelial cells and glioma cells, were investigated. The effect of size, along with the time-dependent cellular uptake of the nanomaterials, has also been emphasized. Enhanced, high-specificity imaging toward endothelial cell lines in comparison with glioma cells was achieved with CD31 antibody-conjugated nanoparticles. The silica-coated nanomaterials exhibited excellent biocompatibility and greater photostability inside live cells, in addition to possessing an extended shelf life. In vivo biocompatibility and localization study of silica-coated CdS QDs in medaka fish embryos, following direct nanoparticle exposure for 24 hours, authenticated the nanomaterials' high potential for in vivo imaging, augmented with superior biocompatibility. As expected, CdS QD-treated embryos showed 100% mortality, whereas the silica-coated QD-treated embryos stayed viable and healthy throughout and after the experiments, devoid of any deformities. We provide highly cogent and convincing evidence for such

Colloidal Gold Nanoclusters Spiked Silica Fillers in Mixed Matrix Coatings: Simultaneous Detection and Inhibition of Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaiari, Shahad K; Hammami, Mohammed A; Croissant, Jonas G; Omar, Haneen W; Neelakanda, Pradeep; Yapici, Tahir; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor; Khashab, Niveen M

2017-03-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the infections that patients get while receiving medical treatment in a medical facility with bacterial HAIs being the most common. Silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully employed as antibacterial motifs; however, NPs leaching in addition to poor dispersion and overall reproducibility are major hurdles to further product development. In this study, the authors design and fabricate a smart antibacterial mixed-matrix membrane coating comprising colloidal lysozyme-templated gold nanoclusters as nanofillers in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(butylene terephthalate) amphiphilic polymer matrix. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles-lysozyme functionalized gold nanoclusters disperse homogenously within the polymer matrix with no phase separation and zero NPs leaching. This mixed-matrix coating can successfully sense and inhibit bacterial contamination via a controlled release mechanism that is only triggered by bacteria. The system is coated on a common radiographic dental imaging device (photostimulable phosphor plate) that is prone to oral bacteria contamination. Variation and eventually disappearance of the red fluorescence surface under UV light signals bacterial infection. Kanamycin, an antimicrobial agent, is controllably released to instantly inhibit bacterial growth. Interestingly, the quality of the images obtained with these coated surfaces is the same as uncoated surfaces and thus the safe application of such smart coatings can be expanded to include other medical devices without compromising their utility. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Colloidal Gold Nanoclusters Spiked Silica Fillers in Mixed Matrix Coatings: Simultaneous Detection and Inhibition of Healthcare-Associated Infections

KAUST Repository

Alsaiari, Shahad K.

2017-01-25

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the infections that patients get while receiving medical treatment in a medical facility with bacterial HAIs being the most common. Silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully employed as antibacterial motifs; however, NPs leaching in addition to poor dispersion and overall reproducibility are major hurdles to further product development. In this study, the authors design and fabricate a smart antibacterial mixed-matrix membrane coating comprising colloidal lysozyme-templated gold nanoclusters as nanofillers in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(butylene terephthalate) amphiphilic polymer matrix. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles-lysozyme functionalized gold nanoclusters disperse homogenously within the polymer matrix with no phase separation and zero NPs leaching. This mixed-matrix coating can successfully sense and inhibit bacterial contamination via a controlled release mechanism that is only triggered by bacteria. The system is coated on a common radiographic dental imaging device (photostimulable phosphor plate) that is prone to oral bacteria contamination. Variation and eventually disappearance of the red fluorescence surface under UV light signals bacterial infection. Kanamycin, an antimicrobial agent, is controllably released to instantly inhibit bacterial growth. Interestingly, the quality of the images obtained with these coated surfaces is the same as uncoated surfaces and thus the safe application of such smart coatings can be expanded to include other medical devices without compromising their utility.

Colloidal Gold Nanoclusters Spiked Silica Fillers in Mixed Matrix Coatings: Simultaneous Detection and Inhibition of Healthcare-Associated Infections

KAUST Repository

Alsaiari, Shahad K.; Hammami, Mohamed Amen; Croissant, Jonas G.; Omar, Haneen; Neelakanda, Pradeep; Yapici, Tahir; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor; Khashab, Niveen M.

2017-01-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the infections that patients get while receiving medical treatment in a medical facility with bacterial HAIs being the most common. Silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully employed as antibacterial motifs; however, NPs leaching in addition to poor dispersion and overall reproducibility are major hurdles to further product development. In this study, the authors design and fabricate a smart antibacterial mixed-matrix membrane coating comprising colloidal lysozyme-templated gold nanoclusters as nanofillers in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(butylene terephthalate) amphiphilic polymer matrix. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles-lysozyme functionalized gold nanoclusters disperse homogenously within the polymer matrix with no phase separation and zero NPs leaching. This mixed-matrix coating can successfully sense and inhibit bacterial contamination via a controlled release mechanism that is only triggered by bacteria. The system is coated on a common radiographic dental imaging device (photostimulable phosphor plate) that is prone to oral bacteria contamination. Variation and eventually disappearance of the red fluorescence surface under UV light signals bacterial infection. Kanamycin, an antimicrobial agent, is controllably released to instantly inhibit bacterial growth. Interestingly, the quality of the images obtained with these coated surfaces is the same as uncoated surfaces and thus the safe application of such smart coatings can be expanded to include other medical devices without compromising their utility.

Synthesis and characterization of titanium oxide supported silica materials

Science.gov (United States)

Schrijnemakers, Koen

2002-01-01

Titania-silica materials are interesting materials for use in catalysis, both as a catalyst support as well as a catalyst itself. Titania-silica materials combine the excellent support and photocatalytic properties of titania with the high thermal and mechanical stability of silica. Moreover, the interaction of titania with silica leads to new active sites, such as acid and redox sites, that are not found on the single oxides. In this Ph.D. two recently developed deposition methods were studied and evaluated for their use to create titanium oxide supported silica materials, the Chemical Surface Coating (CSC) and the Molecular Designed Dispersion (MDD). These methods were applied to two structurally different silica supports, an amorphous silica gel and the highly ordered MCM-48. Both methods are based on the specific interaction between a titanium source and the functional groups on the silica surface. With the CSC method high amounts of titanium can be obtained. However, clustering of the titania phase is observed in most cases. The MDD method allows much lower titanium amounts to be deposited without the formation of crystallites. Only at the highest Ti loading very small crystallites are formed after calcination. MCM-48 and silica gel are both pure SiO2 materials and therefore chemically similar to each other. However, they possess a different morphology and are synthesized in a different way. As such, some authors have reported that the MCM-48 surface would be more reactive than the surface of silica gel. In our experiments however no differences could be observed that confirmed this hypothesis. In the CSC method, the same reactions were observed and similar amounts of Ti and Cl were deposited. In the case of the MDD method, no difference in the reaction mechanism was observed. However, due to the lower thermal and hydrothermal stability of the MCM-48 structure compared to silica gel, partial incorporation of Ti atoms in the pore walls of MCM-48 took place

Effects of hydrazine on the solvothermal synthesis of Cu2ZnSnSe4 and Cu2CdSnSe4 nanocrystals for particle-based deposition of films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiang, Ming-Hung; Fu, Yaw-Shyan; Shih, Cheng-Hung; Kuo, Chun-Cheng; Guo, Tzung-Fang; Lin, Wen-Tai

2013-01-01

The effects of hydrazine on the synthesis of Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 (CZTSe) and Cu 2 CdSnSe 4 (CCTSe) nanocrystals in an autoclave as a function of temperature and time were explored. On heating at 190 °C for 24-72 h, pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals could readily grow in the hydrazine-added solution, while in the hydrazine-free solution the intermediate phases such as ZnSe, Cu 2 Se, and Cu 2 SnSe 3 , and Cu 2 SnSe 3 and CdSe associated with the CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals grew, respectively. This result reveals that hydrazine can speed up the synthesis of pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals via a solvothermal process. The mechanisms for the hydrazine-enhanced growth of CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals were discussed. The pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals were subsequently fabricated to the smooth films by spin coating without further annealing in selenium atmosphere. This processing may be beneficial to the fabrication of the absorber layer for solar cells and thermoelectric devices. - Highlights: • Hydrazine enhances the growth of pure Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 and Cu 2 CdSnSe 4 nanocrystals. • The nanocrystals can be fabricated to films by spin coating without annealing. • This solvothermal processing is promising for the fabrication of thin film devices

Thiol-modified gold nanoparticles deposited on silica support using dip coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magura, Jozef; Zeleňáková, Adriana; Zeleňák, Vladimír; Kaňuchová, Maria

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Thin layers of gold were deposited on glass substrate. • Layers were modified by two different ligands, 1,4-dithiothreitol and L-glutathione. • Red shift of SPR band was observed in spectra after modification of Au by thiols. • Charge transfer between Au and S atoms leads to ferromagnetic behaviour of samples. - Abstract: In our work, we have prepared thin layers of gold nanoparticles deposited via dip coating technique on silica glass substrate. The prepared thin layers were modified by two different ligands, namely 1,4-dithiothreitol (sample Au-DTT NPs) and L-glutathione (sample Au-GSH NPs). The spectral, structural and magnetic properties of the prepared samples were investigated. The modification of Au nanoparticles with thiol ligands leads to change of their plasmon resonance fields, as indicated by UV–vis spectra. The magnetic measurements showed that the magnetization of the samples is composed from two magnetic contributions: diamagnetic contribution and low field ferromagnetic contribution. Our experimental results show that the charge transfer between Au and S atoms gives rise to the ferromagnetic behaviour of prepared thin layers

RGD-conjugated silica-coated gold nanorods on the surface of carbon nanotubes for targeted photoacoustic imaging of gastric cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Can; Bao, Chenchen; Liang, Shujing; Fu, Hualin; Wang, Kan; Deng, Min; Liao, Qiande; Cui, Daxiang

2014-05-01

Herein, we reported for the first time that RGD-conjugated silica-coated gold nanorods on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes were successfully used for targeted photoacoustic imaging of in vivo gastric cancer cells. A simple strategy was used to attach covalently silica-coated gold nanorods (sGNRs) onto the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to fabricate a hybrid nanostructure. The cross-linked reaction occurred through the combination of carboxyl groups on the MWNTs and the amino group on the surface of sGNRs modified with a silane coupling agent. RGD peptides were conjugated with the sGNR/MWNT nanostructure; resultant RGD-conjugated sGNR/MWNT probes were investigated for their influences on viability of MGC803 and GES-1 cells. The nude mice models loaded with gastric cancer cells were prepared, the RGD-conjugated sGNR/MWNT probes were injected into gastric cancer-bearing nude mice models via the tail vein, and the nude mice were observed by an optoacoustic imaging system. Results showed that RGD-conjugated sGNR/MWNT probes showed good water solubility and low cellular toxicity, could target in vivo gastric cancer cells, and obtained strong photoacoustic imaging in the nude model. RGD-conjugated sGNR/MWNT probes will own great potential in applications such as targeted photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy in the near future.

Persistent superhydrophilicity of sol-gel derived nanoporous silica thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganjoo, S; Azimirad, R; Akhavan, O; Moshfegh, A Z

2009-01-01

In this investigation, sol-gel synthesized nanoporous silica thin films, annealed at different temperatures, with long time superhydrophilic property have been studied. Two kinds of sol-gel silica thin films were fabricated by dip-coating of glass substrates in two different solutions; with low and high water. The transparent coated films were dried at 100 deg. C and then annealed in a temperature range of 200-500 deg. C. The average water contact angle of the silica films prepared with low water content and annealed at 300 deg. C measured about 5 deg. for a long time (6 months) without any UV irradiation. Instead, adding water into the sol resulted in silica films with an average water contact angle greater than 60 deg. Atomic force microscopic analysis revealed that the silica films prepared with low water had a rough surface (∼30 nm), while the films prepared with high water had a smoother surface (∼2 nm). Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we have shown that with a decrease in the surface water on the film, its hydrophilicity increases logarithmically.

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.

Nanocrystal quantum dots

CERN Document Server

Klimov, Victor I

2010-01-01

""Soft"" Chemical Synthesis and Manipulation of Semiconductor Nanocrystals, J.A. Hollingsworth and V.I. Klimov Electronic Structure in Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Optical Experiment, D.J. NorrisFine Structure and Polarization Properties of Band-Edge Excitons in Semiconductor Nanocrystals, A.L. EfrosIntraband Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Colloidal Semiconductor Quantum Dots, P. Guyot-Sionnest, M. Shim, and C. WangMultiexciton Phenomena in Semiconductor Nanocrystals, V.I. KlimovOptical Dynamics in Single Semiconductor Quantum Do

Ultra-low-energy ion-beam synthesis of nanometer-separated Si nanoparticles and Ag nanocrystals 2D layers

Science.gov (United States)

Carrada, M.; Haj Salem, A.; Pecassou, B.; Paillard, V.; Ben Assayag, G.

2018-03-01

2D networks of Si and Ag nanocrystals have been fabricated in the same SiO2 matrix by Ultra-Low-Energy Ion-Beam-Synthesis. Our synthesis scheme differs from a simple sequential ion implantation and its key point is the control of the matrix integrity through an appropriate intermediate thermal annealing. Si nanocrystal layer is synthesised first due to high thermal budget required for nucleation, while the second Ag nanocrystal plane is formed during a subsequent implantation due to the high diffusivity of Ag in silica. The aim of this work is to show how it is possible to overcome the limitation related to ion mixing and implantation damage to obtain double layers of Si-NCs and Ag-NCs with controlled characteristics. For this, we take advantage of annealing under slight oxidizing ambient to control the oxidation of Si-NCs and the Si excess in the matrix. The nanocrystal characteristics and in particular their position and size can be adjusted thanks to a compromise between the implantation energy, the implanted dose for both Si and Ag ions and the intermediate annealing conditions (atmosphere, temperature and duration).

Chemical nature and structure of organic coating of quantum dots is crucial for their application in imaging diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Bakalova, Rumiana; Zhelev, Zhivko; Kokuryo, Daisuke; Spasov, Lubomir; Aoki, Ichio; Saga, Tsuneo

2011-01-01

Background: One of the most attractive properties of quantum dots is their potential to extend the opportunities for fluorescent and multimodal imaging in vivo. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether the composition and structure of organic coating of nanoparticles are crucial for their application in vivo. Methods: We compared quantum dots coated with non-crosslinked amino-functionalized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, quantum dots encapsulated in crosslinked carboxyl-functionalized PAMAM dendrimers, and silica-shelled amino-functionalized quantum dots. A multimodal fluorescent and paramagnetic quantum dot probe was also developed and analyzed. The probes were applied intravenously in anesthetized animals for visualization of brain vasculature using two-photon excited fluorescent microscopy and visualization of tumors using fluorescent IVIS® imaging (Caliper Life Sciences, Hopkinton, MA) and magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Quantum dots coated with non-crosslinked dendrimers were cytotoxic. They induced side effects in vivo, including vasodilatation with a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. The quantum dots penetrated the vessels, which caused the quality of fluorescent imaging to deteriorate. Quantum dots encapsulated in crosslinked dendrimers had low cytotoxicity and were biocompatible. In concentrations quantum dots/kg bodyweight, these nanoparticles did not affect blood pressure and heart rate, and did not induce vasodilatation or vasoconstriction. PEGylation (PEG [polyethylene glycol]) was an indispensable step in development of a quantum dot probe for in vivo imaging, based on silica-shelled quantum dots. The non-PEGylated silica-shelled quantum dots possessed low colloidal stability in high-salt physiological fluids, accompanied by rapid aggregation in vivo. The conjugation of silica-shelled quantum dots with PEG1100 increased their stability and half-life in the circulation without significant enhancement of their

Low temperature mechanical dissipation of an ion-beam sputtered silica film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, I W; Craig, K; Bassiri, R; Hough, J; Robie, R; Rowan, S; Nawrodt, R; Schwarz, C; Harry, G; Penn, S; Reid, S

2014-01-01

Thermal noise arising from mechanical dissipation in oxide mirror coatings is an important limit to the sensitivity of future gravitational wave detectors, optical atomic clocks and other precision measurement systems. Here, we present measurements of the temperature dependence of the mechanical dissipation of an ion-beam sputtered silica film between 10 and 300 K. A dissipation peak was observed at 20 K and the low temperature dissipation was found to have significantly different characteristics than observed for bulk silica and silica films deposited by alternative techniques. These results are important for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of mechanical dissipation, and thus thermal noise, in the most commonly-used reflective coatings for precision measurements. (paper)

Biopolymer coated gold nanocrystals prepared using the green chemistry approach and their shape-dependent catalytic and surface-enhanced Raman scattering properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chih-Wei; Hsieh, Hui-Hsuan; Hseu, You-Cheng; Chen, Ko-Shao; Wang, Gou-Jen; Chang, Hsien-Chang; Pan, Yong-Li; Wei, Yi-Syuan; Chang, Ko Hsin; Harn, Yeu-Wei

2013-07-21

This study deals with the preparation of multi-shaped nanoscale gold crystals under synthetically simple, green, and efficient conditions using a seed-mediated growth approach in the presence of hyaluronic acid (HA). These highly biocompatible multi-shaped gold nanocrystals were examined to evaluate their catalytic and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties. The results show that the size and shape of the nanocrystals are mainly correlated to the amount of seed, seed size, HA concentration, and reaction temperature. Gold seeds accelerate the reduction of the gold precursor to form gold nanocrystals using HA. The HA serves as a reducing agent and a growth template for the reduction of Au(III) and nanocrystal stabilization. The multi-shaped gold nanocrystals showed superior catalytic properties and higher SERS performance. The simple, green approach efficiently controls the nanocrystals and creates many opportunities for future applications.

Enhancing Docetaxel Delivery to Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells with Albumin-Coated Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gad, Sheryhan F; Park, Joonyoung; Park, Ji Eun; Fetih, Gihan N; Tous, Sozan S; Lee, Wooin; Yeo, Yoon

2018-01-29

Intravenous delivery of poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs such as docetaxel (DTX) is challenging due to the low bioavailability and the toxicity related to solubilizing excipients. Colloidal nanoparticles are used as alternative carriers, but low drug loading capacity and circulation instability limit their clinical translation. To address these challenges, DTX nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared using Pluronic F127 as an intermediate stabilizer and albumin as a functional surface modifier, which were previously found to be effective in producing small and stable NCs. We hypothesize that the albumin-coated DTX NCs (DTX-F-alb) will remain stable in serum-containing medium so as to effectively leverage the enhanced permeability and retention effect. In addition, the surface-bound albumin, in its native form, may contribute to cellular transport of NCs through interactions with albumin-binding proteins such as secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC). DTX-F-alb NCs showed sheet-like structure with an average length, width, and thickness of 284 ± 96, 173 ± 56, and 40 ± 8 nm and remained stable in 50% serum solution at a concentration greater than 10 μg/mL. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of DTX-F-alb and unformulated (free) DTX were compared on three cell lines with different levels of SPARC expression and DTX sensitivity. While the uptake of free DTX was highly dependent on DTX sensitivity, DTX-F-alb treatment resulted in relatively consistent cellular levels of DTX. Free DTX was more efficient in entering drug-sensitive B16F10 and SKOV-3 cells than DTX-F-alb, with consistent cytotoxic effects. In contrast, multidrug-resistant NCI/ADR-RES cells took up DTX-F-alb more than free DTX with time and responded better to the former. This difference was reduced by SPARC knockdown. The high SPARC expression level of NCI/ADR-RES cells, the known affinity of albumin for SPARC, and the opposing effect of SPARC knockdown support that DTX-F-alb have exploited the

Magnetic silica hybrids modified with guanidine containing co-polymers for drug delivery applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timin, Alexander S., E-mail: a_timin@mail.ru [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology (ISUCT), 7, Sheremetevsky prosp., 153000 Ivanovo (Russian Federation); RASA Center in Tomsk, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 30, Lenin Avenue, 634500 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Khashirova, Svetlana Yu. [Kabardino-Balkar State University, ul. Chernyshevskogo 173, Nal' chik, 360004 Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian Federation); Rumyantsev, Evgeniy V.; Goncharenko, Alexander A. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology (ISUCT), 7, Sheremetevsky prosp., 153000 Ivanovo (Russian Federation)

2016-07-01

Guanidine containing co-polymers grafted onto silica nanoparticles to form core-shell structure were prepared by sol-gel method in the presence of γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles. The morphological features for uncoated and coated silica particles have been characterized with scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the polymer coated silicas exhibit spherical morphology with rough polymeric surface covered by γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles. The grafting amount of guanidine containing co-polymers evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis was in the range from 17 to 30%. Then, the drug loading properties and cumulative release of silica hybrids modified with guanidine containing co-polymers were evaluated using molsidomine as a model drug. It was shown that after polymer grafting the loading content of molsidomine could reach up to 3.42 ± 0.21 and 2.34 ± 0.14 mg/g respectively. The maximum drug release of molsidomine is achieved at pH 1.6 (approximately 71–75% release at 37 °C), whereas at pH 7.4 drug release is lower (50.4–59.6% release at 37 °C). These results have an important implication that our magneto-controlled silica hybrids modified with guanidine containing co-polymers are promising as drug carriers with controlled behaviour under influence of magnetic field. - Highlights: • Polymer coated silica hybrids containing γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} were prepared via sol–gel method. • Polymer grafting influences pH-response and surface properties of final products. • Molsidomine as a model drug was effectively loaded into polymer coated silicas. • The drug loading depends on the nature of grafted polymer and its content.

Recent advances in synthesis and surface modification of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with silica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sodipo, Bashiru Kayode, E-mail: bashirsodipo@gmail.com [School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Aziz, Azlan Abdul [School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang (Malaysia); Nano-Biotechnology Research and Innovation (NanoBRI), Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

2016-10-15

Research on synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and its surface modification for biomedical applications is of intense interest. Due to superparamagnetic property of SPION, the nanoparticles have large magnetic susceptibility, single magnetic domain and controllable magnetic behaviour. However, owing to easy agglomeration of SPION, surface modification of the magnetic particles with biocompatible materials such as silica nanoparticle has gained much attention in the last decade. In this review, we present recent advances in synthesis of SPION and various routes of producing silica coated SPION. - Highlights: • We present recent advances in synthesis of SPION and various routes of producing silica coated SPION • The synthetic routes of producing SPION can be classified into three: physical, chemical and biological methods. • The chemical method is the most cited method of producing SPION and it sub-classified into liquid and gas phase. • The techniques of producing silica coated SPION is grouped into seeded and non-seeded methods.

Recent advances in synthesis and surface modification of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodipo, Bashiru Kayode; Aziz, Azlan Abdul

2016-01-01

Research on synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) and its surface modification for biomedical applications is of intense interest. Due to superparamagnetic property of SPION, the nanoparticles have large magnetic susceptibility, single magnetic domain and controllable magnetic behaviour. However, owing to easy agglomeration of SPION, surface modification of the magnetic particles with biocompatible materials such as silica nanoparticle has gained much attention in the last decade. In this review, we present recent advances in synthesis of SPION and various routes of producing silica coated SPION. - Highlights: • We present recent advances in synthesis of SPION and various routes of producing silica coated SPION • The synthetic routes of producing SPION can be classified into three: physical, chemical and biological methods. • The chemical method is the most cited method of producing SPION and it sub-classified into liquid and gas phase. • The techniques of producing silica coated SPION is grouped into seeded and non-seeded methods.

Fabrication of transparent superhydrophobic glass with fibered-silica network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Feng [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Shi, Zhenwu, E-mail: zwshi@suda.edu.cn [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Jiang, Yingjie; Xu, Chengyun; Wu, Zhuhui; Wang, Yanyan [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Peng, Changsi, E-mail: changsipeng@suda.edu.cn [College of Physics, Optoelectronics and Energy & Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China); Key Lab of Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies of Jiangsu Province & Key Lab of Modern Optical Technologies of Education Ministry of China, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006 (China)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Superhydrophobic fibred-silica film with water contact angle of 166° and sliding angle of 1° was efficiently prepared using soot as template by CVD. • The film showed transmittance of 88% in visible range. • The superhydrophobic film possesses excellent mechanical robustness, chemical corrosion resistance, and thermal stability. • The superhydrophobic film showed outstanding self-cleaning behavior. - Abstract: In this paper, silica was deposited on the soot film pre-coated glass via chemical vapor deposition. Through calcination at 500 °C with the assistance of O{sub 2} airflow, the soot film was removed and a novel robust fibered-silica network film was then decorated onto the glass substrate. After modification with fluorosilane, the surface water contact angle (WCA) was 166° and sliding angle (SA) was 1° which behaves a good self-cleaning for the as-prepared glass. And its average transmittance was still over 88% in visible wavelength. Moreover, this fibered-silica coating showed a strong tolerance for heavy water droplets, acid/alkali corrosion, salt solution immersion and thermal treatment.

Synthesis of eccentric titania-silica core-shell and composite particles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demirors, A.F.; van Blaaderen, A.; Imhof, A.

2009-01-01

We describe a novel method to synthesize colloidal particles with an eccentric core-shell structure. Titania-silica core-shell particles were synthesized by silica coating of porous titania particles under Sto¨ber (Sto¨ber et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 1968, 26, 62) conditions. We can control

Silica encapsulation of luminescent silicon nanoparticles: stable and biocompatible nanohybrids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurice, Vincent [CEA Saclay, DSM/IRAMIS/SPAM-LFP (France); Rivolta, Ilaria [University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMS) (Italy); Vincent, Julien [CEA Saclay, DSM/IRAMIS/SPAM-LFP (France); Raccurt, Olivier [CEA Grenoble, Department of Nano Materials, NanoChemistry and NanoSafety Laboratory (DRT/LITEN/DTNM/LCSN) (France); Rouzaud, Jean-Noel [Ecole Normale superieure de Paris, Laboratoire de Geologie (France); Miserrochi, Giuseppe [University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMS) (Italy); Doris, Eric [CEA, Service de Chimie Bioorganique et de Marquage, iBiTecS (France); Reynaud, Cecile; Herlin-Boime, Nathalie, E-mail: nathalie.herlin@cea.fr [CEA Saclay, DSM/IRAMIS/SPAM-LFP (France)

2012-02-15

This article presents a process for surface coating and functionalization of luminescent silicon nanoparticles. The particles were coated with silica using a microemulsion process that was adapted to the fragile silicon nanoparticles. The as-produced core-shell particles have a mean diameter of 35 nm and exhibit the intrinsic photoluminescence of the silicon core. The silica layer protects the core from aqueous oxidation for several days, thus allowing the use of the nanoparticles for biological applications. The nanoparticles were further coated with amines and functionalized with polyethylene glycol chains and the toxicity of the particles has been evaluated at the different stages of the process. The core-shell nanoparticles exhibit no acute toxicity towards lung cells, which is promising for further development.

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.

Phase diagrams of ferroelectric nanocrystals strained by an elastic matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Nikitchenko, A. I.; Azovtsev, A. V.; Pertsev, N. A.

2018-01-01

Ferroelectric crystallites embedded into a dielectric matrix experience temperature-dependent elastic strains caused by differences in the thermal expansion of the crystallites and the matrix. Owing to the electrostriction, these lattice strains may affect polarization states of ferroelectric inclusions significantly, making them different from those of a stress-free bulk crystal. Here, using a nonlinear thermodynamic theory, we study the mechanical effect of elastic matrix on the phase states of embedded single-domain ferroelectric nanocrystals. Their equilibrium polarization states are determined by minimizing a special thermodynamic potential that describes the energetics of an ellipsoidal ferroelectric inclusion surrounded by a linear elastic medium. To demonstrate the stability ranges of such states for a given material combination, we construct a phase diagram, where the inclusion’s shape anisotropy and temperature are used as two parameters. The ‘shape-temperature’ phase diagrams are calculated numerically for PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 nanocrystals embedded into representative dielectric matrices generating tensile (silica glass) or compressive (potassium silicate glass) thermal stresses inside ferroelectric inclusions. The developed phase maps demonstrate that the joint effect of thermal stresses and matrix-induced elastic clamping of ferroelectric inclusions gives rise to several important features in the polarization behavior of PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 nanocrystals. In particular, the Curie temperature displays a nonmonotonic variation with the ellipsoid’s aspect ratio, being minimal for spherical inclusions. Furthermore, the diagrams show that the polarization orientation with respect to the ellipsoid’s symmetry axis is controlled by the shape anisotropy and the sign of thermal stresses. Under certain conditions, the mechanical inclusion-matrix interaction qualitatively alters the evolution of ferroelectric states on cooling, inducing a structural transition

Preparation of silica-supported carbon by Kraft lignin pyrolysis, and its use in solid-phase extraction of fluoroquinolones from environmental waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speltini, Andrea; Sturini, Michela; Maraschi, Federica; Mandelli, Elettra; Dondi, Daniele; Profumo, Antonella; Vadivel, Dhanalakshmi

2016-01-01

The article describes a carbon-based material for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of fluoroquinolones from waters. It was obtained by pyrolytic deposition of Kraft lignin (LG) on silica particles. Marbofloxacin (MAR) and enrofloxacin (ENR) were chosen as model contaminants. The material was prepared by first adsorbing LG onto silica microparticles, this followed by pyrolytic treatment at 1200 °C for 2 h. Silica-supported carbon was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, surface area measurement (by BET), thermogravimetric analysis, and electron paramagnetic resonance. The carbon-coated silica particles were then tested as a column packing for SPE of MAR and ENR from spiked tap and river waters. Quantitative adsorption was observed at pH values of ∼7.5 for both drugs. They were eluted with a 70:30 mixture of aqueous tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and acetonitrile and then quantified by HPLC coupled to fluorescence detection. Samples spiked with MAR and ENR in the range from 10 to 1000 ng·L"−"1 gave recoveries ranging from 70 to 116% (for n = 3). Good inter-day precision (with RSDs between 7 and 16%) was observed for 20–1000 ng·L"−"1 spikes, also in natural river water. Sample volumes up to 500 mL provided enrichment factors up to 125, and this makes this material useful for determination of the two drugs at environmentally significant levels which are as low as a few ng·L"−"1. The batch-to-batch reproducibility was verified for 3 preparations. The sorbent was successfully applied to the determination of these drugs in environmental waters. (author)

The upconversion luminescence and magnetism in Yb3+/Ho3+ co-doped LaF3 nanocrystals for potential bimodal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Syamchand, Sasidharanpillai S.; George, Sony

2016-12-01

Biocompatible upconversion nanoparticles with multifunctional properties can serve as potential nanoprobes for multimodal imaging. Herein, we report an upconversion nanocrystal based on lanthanum fluoride which is developed to address the imaging modalities, upconversion luminescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Lanthanide ions (Yb3+ and Ho3+) doped LaF3 nanocrystals (LaF3 Yb3+/Ho3+) are fabricated through a rapid microwave-assisted synthesis. The hexagonal phase LaF3 nanocrystals exhibit nearly spherical morphology with average diameter of 9.8 nm. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis estimated the doping concentration of Yb3+ and Ho3+ as 3.99 and 0.41%, respectively. The nanocrystals show upconversion luminescence when irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) photons of wavelength 980 nm. The emission spectrum consists of bands centred at 542, 645 and 658 nm. The stronger green emission at 542 nm and the weak red emissions at 645 and 658 nm are assigned to 5S2 → 5I8 and 5F5 → 5I8 transitions of Ho3+, respectively. The pump power dependence of luminescence intensity confirmed the two-photon upconversion process. The nanocrystals exhibit paramagnetism due to the presence of lanthanide ion dopant Ho3+ and the magnetization is 19.81 emu/g at room temperature. The nanocrystals exhibit a longitudinal relaxivity ( r 1) of 0.12 s-1 mM-1 and transverse relaxivity ( r 2) of 28.18 s-1 mM-1, which makes the system suitable for developing T2 MRI contrast agents based on holmium. The LaF3 Yb3+/Ho3+ nanocrystals are surface modified by PEGylation to improve biocompatibility and enhance further functionalisation. The PEGylated nanocrystals are found to be non-toxic up to 50 μg/mL for 48 h of incubation, which is confirmed by the MTT assay as well as morphological studies in HeLa cells. The upconversion luminescence and magnetism together with biocompatibility enables the adaptability of the present system as a nanoprobe for potential

Surface coating of graphite pebbles for Korean HCCR TBM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Youngmin [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Young-Hoon, E-mail: yunh2@dsu.ac.kr [Dongshin University, Naju (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yi-Hyun; Ahn, Mu-Young; Cho, Seungyon [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • A CVR-SiC coating was successfully formed on graphite pebbles for neutron reflector. • Dense and fine-grained surface morphologies of the SiC coatings were observed. • Oxidation resistance of the CVR-SiC-coated graphite pebbles was improved. - Abstract: The new concept of the recently modified Helium-Cooled Ceramic Reflector (HCCR) Test Blanket Module (TBM) is to adopt a graphite reflector in the form of a pebble bed. A protective SiC coating is applied to the graphite pebbles to prohibit their reaction with steam or air as well as dust generation during TBM operation. In this research, the chemical vapor reaction (CVR) method was applied to fabricate SiC-coated graphite pebbles in a silica source. Relatively dense CVR-SiC coating was successfully formed on the graphite pebbles through the reduction of the graphite phase with SiO gas that was simply created from the silica source at 1850 °C (2 h). The microstructural features, XRD patterns, pore-size distribution and oxidation behavior of the SiC-coated graphite pebbles were investigated. To develop the practical process, which will be applied for mass production hereafter, a novel alternative method was applied to form the layer of SiC coating on the graphite pebbles over the silica source.

Surface coating of graphite pebbles for Korean HCCR TBM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Youngmin; Yun, Young-Hoon; Park, Yi-Hyun; Ahn, Mu-Young; Cho, Seungyon

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A CVR-SiC coating was successfully formed on graphite pebbles for neutron reflector. • Dense and fine-grained surface morphologies of the SiC coatings were observed. • Oxidation resistance of the CVR-SiC-coated graphite pebbles was improved. - Abstract: The new concept of the recently modified Helium-Cooled Ceramic Reflector (HCCR) Test Blanket Module (TBM) is to adopt a graphite reflector in the form of a pebble bed. A protective SiC coating is applied to the graphite pebbles to prohibit their reaction with steam or air as well as dust generation during TBM operation. In this research, the chemical vapor reaction (CVR) method was applied to fabricate SiC-coated graphite pebbles in a silica source. Relatively dense CVR-SiC coating was successfully formed on the graphite pebbles through the reduction of the graphite phase with SiO gas that was simply created from the silica source at 1850 °C (2 h). The microstructural features, XRD patterns, pore-size distribution and oxidation behavior of the SiC-coated graphite pebbles were investigated. To develop the practical process, which will be applied for mass production hereafter, a novel alternative method was applied to form the layer of SiC coating on the graphite pebbles over the silica source

Redox-mediated dissolution of paramagnetic nanolids to achieve a smart theranostic system

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Aifei; Guo, Mingyi; Wang, Nan; Zhao, Jianyun; Qi, Wenxiu; Muhammad, Faheem; Chen, Liang; Guo, Yingjie; Nguyen, Nam-Trung; Zhu, Guangshan

2014-04-01

Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising T1 contrast agent. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated an interaction of Mn3O4 with a biological system, and found redox sensitive behavior of these paramagnetic nanoparticles in intracellular reducing environment. Inspired by these findings, we for the first time used this interaction for some therapeutic advantages and designed a versatile mesoporous silica based nanotheranostic system to realize redox-activated enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and responsive anticancer drug delivery. Contrary to previous reports, we firstly prepared high quality amine terminated hydrophilic Mn3O4 nanolids, without using multistep ligand exchange strategies. The resulting water stable and small-sized Mn3O4 nanolids were subsequently used as nanolids to cap drug loaded nanochannels of a porous carrier. Exposure to highly prevalent intracellular reducing environment resulted in the steady-state dissolution of these nanolids and attained an intelligent drug release. Furthermore, the redox receptive dissolution of paramagnetic Mn3O4 nanolids into Mn2+ in turn increases the T1 signal to twofold, providing an added opportunity to even track the feedback of therapy. This study, in addition to simultaneously realizing drug delivery and imaging, also provides a new insight into the fate and interaction of manganese oxide nanoparticles with components of biological systems.Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising T1 contrast agent. In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated an interaction of Mn3O4 with a biological system, and found redox sensitive behavior of these paramagnetic nanoparticles in intracellular reducing environment. Inspired by these findings, we for the first time used this interaction for some therapeutic advantages and designed a versatile mesoporous silica based nanotheranostic system to realize redox-activated enhanced magnetic resonance

Improved electrochromical properties of sol-gel WO3 thin films by doping gold nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naseri, N.; Azimirad, R.; Akhavan, O.; Moshfegh, A.Z.

2010-01-01

In this investigation, the effect of gold nanocrystals on the electrochromical properties of sol-gel Au doped WO 3 thin films has been studied. The Au-WO 3 thin films were dip-coated on both glass and indium tin oxide coated conducting glass substrates with various gold concentrations of 0, 3.2 and 6.4 mol%. Optical properties of the samples were studied by UV-visible spectrophotometry in a range of 300-1100 nm. The optical density spectra of the films showed the formation of gold nanoparticles in the films. The optical bandgap energy of Au-WO 3 films decreased with increasing the Au concentration. Crystalline structure of the doped films was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, which indicated formation of gold nanocrystals in amorphous WO 3 thin films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study the surface chemical composition of the samples. XPS analysis indicated the presence of gold in metallic state and the formation of stoichiometric WO 3 . The electrochromic properties of the Au-WO 3 samples were also characterized using lithium-based electrolyte. It was found that doping of Au nanocrystals in WO 3 thin films improved the coloration time of the layer. In addition, it was shown that variation of Au concentration led to color change in the colored state of the Au-WO 3 thin films.

Hybrid Organometallic-Inorganic Nanomaterial: Acetyl Ferrocene Schiff base Immobilized on Silica Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Masteri-Farahani

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In  this  work,  a  new  hybrid  organometallic-inorganic  hybrid nanomaterial was prepared by immobilization of acetyl ferrocene on the  surface  of magnetite  nanoparticles. Covalent  grafting of silica coated magnetite nanoparticles (SCMNPs with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane gave aminopropyl-modified magnetite nanoparticles (AmpSCMNPs. Then, Schiff base condensation  of AmpSCMNPs with acetyl  ferrocene resulted in the preparation of acferro-SCMNPs hybrid nanomaterial. Characterization of the prepared nanomaterial was performed with different physicochemical methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. VSM analysis showed superparamagnetic properties of the prepared nanomaterial and TEM and SEM analyses indicated the relatively spherical nanoparticles with 15 nm average size.

Demonstrating Paramagnetism Using Liquid Nitrogen.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmonds, Ray; And Others

1994-01-01

Describes how liquid nitrogen is attracted to the poles of neodymium magnets. Nitrogen is not paramagnetic, so the attraction suggests that the liquid nitrogen contains a small amount of oxygen, which causes the paramagnetism. (MVL)

Barium halide nanocrystals in fluorozirconate based glass ceramics for scintillation application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selling, J.

2007-07-01

Europium (Eu)-activated barium halide nanocrystals in fluorozirconate based glass ceramics represent a promising class of Xray scintillators. The scintillation in these glass ceramics is mainly caused by the emission of divalent Eu incorporated in hexagonal BaCl{sub 2} nanocrystals which are formed in the glass matrix upon appropriate annealing. Experiments with cerium (Ce)-activated fluorozironate glass ceramics showed that Ce is an interesting alternative. In order to get a better understanding of the scintillation mechanism in Eu- or Ce-activated barium halide nanocrystals, an investigation of the processes in the corresponding bulk material is essential. The objective of this thesis is the investigation of undoped, Eu-, and Ce-doped barium halides by X-ray excited luminescence (XL), pulse height, and scintillation decay spectra. That will help to figure out which of these crystals has the most promising scintillation properties and would be the best nanoparticles for the glass ceramics. Furthermore, alternative dopants like samarium (Sm) and manganese (Mn) were also investigated. Besides the above-mentioned optical investigation electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Moessbauer measurements were carried out in order to complete the picture of Eu-doped barium halides. The EPR data of Eu-doped BaI{sub 2} is anticipated to yield more information about the crystal field and crystal structure that will help to understand the charge carrier process during the scintillation process. The main focus of the Moessbauer investigations was set on the Eu-doped fluorochlorozirconate glass ceramics. The results of this investigation should help to improve the glass ceramics. The Eu{sup 2+}/Eu{sup 3+} ratio in the glass ceramics should be determined and optimize favor of the Eu{sup 2+}. We also want to distinguish between Eu{sup 2+} in the glass matrix and Eu{sup 2+} in the nanocrystals. For a better understanding of Moessbauer spectroscopy on Eu also measurements on Eu in a

Barium halide nanocrystals in fluorozirconate based glass ceramics for scintillation application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selling, J.

2007-01-01

Europium (Eu)-activated barium halide nanocrystals in fluorozirconate based glass ceramics represent a promising class of Xray scintillators. The scintillation in these glass ceramics is mainly caused by the emission of divalent Eu incorporated in hexagonal BaCl 2 nanocrystals which are formed in the glass matrix upon appropriate annealing. Experiments with cerium (Ce)-activated fluorozironate glass ceramics showed that Ce is an interesting alternative. In order to get a better understanding of the scintillation mechanism in Eu- or Ce-activated barium halide nanocrystals, an investigation of the processes in the corresponding bulk material is essential. The objective of this thesis is the investigation of undoped, Eu-, and Ce-doped barium halides by X-ray excited luminescence (XL), pulse height, and scintillation decay spectra. That will help to figure out which of these crystals has the most promising scintillation properties and would be the best nanoparticles for the glass ceramics. Furthermore, alternative dopants like samarium (Sm) and manganese (Mn) were also investigated. Besides the above-mentioned optical investigation electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Moessbauer measurements were carried out in order to complete the picture of Eu-doped barium halides. The EPR data of Eu-doped BaI 2 is anticipated to yield more information about the crystal field and crystal structure that will help to understand the charge carrier process during the scintillation process. The main focus of the Moessbauer investigations was set on the Eu-doped fluorochlorozirconate glass ceramics. The results of this investigation should help to improve the glass ceramics. The Eu 2+ /Eu 3+ ratio in the glass ceramics should be determined and optimize favor of the Eu 2+ . We also want to distinguish between Eu 2+ in the glass matrix and Eu 2+ in the nanocrystals. For a better understanding of Moessbauer spectroscopy on Eu also measurements on Eu in a CaF 2 host lattice were carried

Morphologies of laser-induced damage in hafnia-silica multilayer mirror and polarizer coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genin, F.Y.; Stolz, C.J.

1996-08-01

Hafnium-silica multilayer mirrors and polarizers were deposited by e-beam evaporation onto BK7 glass substrates. The mirrors and polarizers were coated for operation at 1053 nm at 45 degree and at Brewster's angle (56 degree), respectively. They were tested with a single 3-ns laser pulse. Morphology of the laser-induced damage was characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Four distinct damage morphologies were found: pits, flatbottom pits, scalds, and delaminates. The pits and flat bottom pits ( 2 ). The pits seemed to result from ejection of nodular defects by causing local enhancement of the electric field. Scalds and delaminates could be observed at higher fluences (above 13 J/cm 2 ) and seemed to result from the formation of plasmas on the surface. These damage types often originated at pits and were less than 300 μm diameter; their size increased almost linearly with fluence. Finally, effects of the damage on the beam (reflectivity degradation and phase modulations) were measured

Silica doped with lanthanum sol–gel thin films for corrosion protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abuín, M.; Serrano, A.; Llopis, J.; García, M.A.; Carmona, N.

2012-01-01

We present here anticorrosive silica coatings doped with lanthanum ions for the protection of metallic surfaces as an alternative to chromate (VI)-based conversion coatings. The coatings were synthesized by the sol–gel method starting from silicon alkoxides and two different lanthanum precursors: La (III) acetate hydrate and La (III) isopropoxide. Artificial corrosion tests in acid and alkaline media showed their effectiveness for the corrosion protection of AA2024 aluminum alloy sheets for coating prepared with both precursors. The X-ray absorption Near Edge Structure and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure analysis of the coatings confirmed the key role of lanthanum in the structural properties of the coating determining its anticorrosive properties. - Highlights: ► Silica sol–gel films doped with lanthanum ions were synthesized. ► Films from lanthanum-acetate and La-alkoxide were prepared for comparison purposes. ► La-acetate is an affordable chemical reactive preferred for the industry. ► Films properties were explored by scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray absorption spectroscopy. ► An alternative to anticorrosive pre-treatments for metallic surfaces is suggested.

A novel and facile strategy for highly flame retardant polymer foam composite materials: Transforming silicone resin coating into silica self-extinguishing layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Qian; Zhang, Qian; Zhao, Li; Li, Shi-Neng; Wu, Lian-Bin; Jiang, Jian-Xiong; Tang, Long-Cheng

2017-08-15

In this study, a novel strategy was developed to fabricate highly flame retardant polymer foam composite materials coated by synthesized silicone resin (SiR) polymer via a facile dip-coating processing. Applying the SiR polymer coating, the mechanical property and thermal stability of SiR-coated polymer foam (PSiR) composites are greatly enhanced without significantly altering their structure and morphology. The minimum oxygen concentration to support the combustion of foam materials is greatly increased, i.e. from LOI 14.6% for pure foam to LOI 26-29% for the PSiR composites studied. Especially, adjusting pendant group to SiOSi group ratio (R/Si ratio) of SiRs produces highly flame retardant PSiR composites with low smoke toxicity. Cone calorimetry results demonstrate that 44-68% reduction in the peak heat release rate for the PSiR composites containing different R/Si ratios over pure foam is achieved by the presence of appropriate SiR coating. Digital and SEM images of post-burn chars indicate that the SiR polymer coating can be transformed into silica self-extinguishing porous layer as effective inorganic barrier effect, thus preserving the polymer foam structure from fire. Our results show that the SiR dip-coating technique is a promising strategy for producing flame retardant polymer foam composite materials with improved mechanical properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silica Gel Coated Spherical Micro resonator for Ultra-High Sensitivity Detection of Ammonia Gas Concentration in Air.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallik, Arun Kumar; Farrell, Gerald; Liu, Dejun; Kavungal, Vishnu; Wu, Qiang; Semenova, Yuliya

2018-01-26

A silica gel coated microsphere resonator is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for measurements of ammonia (NH 3 ) concentration in air with ultra-high sensitivity. The optical properties of the porous silica gel layer change when it is exposed to low (parts per million (ppm)) and even ultra-low (parts per billion (ppb)) concentrations of ammonia vapor, leading to a spectral shift of the WGM resonances in the transmission spectrum of the fiber taper. The experimentally demonstrated sensitivity of the proposed sensor to ammonia is estimated as 34.46 pm/ppm in the low ammonia concentrations range from 4 ppm to 30 ppm using an optical spectrum analyser (OSA), and as 800 pm/ppm in the ultra-low range of ammonia concentrations from 2.5 ppb to 12 ppb using the frequency detuning method, resulting in the lowest detection limit (by two orders of magnitude) reported to date equal to 0.16 ppb of ammonia in air. In addition, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity to ammonia and very fast response and recovery times measured at 1.5 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Other attractive features of the proposed sensor are its compact nature, simplicity of fabrication.

Probing Lipid Coating Dynamics of Quantum Dot Core Micelles via Forster Resonance Energy Transfer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhao, Yiming; Schapotschnikow, Philipp; Skajaa, Torjus; Vlugt, Thijs J. H.; Mulder, Willem J. M.; de Mello Donegá, Celso; Meijerink, Andries

2014-01-01

Lipid coated nanocrystal assemblies are among the most extensively investigated nanoparticle platforms for biomedical imaging and therapeutic purposes. However, very few efforts have been addressed to the lipid coating exchange dynamics in such systems, which is key to our understanding of the

Structure of Biocompatible Coatings Produced from Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles by Detonation Spraying

OpenAIRE

Nosenko, Valentyna; Strutynska, Nataliia; Vorona, Igor; Zatovsky, Igor; Dzhagan, Volodymyr; Lemishko, Sergiy; Epple, Matthias; Prymak, Oleg; Baran, Nikolai; Ishchenko, Stanislav; Slobodyanik, Nikolai; Prylutskyy, Yuriy; Klyui, Nickolai; Temchenko, Volodymyr

2015-01-01

Detonation-produced hydroxyapatite coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The source material for detonation spraying was a B-type carbonated hydroxyapatite powder. The coatings consisted of tetracalcium phosphate and apatite. The ratio depended slightly on the degree of crystallinity of the initial powder and processing parameters of the coating preparation. The t...

Direct synthesis of antimicrobial coatings based on tailored bi-elemental nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giulio Benetti

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Ultrathin coatings based on bi-elemental nanoparticles (NPs are very promising to limit the surface-related spread of bacterial pathogens, particularly in nosocomial environments. However, tailoring the synthesis, composition, adhesion to substrate, and antimicrobial spectrum of the coating is an open challenge. Herein, we report on a radically new nanostructured coating, obtained by a one-step gas-phase deposition technique, and composed of bi-elemental Janus type Ag/Ti NPs. The NPs are characterized by a cluster-in-cluster mixing phase with metallic Ag nano-crystals embedded in amorphous TiO2 and present a promising antimicrobial activity including also multidrug resistant strains. We demonstrate the flexibility of the method to tune the embedded Ag nano-crystals dimension, the total relative composition of the coating, and the substrate type, opening the possibility of tailoring the dimension, composition, antimicrobial spectrum, and other physical/chemical properties of such multi-elemental systems. This work is expected to significantly spread the range of applications of NPs coatings, not only as an effective tool in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections but also in other technologically relevant fields like sensors or nano-/micro joining.

Direct synthesis of antimicrobial coatings based on tailored bi-elemental nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Benetti, Giulio; Cavaliere, Emanuele; Canteri, Adalberto; Landini, Giulia; Rossolini, Gian Maria; Pallecchi, Lucia; Chiodi, Mirco; Van Bael, Margriet J.; Winckelmans, Naomi; Bals, Sara; Gavioli, Luca

2017-03-01

Ultrathin coatings based on bi-elemental nanoparticles (NPs) are very promising to limit the surface-related spread of bacterial pathogens, particularly in nosocomial environments. However, tailoring the synthesis, composition, adhesion to substrate, and antimicrobial spectrum of the coating is an open challenge. Herein, we report on a radically new nanostructured coating, obtained by a one-step gas-phase deposition technique, and composed of bi-elemental Janus type Ag/Ti NPs. The NPs are characterized by a cluster-in-cluster mixing phase with metallic Ag nano-crystals embedded in amorphous TiO2 and present a promising antimicrobial activity including also multidrug resistant strains. We demonstrate the flexibility of the method to tune the embedded Ag nano-crystals dimension, the total relative composition of the coating, and the substrate type, opening the possibility of tailoring the dimension, composition, antimicrobial spectrum, and other physical/chemical properties of such multi-elemental systems. This work is expected to significantly spread the range of applications of NPs coatings, not only as an effective tool in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections but also in other technologically relevant fields like sensors or nano-/micro joining.

Radiation hardening of sol gel-derived silica fiber preforms through fictive temperature reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hari Babu, B; Lancry, Matthieu; Ollier, Nadege; El Hamzaoui, Hicham; Bouazaoui, Mohamed; Poumellec, Bertrand

2016-09-20

The impact of fictive temperature (Tf) on the evolution of point defects and optical attenuation in non-doped and Er3+-doped sol-gel silica glasses was studied and compared to Suprasil F300 and Infrasil 301 glasses before and after γ-irradiation. To this aim, sol-gel optical fiber preforms have been fabricated by the densification of erbium salt-soaked nanoporous silica xerogels through the polymeric sol-gel technique. These γ-irradiated fiber preforms have been characterized by FTIR, UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and photoluminescence measurements. We showed that a decrease in the glass fictive temperature leads to a decrease in the glass disorder and strained bonds. This mainly results in a lower defect generation rate and thus less radiation-induced attenuation in the UV-vis range. Furthermore, it was found that γ-radiation "hardness" is higher in Er3+-doped sol-gel silica compared to un-doped sol-gel silica and standard synthetic silica glasses. The present work demonstrates an effective strategy to improve the radiation resistance of optical fiber preforms and glasses through glass fictive temperature reduction.

Nanocrystals Technology for Pharmaceutical Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhongyao; Lian, Yumei; Kamal, Zul; Ma, Xin; Chen, Jianjun; Zhou, Xinbo; Su, Jing; Qiu, Mingfeng

2018-05-17

Nanocrystals technology is a promising method for improving the dissolution rate and enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In recent years, it has been developing rapidly and applied to drug research and engineering. Nanocrystal drugs can be formulated into various dosage forms. This review mainly focused on the nanocrystals technology and its application in pharmaceutical science. Firstly, different preparation methods of nanocrystal technology and the characterization of nanocrystal drugs are briefly described. Secondly, the application of nanocrystals technology in pharmaceutical science is mainly discussed followed by the introduction of sustained release formulations. Then, the scaling up process, marketed nanocrystal drug products and regulatory aspects about nanodrugs are summarized. Finally, the specific challenges and opportunities of nanocrystals technology for pharmaceutical science are summarized and discussed. This review will provide a comprehensive guide for scientists and engineers in the field of pharmaceutical science and biochemical engineering. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Caveolin-1 and CDC42 mediated endocytosis of silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles in HeLa cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Bohmer

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing field in nanotechnology, which has great potential in the development of new therapies for numerous diseases. For example iron oxide nanoparticles are in clinical use already in the thermotherapy of brain cancer. Although it has been shown, that tumor cells take up these particles in vitro, little is known about the internalization routes. Understanding of the underlying uptake mechanisms would be very useful for faster and precise development of nanoparticles for clinical applications. This study aims at the identification of key proteins, which are crucial for the active uptake of iron oxide nanoparticles by HeLa cells (human cervical cancer as a model cell line. Cells were transfected with specific siRNAs against Caveolin-1, Dynamin 2, Flotillin-1, Clathrin, PIP5Kα and CDC42. Knockdown of Caveolin-1 reduces endocytosis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs and silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (SCIONs between 23 and 41%, depending on the surface characteristics of the nanoparticles and the experimental design. Knockdown of CDC42 showed a 46% decrease of the internalization of PEGylated SPIONs within 24 h incubation time. Knockdown of Dynamin 2, Flotillin-1, Clathrin and PIP5Kα caused no or only minor effects. Hence endocytosis in HeLa cells of iron oxide nanoparticles, used in this study, is mainly mediated by Caveolin-1 and CDC42. It is shown here for the first time, which proteins of the endocytotic pathway mediate the endocytosis of silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles in HeLa cells in vitro. In future studies more experiments should be carried out with different cell lines and other well-defined nanoparticle species to elucidate possible general principles.

Improvement of tribological properties of magnetic tape by silica coating onto the Co-{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} fine particles; Kobaruto hichakugata {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} jisei biryushi no shisshiki shirika hyomen shori ni yoru jikitepu no suberi tokusei no kaizen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, Kazuyuki; Iwasaki, Keisuke; Tanaka, Yasuyuki; Morii, Hiroko [Toda Kogyo Corporation, Hiroshima (Japan). R and D Center

1999-01-10

In order to improve the tribological properties of magnetic tape with Co-{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} fine particles against a magnetic head, the silica coating onto the surface of Co-{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles in aqueous slurry is investigated experimentally, and the kinetic friction coefficient of magnetic tapes prepared using the coated particles is measured. By this silica coating, the amount of myristic acid absorbed on the Co-{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles tends to decrease and the kinetic friction coefficient of the magnetic tapes can be reduced from 0.4 to 0.2 because of the increase of the effective amount of myristic acid working as the lubricant when the magnetic tape is moving. Since the magnetic properties and the dispersibility of Co-{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} pigment in the magnetic lacquer are not degraded by the silica coating, this coating method is expected to result in magnetic recording media with both good magnetic and low friction properties. (author)

PEGylated Lipid bilayer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for co-delivery of paclitaxel and curcumin: Design, characterization and its cytotoxic effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiahao; Cai, Qiang; Tang, Yinian; Xu, Yanjun; Wang, Qian; Li, Tingting; Xu, Huihao; Wang, Shuaiyu; Fan, Kai; Liu, Zhongjie; Jin, Yipeng; Lin, Degui

2018-01-30

Highly ordered mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with pore diameter of 2.754nm and particle size of 115±15nm were prepared with etching method. Homogeneous PEGylated lipid bilayer with 10-15nm thickness was coated around the surface of MSNs using film hydration method. Systematic optimization and characterization of co-encapsulation process of paclitaxel (Tax) and curcumin (Cur) into PEGylated lipid bilayer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PLMSNs) were performed carrying out single factor test, associated with Box-Behnken Design. The concentration of encapsulated drugs was measured by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method. Optimal factor settings were as follows: 50mg MSNs, ratio of MSNs to lipid (w/w)=1:1.11, and ratio of lipid to CHO (w/w)=3.93:1. The average experimental EE Tax , EE Cur and stability score value were (77.48±2.73) %, (30.70±3.56) % and 4 point respectively based on the conditions mentioned above. Morphology determination of Tax-Cur-PLMSNs revealed that the composite nanoparticles were spherical particals with uniform dispersion. In vitro release experiment indicated that PLMSNs improved dissolution of Tax compared to Tax powder suspension and exhibited sustained release property. Tax-Cur-PLMSNs manifested definite and persistently promoted cytotoxic effect against canine breast cancer cells. This prolonged and enhanced activity of Tax-Cur-PLMSNs might contribute to its sustained release effect. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Structural, spectroscopic and cytotoxicity studies of TbF3@CeF3 and TbF3@CeF3@SiO2 nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grzyb, Tomasz; Runowski, Marcin; Dąbrowska, Krystyna; Giersig, Michael; Lis, Stefan

2013-01-01

Terbium fluoride nanocrystals, covered by a shell, composed of cerium fluoride were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Their complex structure was formed spontaneously during the synthesis. The surface of these core/shell nanocrystals was additionally modified by silica. The properties of TbF 3 @CeF 3 and TbF 3 @CeF 3 @SiO 2 nanocrystals, formed in this way, were investigated. Spectroscopic studies showed that the differences between these two groups of products resulted from the presence of the SiO 2 shell. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the trigonal crystal structure of TbF 3 @CeF 3 nanocrystals. High resolution transmission electron microscopy in connection with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed a complex structure of the formed nanocrystals. Crystallized as small discs, ‘the products’, with an average diameter around 10 nm, showed an increase in the concentration of Tb 3+ ions from surface to the core of nanocrystals. In addition to photo-physical analyses, cytotoxicity studies were performed on HSkMEC (Human Skin Microvascular Endothelial Cells) and B16F0 mouse melanoma cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of the nanomaterials was neutral for the investigated cells with no toxic or antiproliferative effect in the cell cultures, either for normal or for cancer cells. This fact makes the obtained nanocrystals good candidates for biological applications and further modifications of the SiO 2 shell.Graphical Abstract

Effects of hydrazine on the solvothermal synthesis of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} and Cu{sub 2}CdSnSe{sub 4} nanocrystals for particle-based deposition of films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiang, Ming-Hung [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China); Fu, Yaw-Shyan, E-mail: ysfu@mail.nutn.edu.tw [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan, Taiwan 700 (China); Shih, Cheng-Hung; Kuo, Chun-Cheng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China); Guo, Tzung-Fang [Department of Photonics, Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China); Lin, Wen-Tai, E-mail: wtlin@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701 (China)

2013-10-01

The effects of hydrazine on the synthesis of Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} (CZTSe) and Cu{sub 2}CdSnSe{sub 4} (CCTSe) nanocrystals in an autoclave as a function of temperature and time were explored. On heating at 190 °C for 24-72 h, pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals could readily grow in the hydrazine-added solution, while in the hydrazine-free solution the intermediate phases such as ZnSe, Cu{sub 2}Se, and Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3}, and Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} and CdSe associated with the CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals grew, respectively. This result reveals that hydrazine can speed up the synthesis of pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals via a solvothermal process. The mechanisms for the hydrazine-enhanced growth of CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals were discussed. The pure CZTSe and CCTSe nanocrystals were subsequently fabricated to the smooth films by spin coating without further annealing in selenium atmosphere. This processing may be beneficial to the fabrication of the absorber layer for solar cells and thermoelectric devices. - Highlights: • Hydrazine enhances the growth of pure Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} and Cu{sub 2}CdSnSe{sub 4} nanocrystals. • The nanocrystals can be fabricated to films by spin coating without annealing. • This solvothermal processing is promising for the fabrication of thin film devices.

Synthesis of nanocrystalline LaF3 doped silica glasses by hydrofluoric acid catalyzed sol–gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagayama, Shuhei; Kajihara, Koichi; Kanamura, Kiyoshi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Silica glasses doped by LaF 3 nanocrystals are obtained by HF-catalyzed sol–gel method. ► The processing time (∼1 week) is much shorter than that of previous studies. ► The uptake of SiF groups in the glass matrix greatly reduces the SiOH concentration. ► Effects of sintering conditions and properties of Er 3+ -doped samples are presented. - Abstract: Silica glasses doped with LaF 3 nanocrystals were prepared by HF-catalyzed sol–gel method. HF was used both as fluorine source and as catalyst of the sol–gel reaction, making it possible to shorten the processing time with reducing the concentration of SiOH groups to ∼10 18 cm −3 . The resultant glasses are transparent at visible spectral range, and the optical loss at the ultraviolet absorption edge is dominated by the Rayleigh scattering from LaF 3 crystallites. The size of LaF 3 crystallites increases with an increase in the sintering temperature and time, and is smaller than ∼40 nm in samples showing good visible transparency. Green upconversion photoluminescence is observed in an Er 3+ -doped sample under excitation at 980 nm.

Hybrid Thin Film Organosilica Sol-Gel Coatings To Support Neuronal Growth and Limit Astrocyte Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Capeletti, Larissa Brentano; Cardoso, Mateus Borba; Dos Santos, João Henrique Zimnoch; He, Wei

2016-10-07

Thin films of silica prepared by a sol-gel process are becoming a feasible coating option for surface modification of implantable neural sensors without imposing adverse effects on the devices' electrical properties. In order to advance the application of such silica-based coatings in the context of neural interfacing, the characteristics of silica sol-gel are further tailored to gain active control of interactions between cells and the coating materials. By incorporating various readily available organotrialkoxysilanes carrying distinct organic functional groups during the sol-gel process, a library of hybrid organosilica coatings is developed and investigated. In vitro neural cultures using PC12 cells and primary cortical neurons both reveal that, among these different types of hybrid organosilica, the introduction of aminopropyl groups drastically transforms the silica into robust neural permissive substrate, supporting neuron adhesion and neurite outgrowth. Moreover, when this organosilica is cultured with astrocytes, a key type of glial cells responsible for glial scar response toward neural implants, such cell growth promoting effect is not observed. These findings highlight the potential of organo-group-bearing silica sol-gel to function as advanced coating materials to selectively modulate cell response and promote neural integration with implantable sensing devices.

Preparation and Properties of Nano Dy/TiO2 Films Supported on High Silica Fiber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HUANG Feng-ping

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the photocatalytic degradation performance and stability of nano TiO2, Dy doped TiO2 supported on high silica glass fiber was prepared by microwave-sol method combined with dip-coating method. The samples were analyzed by XRD,SEM,PL,EDS,XPS and other equipments for phase composition of films,surface topography, surface elements and the stability of films. And the effects of pretreatment solution and coating method on the high-silica fiber film were investigated.In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the sample has been investigated by degrading methylene blue. The results show that the catalytic stability of Dy doping TiO2 nanofilms supported on high silica glass fiber can be improved and the degradation of methyl orange can reach 94% in 30min after 5 times of coating treatment.

Synthesis of polymeric fluorinated sol–gel precursor for fabrication of superhydrophobic coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Qianqian; Yan, Yuheng; Yu, Miao; Song, Botao; Shi, Suqing; Gong, Yongkuan

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A polymeric fluorinated sol–gel precursor PFT is designed to fabricate superhydrophobic coatings. • The superhydrophobicity could be governed by the concentration of PFT. • Bio-mimicking self-cleaning property similar to lotus leaves could also be achieved. - Abstract: A fluorinated polymeric sol–gel precursor (PFT) is synthesized by copolymerization of 2,3,4,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-bis(trifluorinated methyl)pentyl methacrylate (FMA) and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (TSMA) to replace the expensive long chain fluorinated alkylsilanes. The fluorinated silica sol is prepared by introducing PFT as co-precursor of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the sol–gel process with ammonium hydroxide as catalyst, which is then used to fabricate superhydrophobic coating on glass substrate through a simple dip-coating method. The effects of PFT concentrations on the chemical structure of the formed fluorinated silica, the surface chemical composition, surface morphology, wetting and self-cleaning properties of the resultant fluorinated silica coatings were studied by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and water contact angle measurements (WCA). The results show that the fluorinated silica sols are successfully obtained. The size and size distribution of the fluorinated silica particles are found greatly dependent on the concentration of PFT, which play a crucial role in the surface morphology of the corresponding fluorinated silica coatings. The suitable PFT concentration added in the sol–gel stage, i.e. for F-sol-1 and F-sol-2, is helpful to achieve both the low surface energy and multi-scaled microstructures, leading to the formation of the superhydrophobic coatings with bio-mimicking self-cleaning property similar to lotus leaves.

A strategy for prediction of the elastic properties of epoxy-cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced fiber networks

Science.gov (United States)

Johnathan E. Goodsell; Robert J. Moon; Alionso Huizar; R. Byron Pipes

2014-01-01

The reinforcement potential of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) additions on an idealized 2-dirmensional (2-D) fiber network structure consisting of micron sized fiber elements was investigated. The reinforcement mechanism considered in this study was through the stiffening of the micron sized fiber elements via a CNC-epoxy coating. A hierarchical analytical modeling...

Silica doped with lanthanum sol-gel thin films for corrosion protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abuin, M. [Department of Materials Physics, Complutense University at Madrid, Avda. Complutense sn, 28004 Madrid (Spain); Serrano, A. [Glass and Ceramic Institute, CSIC, C. Kelsen 5, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Llopis, J. [Department of Materials Physics, Complutense University at Madrid, Avda. Complutense sn, 28004 Madrid (Spain); Garcia, M.A. [Glass and Ceramic Institute, CSIC, C. Kelsen 5, 28049 Madrid (Spain); IMDEA Nanoscience, Fco. Tomas y Valiente 7, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Carmona, N., E-mail: n.carmona@fis.ucm.es [Department of Materials Physics, Complutense University at Madrid, Avda. Complutense sn, 28004 Madrid (Spain)

2012-06-01

We present here anticorrosive silica coatings doped with lanthanum ions for the protection of metallic surfaces as an alternative to chromate (VI)-based conversion coatings. The coatings were synthesized by the sol-gel method starting from silicon alkoxides and two different lanthanum precursors: La (III) acetate hydrate and La (III) isopropoxide. Artificial corrosion tests in acid and alkaline media showed their effectiveness for the corrosion protection of AA2024 aluminum alloy sheets for coating prepared with both precursors. The X-ray absorption Near Edge Structure and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure analysis of the coatings confirmed the key role of lanthanum in the structural properties of the coating determining its anticorrosive properties. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Silica sol-gel films doped with lanthanum ions were synthesized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Films from lanthanum-acetate and La-alkoxide were prepared for comparison purposes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer La-acetate is an affordable chemical reactive preferred for the industry. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Films properties were explored by scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray absorption spectroscopy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An alternative to anticorrosive pre-treatments for metallic surfaces is suggested.

Supercritical synthesis and in situ deposition of PbS nanocrystals with oleic acid passivation for quantum dot solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tavakoli, M.M. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 14588 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Simchi, A., E-mail: simchi@sharif.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 14588 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, 14588 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Aashuri, H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 14588 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-04-15

Colloidal quantum dot solar cells have recently attracted significant attention due to their low-processing cost and surging photovoltaic performance. In this paper, a novel, reproducible, and simple solution-based process based on supercritical fluid toluene is presented for in situ growth and deposition PbS nanocrystals with oleic-acid passivation. A lead precursor containing sulfur was mixed with oleic acid in toluene and processed in a supercritical fluid condition at different temperatures of 140, 270 and 330 °C for 20 min. The quantum dots were deposited on a fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate inside the supercritical reactor. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, absorption and dynamic light scattering showed that the nanocrystals processed at the supercritical condition (330 °C) are fully crystalline with a narrow size distribution of ∼3 nm with an absorption wavelength of 915 nm (bandgap of 1.3 eV). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that the PbS quantum dots are passivated by oleic acid molecules during the growth. Photovoltaic characteristics of Schottky junction solar cells showed an improvement over devices prepared by spin-coating. - Highlights: • Supercritical fluid processing and in situ deposition of PbS QDs are presented. • The prepared nanocrystals are mono-dispersed with an optical bandgap of 1.3 eV. • Photovoltaic performance of the in situ deposited nanocrystals is reported. • An improved PV performance compared to spin coated Schottky solar cells is shown.

Biomimetic silica encapsultation of living cells

Science.gov (United States)

Jaroch, David Benjamin

Living cells perform complex chemical processes on size and time scales that artificial systems cannot match. Cells respond dynamically to their environment, acting as biological sensors, factories, and drug delivery devices. To facilitate the use of living systems in engineered constructs, we have developed several new approaches to create stable protective microenvironments by forming bioinspired cell-membrane-specific silica-based encapsulants. These include vapor phase deposition of silica gels, use of endogenous membrane proteins and polysaccharides as a site for silica nucleation and polycondensation in a saturated environment, and protein templated ordered silica shell formation. We demonstrate silica layer formation at the surface of pluripotent stem-like cells, bacterial biofilms, and primary murine and human pancreatic islets. Materials are characterized by AFM, SEM and EDS. Viability assays confirm cell survival, and metabolite flux measurements demonstrate normal function and no major diffusion limitations. Real time PCR mRNA analysis indicates encapsulated islets express normal levels of genetic markers for β-cells and insulin production. The silica glass encapsulant produces a secondary bone like calcium phosphate mineral layer upon exposure to media. Such bioactive materials can improve device integration with surrounding tissue upon implantation. Given the favorable insulin response, bioactivity, and long-term viability observed in silica-coated islets, we are currently testing the encapsulant's ability to prevent immune system recognition of foreign transplants for the treatment of diabetes. Such hybrid silica-cellular constructs have a wide range of industrial, environmental, and medical applications.

Heat treatment following surface silanization in rebonded tribochemical silica-coated ceramic brackets: shear bond strength analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilia Adriane Silva

2013-07-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of heat treatment on the tribochemical silica coating and silane surface conditioning and the bond strength of rebonded alumina monocrystalline brackets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty alumina monocrystalline brackets were randomly divided according to adhesive base surface treatments (n=20: Gc, no treatment (control; Gt, tribochemical silica coating + silane application; Gh, as per Gt + post-heat treatment (air flux at 100ºC for 60 s. Brackets were bonded to the enamel premolars surface with a light-polymerized resin and stored in distilled water at 37ºC for 100 days. Additionally, half the specimens of each group were thermocycled (6,000 cycles between 5-55ºC (TC. The specimens were submitted to the shear bond strength (SBS test using a universal testing machine (1 mm/min. Failure mode was assessed using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM, together with the surface roughness (Ra of the resin cement in the bracket using interference microscopy (IM. 2-way ANOVA and the Tukey test were used to compare the data (p>0.05. RESULTS: The strategies used to treat the bracket surface had an effect on the SBS results (p=0.0, but thermocycling did not (p=0.6974. Considering the SBS results (MPa, Gh-TC and Gc showed the highest values (27.59±6.4 and 27.18±2.9 and Gt-TC showed the lowest (8.45±6.7. For the Ra parameter, ANOVA revealed that the aging method had an effect (p=0.0157 but the surface treatments did not (p=0.458. For the thermocycled and non-thermocycled groups, Ra (µm was 0.69±0.16 and 1.12±0.52, respectively. The most frequent failure mode exhibited was mixed failure involving the enamel-resin-bracket interfaces. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the aging method, Gh promoted similar SBS results to Gc, suggesting that rebonded ceramic brackets are a more effective strategy.

Probing lipid coating dynamics of quantum dot core micelles via förster resonance energy transfer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhao, Yiming; Schapotschnikow, Philipp; Skajaa, Torjus; Vlugt, Thijs J H; Mulder, Willem J M; De Mello Donegá, Celso; Meijerink, A

2014-01-01

Lipid coated nanocrystal assemblies are among the most extensively investigated nanoparticle platforms for biomedical imaging and therapeutic purposes. However, very few efforts have been addressed to the lipid coating exchange dynamics in such systems, which is key to our understanding of the

Titania-coated manganite nanoparticles: Synthesis of the shell, characterization and MRI properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jirák, Zdeněk; Kuličková, Jarmila [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Herynek, Vít [Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Vídeňská 1958/9, 140 21 Praha 4 (Czech Republic); Maryško, Miroslav [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Koktan, Jakub [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha 6 (Czech Republic); Kaman, Ondřej, E-mail: kamano@seznam.cz [Institute of Physics, AS CR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00 Praha 6 (Czech Republic)

2017-04-01

Novel procedure for coating of oxide nanoparticles with titania, employing hydrolysis and polycondensation of titanium alkoxides under high-dilution conditions and cationic surfactants, is developed and applied to magnetic cores of perovskite manganite. Bare particles of the ferromagnetic La{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3} phase, possessing high magnetization, M{sub 10} {sub kOe}(4.5 K) = 63.5 emu g{sup −1}, and Curie temperature, T{sub C} = 355 K, are synthesized by sol-gel procedure and subsequently coated with titania. Further, a comparative silica-coated product is prepared. In order to analyse the morphology, colloidal stability, and surface properties of these two types of coated particles, a detailed study by means of transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential measurements, and IR spectroscopy is carried out. The experiments on the titania-coated sample reveal a continuous though porous character of the TiO{sub 2} shell, the nature of which is amorphous but can be transformed to anatase at higher temperatures. Finally, the relaxometric study at the magnetic field of 0.5 T, performed to quantity the transverse relaxivity and its temperature dependence, reveals important differences between the titania-coated and silica-coated nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Magnetic nanoparticles of perovskite La{sub 0.65}Sr{sub 0.35}MnO{sub 3} phase are coated with TiO{sub 2}. • The titania forms a continuous and amorphous shell and provides colloidal stability. • Morphology and surface properties are compared to a silica-coated product. • MRI properties of both the titania- and silica-coated particles are studied at 0.5 T. • The temperature dependence of r{sub 2} is strongly affected by the type of coating.

Optimizing colloidal nanocrystals for applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sytnyk, M.

2015-01-01

In the scientific literature colloidal nanocrystals are presented as promising materials for multiple applications, in areas covering optoelectronics, photovoltaics, spintronics, catalysis, and bio-medicine. On the marked are, however, only a very limited number of examples found, indeed implementing colloidal nanocrystals. Thus the scope of this thesis was to modify nanocrystals and to tune their properties to fulfill specific demands. While some modifications could be achieved by post synthetic treatments, one key problem of colloidal nanocrystals, hampering there widespread application is the toxicity of their constituents. To develop nanocrystals from non-toxic materials has been a major goal of this thesis as well. Roughly, the results in this thesis could be subdivided into three parts: (i) the development of ion exchange methods to tailor the properties of metallic and metal-oxide based nanocrystal heterostructures, (ii), the synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals from non-toxic materials, and (iii) the characterization of the nanocrystals by measurements of their morphology, chemical composition, magnetic-, optical-, and electronic properties. In detail, the thesis is subdivided into an introductory chapter, 4 chapters reporting on scientific results, a chapter reporting the used methods, and the conclusions. The 4 chapters devoted to the scientific results correspond to manuscripts, which are either currently in preparation, or have been published in highly ranked scientific journals such as NanoLetters (chapter 2), ACS Nano (chapter 4), or JACS (chapter 5). Thus, these chapters provide also an extra introduction and conclusion section, as well as separate reference lists. Chapter 2 describes a cation exchange process which is used to tune and improve the magnetic properties of different iron-oxide based colloidal nanocrystal-heterostructures. The superparamagnetic blocking temperature, magnetic remanence, and coercivity is tuned by replacing Fe2+ by Co2

Modified spontaneous emission of silicon nanocrystals embedded in artificial opals

Science.gov (United States)

Janda, Petr; Valenta, Jan; Rehspringer, Jean-Luc; Mafouana, Rodrigue R.; Linnros, Jan; Elliman, Robert G.

2007-10-01

Si nanocrystals (NCs) were embedded in synthetic silica opals by means of Si-ion implantation or opal impregnation with porous-Si suspensions. In both types of sample photoluminescence (PL) is strongly Bragg-reflection attenuated (up to 75%) at the frequency of the opal stop-band in a direction perpendicular to the (1 1 1) face of the perfect hcp opal structure. Time-resolved PL shows a rich distribution of decay rates, which contains both shorter and longer decay components compared with the ordinary stretched exponential decay of Si NCs. This effect reflects changes in the spontaneous emission rate of Si NCs due to variations in the local density of states of real opal containing defects.

Modified spontaneous emission of silicon nanocrystals embedded in artificial opals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janda, Petr; Valenta, Jan; Rehspringer, Jean-Luc; Mafouana, Rodrigue R; Linnros, Jan; Elliman, Robert G

2007-01-01

Si nanocrystals (NCs) were embedded in synthetic silica opals by means of Si-ion implantation or opal impregnation with porous-Si suspensions. In both types of sample photoluminescence (PL) is strongly Bragg-reflection attenuated (up to 75%) at the frequency of the opal stop-band in a direction perpendicular to the (1 1 1) face of the perfect hcp opal structure. Time-resolved PL shows a rich distribution of decay rates, which contains both shorter and longer decay components compared with the ordinary stretched exponential decay of Si NCs. This effect reflects changes in the spontaneous emission rate of Si NCs due to variations in the local density of states of real opal containing defects

Modified spontaneous emission of silicon nanocrystals embedded in artificial opals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janda, Petr [Department of Chemical Physics and Optics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, 121 16 Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Valenta, Jan [Department of Chemical Physics and Optics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, 121 16 Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Rehspringer, Jean-Luc [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Materiaux de Strasbourg, GMI et GONLO, UMR46 CNRS-ULP-ECPM, 23, rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Mafouana, Rodrigue R [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Materiaux de Strasbourg, GMI et GONLO, UMR46 CNRS-ULP-ECPM, 23, rue du Loess, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Linnros, Jan [Laboratory of Material and Semiconductor Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Electrum 229, 164 21 Kista-Stockholm (Sweden); Elliman, Robert G [Electronic Materials Engineering Department, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia)

2007-10-07

Si nanocrystals (NCs) were embedded in synthetic silica opals by means of Si-ion implantation or opal impregnation with porous-Si suspensions. In both types of sample photoluminescence (PL) is strongly Bragg-reflection attenuated (up to 75%) at the frequency of the opal stop-band in a direction perpendicular to the (1 1 1) face of the perfect hcp opal structure. Time-resolved PL shows a rich distribution of decay rates, which contains both shorter and longer decay components compared with the ordinary stretched exponential decay of Si NCs. This effect reflects changes in the spontaneous emission rate of Si NCs due to variations in the local density of states of real opal containing defects.

Effect of a gelatin-based edible coating containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on the quality and nutrient retention of fresh strawberries during storage

Science.gov (United States)

Fakhouri, F. M.; Casari, A. C. A.; Mariano, M.; Yamashita, F.; Innocnentini Mei, L. H.; Soldi, V.; Martelli, S. M.

2014-08-01

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit with a very short postharvest shelf-life. Loss of quality in this fruit is mostly due to its relatively high metabolic activity and sensitivity to fungal decay, meanly grey mold (Botrytis cinerea). In this study, the ability of gelatin coatings containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) to extend the shelf-life of strawberry fruit (Fragaria ananassa) over 8 days were studied. The filmogenic solution was obtained by the hydration of 5 g of gelatin (GEL) in 100 mL of distillated water containing different amounts of CNC dispersion (10 mg CNC/g of GEL or 50 mg of CNC/g of GEL) for 1 hour at room temperature. After this period, the solution was heated to 70 °C and maintained at this temperature for 10 minutes. The plasticizer (glycerol) (10g/100g of the GEL) was then added with constant, gentle stirring in order to avoid forming air bubbles and also to avoid gelatin denaturation until complete homogenization. Strawberries (purchased at the local market) were immersed in the filmogenic solution for 1 minute and after coated were dried at 15 °C by 24 hours. The strawberries were then kept under refrigeration and characterized in terms of their properties (weight loss, ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity, water content). The results have shown that samples covered with GEL/CNC had a significant improvement in its shelf- life. For instance, for the control sample (without coating) the weight loss after 8 days of storage was around 65%, while covered samples loss in the range of 31-36%. Edible coating was also effective in the retention of ascorbic acid (AA) in the strawberries, while control sample presented a fast decay in the AA content, covered samples showed a slow decay in the AA concentration. Moreover, the use of GEL/CNC edible coating had an antimicrobial effect in the fruits.

Effect of a gelatin-based edible coating containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on the quality and nutrient retention of fresh strawberries during storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fakhouri, F M; Casari, A C A; Martelli, S M; Mariano, M; Soldi, V; Yamashita, F; Mei, L H Innocnentini

2014-01-01

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit with a very short postharvest shelf-life. Loss of quality in this fruit is mostly due to its relatively high metabolic activity and sensitivity to fungal decay, meanly grey mold (Botrytis cinerea). In this study, the ability of gelatin coatings containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) to extend the shelf-life of strawberry fruit (Fragaria ananassa) over 8 days were studied. The filmogenic solution was obtained by the hydration of 5 g of gelatin (GEL) in 100 mL of distillated water containing different amounts of CNC dispersion (10 mg CNC/g of GEL or 50 mg of CNC/g of GEL) for 1 hour at room temperature. After this period, the solution was heated to 70 °C and maintained at this temperature for 10 minutes. The plasticizer (glycerol) (10g/100g of the GEL) was then added with constant, gentle stirring in order to avoid forming air bubbles and also to avoid gelatin denaturation until complete homogenization. Strawberries (purchased at the local market) were immersed in the filmogenic solution for 1 minute and after coated were dried at 15 °C by 24 hours. The strawberries were then kept under refrigeration and characterized in terms of their properties (weight loss, ascorbic acid content, titratable acidity, water content). The results have shown that samples covered with GEL/CNC had a significant improvement in its shelf- life. For instance, for the control sample (without coating) the weight loss after 8 days of storage was around 65%, while covered samples loss in the range of 31-36%. Edible coating was also effective in the retention of ascorbic acid (AA) in the strawberries, while control sample presented a fast decay in the AA content, covered samples showed a slow decay in the AA concentration. Moreover, the use of GEL/CNC edible coating had an antimicrobial effect in the fruits

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surface on Polydopamine-coated Al Plate by Using Modified SiO{sub 2} Nanoparticles/Polystyrene Nano-Composite Coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Songho; Lee, Woohee; Ahn, Yonghyun [Dankook University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

A superhydrophobic Al surface has been fabricated by coating with polydopamine, followed by coating with a modified silica nanoparticles/PS composite solution. The role of polydopamine layer is to improve the adhesion of the modified silica nanoparticles. This platform is an ideal structure for attaching various nano/micro particles. Aluminum is an important industrial metal, and the superhydrophobic surface of Al plates has potential applications in various fields. Aluminum is a relatively lightweight, soft, and durable metal with good thermal conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance.

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%.

Titanium dioxide encapsulation of supported Ag nanoparticles on the porous silica bead for increased photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hui; Deng, Lu; Sun, Chaochao; Li, Junqi; Zhu, Zhenfeng

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A novel Ag-loading and TiO 2 -coating technique was used to prepare samples. • The photocatalytic activity of the product was evaluated by removing of Rh B. • The as-synthesized samples showed an excellent photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: A new synthetic strategy has been developed to encapsulate Ag nanoparticles in heterogeneous catalysts to prevent their dropping and sintering. Ag nanoparticles with diameters about 5–10 nm were first supported on the porous silica bead. These were then covered with a fresh layer of titanium dioxide with the thickness about 5 nm. SEM and TEM images were used to confirm the success of each synthesis step, and the photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine B (Rh B) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under both UV and visible light irradiation. The resulting titanium dioxide encapsulated Ag nanoparticles exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity under both UV and visible light irradiation, this can be attributed to effective charge separation and light harvesting of the plasmonic silver nanoparticles decoration, even the reducing of the exciton recombination rate caused by the small grain size of anatase TiO 2 nanocrystals

Additives for reducing the toxicity of respirable crystalline silica. SILIFE project

Science.gov (United States)

Monfort, Eliseo; López-Lilao, Ana; Escrig, Alberto; Jesus Ibáñez, Maria; Bonvicini, Guliana; Creutzenberg, Otto; Ziemann, Christina

2017-10-01

Prolonged inhalation of crystalline silica particles has long been known to cause lung inflammation and development of the granulomatous and a fibrogenic lung disease known as silicosis. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in the form of quartz and cristobalite from occupational sources as carcinogenic for humans (category 1). In this regard, numerous studies suggest that the toxicity of quartz is conditioned by the surface chemistry of the quartz particles and by the density and abundance of silanol groups. Blocking these groups to avoid their interaction with cellular membranes would theoretically be possible in order to reduce or even to eliminate the toxic effect. In this regard, the main contribution of the presented research is the development of detoxifying processes based on coating technologies at industrial scale, since the previous studies reported on literature were carried out at lab scale. The results obtained in two European projects showed that the wet method to obtain quartz surface coatings (SILICOAT project) allows a good efficiency in inhibiting the silica toxicity, and the preliminary results obtained in an ongoing project (SILIFE) suggest that the developed dry method to coat quartz surface is also very promising. The development of both coating technologies (wet and a dry) should allow these coating technologies to be applied to a high variety of industrial activities in which quartz is processed. For this reason, a lot of end-users of quartz powders will be potentially benefited from a reduced risk associated to the exposure to RCS.

Enhanced near-infrared photoacoustic imaging of silica-coated rare-earth doped nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheng, Yang [Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372 (Singapore); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164 (China); Liao, Lun-De [Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Rd., Zhunan Town, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan, ROC (China); Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456 (Singapore); Bandla, Aishwarya [Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456 (Singapore); Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore 119077 (Singapore); Liu, Yu-Hang [Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456 (Singapore); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore 119077 (Singapore); Yuan, Jun [Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456 (Singapore); Thakor, Nitish [Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, #05-COR, Singapore 117456 (Singapore); Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore 119077 (Singapore); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore 119077 (Singapore); Tan, Mei Chee, E-mail: meichee.tan@sutd.edu.sg [Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372 (Singapore)

2017-01-01

Near-infrared photoacoustic (PA) imaging is an emerging diagnostic technology that utilizes the tissue transparent window to achieve improved contrast and spatial resolution for deep tissue imaging. In this study, we investigated the enhancement effect of the SiO{sub 2} shell on the PA property of our core/shell rare-earth nanoparticles (REs) consisting of an active rare-earth doped core of NaYF{sub 4}:Yb,Er (REDNPs) and an undoped NaYF{sub 4} shell. We observed that the PA signal amplitude increased with SiO{sub 2} shell thickness. Although the SiO{sub 2} shell caused an observed decrease in the integrated fluorescence intensity due to the dilution effect, fluorescence quenching of the rare earth emitting ions within the REDNPs cores was successfully prevented by the undoped NaYF{sub 4} shell. Therefore, our multilayer structure consisting of an active core with successive functional layers was demonstrated to be an effective design for dual-modal fluorescence and PA imaging probes with improved PA property. The result from this work addresses a critical need for the development of dual-modal contrast agent that advances deep tissue imaging with high resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. - Graphical abstract: Illustration of multilayer structured imaging probe with REDNPs as active core, undoped NaYF{sub 4} as intermediate layer and SiO{sub 2} as outer shell. The PA signal amplitude of REs/SiO{sub 2} was increased with the SiO{sub 2} shell thickness. - Highlights: • Silica coating was demonstrated to be much more effective in enhancing the PA signal amplitude comparing to soft polymer. • PA enhancement was attributed to the increased phonon modes and phonon energy with the introduction of the SiO{sub 2} coating. • Multilayer structure was an effective design for dual-modal fluorescence and PA imaging probes with improved PA property.

Levitation in paramagnetic liquids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunne, P.A. [School of Physics and CRANN, Trinity Collge, Dublin 2 (Ireland)]. E-mail: pdunne2@tcd.ie; Hilton, J. [School of Physics and CRANN, Trinity Collge, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Coey, J.M.D. [School of Physics and CRANN, Trinity Collge, Dublin 2 (Ireland)

2007-09-15

Magnetic levitation of diamagnetic and paramagnetic substances in a paramagnetic liquid is explored. Materials ranging from graphite to tin and copper can be made to float at ambient temperature in concentrated solutions of dysprosium nitrate, when an electromagnet or four-block permanent magnet array is used to produce a gradient field. Simulations illustrate the stable regions for levitation above the permanent magnets; and a novel eight-block configuration is proposed, which allows denser materials such as gold or lead to be levitated.

Levitation in paramagnetic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunne, P.A.; Hilton, J.; Coey, J.M.D.

2007-01-01

Magnetic levitation of diamagnetic and paramagnetic substances in a paramagnetic liquid is explored. Materials ranging from graphite to tin and copper can be made to float at ambient temperature in concentrated solutions of dysprosium nitrate, when an electromagnet or four-block permanent magnet array is used to produce a gradient field. Simulations illustrate the stable regions for levitation above the permanent magnets; and a novel eight-block configuration is proposed, which allows denser materials such as gold or lead to be levitated

Inorganic photovoltaic devices fabricated using nanocrystal spray deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Foos, Edward E; Yoon, Woojun; Lumb, Matthew P; Tischler, Joseph G; Townsend, Troy K

2013-09-25

Soluble inorganic nanocrystals offer a potential route to the fabrication of all-inorganic devices using solution deposition techniques. Spray processing offers several advantages over the more common spin- and dip-coating procedures, including reduced material loss during fabrication, higher sample throughput, and deposition over a larger area. The primary difference observed, however, is an overall increase in the film roughness. In an attempt to quantify the impact of this morphology change on the devices, we compare the overall performance of spray-deposited versus spin-coated CdTe-based Schottky junction solar cells and model their dark current-voltage characteristics. Spray deposition of the active layer results in a power conversion efficiency of 2.3 ± 0.3% with a fill factor of 45.7 ± 3.4%, Voc of 0.39 ± 0.06 V, and Jsc of 13.3 ± 3.0 mA/cm(2) under one sun illumination.

Structure and dynamics of spin-labeled insulin entrapped in a silica matrix by the sol-gel method.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanea, E; Gruian, C; Rickert, C; Steinhoff, H-J; Simon, V

2013-08-12

The structure and conformational dynamics of insulin entrapped into a silica matrix was monitored during the sol to maturated-gel transition by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Insulin was successfully spin-labeled with iodoacetamide and the bifunctional nitroxide reagent HO-1944. Room temperature continuous wave (cw) EPR spectra of insulin were recorded to assess the mobility of the attached spin labels. Insulin conformation and its distribution within the silica matrix were studied using double electron-electron resonance (DEER) and low-temperature cw-EPR. A porous oxide matrix seems to form around insulin molecules with pore diameters in the order of a few nanometers. Secondary structure of the encapsulated insulin investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proved a high structural integrity of insulin even in the dried silica matrix. The results show that silica encapsulation can be used as a powerful tool to effectively isolate and functionally preserve biomolecules during preparation, storage, and release.

Fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals via supramolecular assembly of terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals and terpyridine-modified perylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, Mohammad L.; Moorefield, Charles M.; Elbatal, Hany S.; Newkome, George R.; Modarelli, David A.; Romano, Natalie C.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Surfaces of cellulose nanocrystals were modified with terpyridine ligands. ► Fluorescent nanocrystals could be obtained via self-assembly of terpyridine-modified perylene dye onto the terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals. ► Further self-assembly of azide-functionalized terpyridine onto the fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals was possible to obtain nanocellulosic material with expected use in bioimaging. - Abstract: Due to their natural origin, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, cellulose nanocrystals are promising candidates for applications in nanomedicine. Highly fluorescent nanocellulosic material was prepared via surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals with 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine side chains followed by supramolecular assembly of terpyridine-modified perylene dye onto the terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals (CTP) via Ru III /Ru II reduction. The prepared terpyridine-modified cellulose-Ru II -terpyridine-modified perylene (CTP-Ru II -PeryTP) fluorescent nanocrystals were characterized using cross-polarized/magic angle spin 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13 C NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, further self-assembly of terpyridine units with azide functional groups onto CTP-Ru II -PeryTP was possible via repeating the Ru III /Ru II reduction protocol to prepare supramolecular fluorescent nanocrystals with azide functionality (CTP-Ru II -PeryTP-Ru II -AZTP). The prepared derivative may have potential application in bio-imaging since the terminal azide groups can be easily reacted with antigens via “Click” chemistry reaction.

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)

Photoemission studies of semiconductor nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamad, K.S.; Roth, R.; Alivisatos, A.P.

1997-01-01

Semiconductor nanocrystals have been the focus of much attention in the last ten years due predominantly to their size dependent optical properties. Namely, the band gap of nanocrystals exhibits a shift to higher energy with decreasing size due to quantum confinement effects. Research in this field has employed primarily optical techniques to study nanocrystals, and in this respect this system has been investigated extensively. In addition, one is able to synthesize monodisperse, crystalline particles of CdS, CdSe, Si, InP, InAs, as well as CdS/HgS/CdS and CdSe/CdS composites. However, optical spectroscopies have proven ambiguous in determining the degree to which electronic excitations are interior or surface admixtures or giving a complete picture of the density of states. Photoemission is a useful technique for understanding the electronic structure of nanocrystals and the effects of quantum confinement, chemical environments of the nanocrystals, and surface coverages. Of particular interest to the authors is the surface composition and structure of these particles, for they have found that much of the behavior of nanocrystals is governed by their surface. Previously, the authors had performed x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on CdSe nanocrystals. XPS has proven to be a powerful tool in that it allows one to determine the composition of the nanocrystal surface

Structure and mechanical properties of silica doped zirconia thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uhlmann, Ina, E-mail: uhlmann@ceramics.tu-darmstadt.de [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Hawelka, Dominik [Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Hildebrandt, Erwin [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Pradella, Jens [Merck KGaA Darmstadt, 64293 Darmstadt (Germany); Rödel, Jürgen [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2013-01-01

Sol–gel based wear resistant coatings are presented as an alternative to existing vapor deposition coatings. The films consist of zirconia which has been doped with 8 wt.% silica. Crack-free single as well as multilayer coatings with thicknesses of 80 and 150 nm, respectively, could be produced after sintering at 1000 °C. The evolution of layer thickness, optical, chemical and mechanical properties during film annealing was investigated by ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation and micro-abrasion. Micro-abrasion has been established as an easy and powerful tool to achieve first comparative abrasion data which could be correlated to hardness, Young's modulus and structure of the films. Above 600 °C a tetragonal, oxide coating with a Young's modulus ranging from 80 to 90 GPa, a hardness from 7 to 8 GPa and an increased abrasion resistance was obtained. The film density reached 4.64 g/cm{sup 3} with the mean refractive index n{sub 550} {sub nm} lying between 1.88 and 1.93. - Highlights: ► Sol–gel zirconia–8 wt.% silica coatings with hardness up to 8 GPa achieved ► Layer thickness as compared by ellipsometry and scanning electron microscopy ► Crack-free multilayer coatings produced up to 150 nm.

Influence of surface modified nano silica on alkyd binder before and after accelerated weathering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nikolic, Miroslav; Nguyen, Hiep Dinh; Daugaard, Anders Egede

2016-01-01

Introduction of nano fillers in exterior wood coatings is not straight forward. Influence on aging of polymer binder needs to be taken into account along with possible benefits that nano fillers can provide immediately after application. This study shows the influence of two differently modified...... hydrophobic nano silica on an alkyd binder for exterior wood coatings. One month after application, the highest strength and energy required to break the films was obtained with addition of 3% disilazane modified silica. Changes in tensile properties were accompanied with a small increase in glass transition...

Alumina plate containing photosystem I reaction center complex oriented inside plate-penetrating silica nanopores.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamidaki, Chihiro; Kondo, Toru; Noji, Tomoyasu; Itoh, Tetsuji; Yamaguchi, Akira; Itoh, Shigeru

2013-08-22

The photosynthetic photosystem I reaction center complex (PSI-RC), which has a molecular diameter of 21 nm with 100 pigments, was incorporated into silica nanopores with a 100-nm diameter that penetrates an alumina plate of 60-μm thickness to make up an inorganic-biological hybrid photocell. PSI-RCs, purified from a thermophilic cyanobacterium, were stable inside the nanopores and rapidly photoreduced a mediator dye methyl viologen. The reduced dye was more stable inside nanopores suggesting the decrease of dissolved oxygen. The analysis by a cryogenic electron spin paramagnetic resonance indicated the oriented arrangement of RCs inside the 100-nm nanopores, with their surface parallel to the silica wall and perpendicular to the plane of the alumina plate. PSI RC complex in the semicrystalline orientation inside silica nanopores can be a new type of light energy conversion unit to supply strong reducing power selectively to other molecules inside or outside nanopores.

Two-Stage Crystallizer Design for High Loading of Poorly Water-Soluble Pharmaceuticals in Porous Silica Matrices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leia Dwyer

2017-05-01

Full Text Available While porous silica supports have been previously studied as carriers for nanocrystalline forms of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs, increasing the loading of API in these matrices is of great importance if these carriers are to be used in drug formulations. A dual-stage mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal (MSMPR crystallizer was designed in which the poorly soluble API fenofibrate was loaded into the porous matrices of pore sizes 35 nm–300 nm in the first stage, and then fed to a second stage in which the crystals were further grown in the pores. This resulted in high loadings of over 50 wt % while still producing nanocrystals confined to the pores without the formation of bulk-sized crystals on the surface of the porous silica. The principle was extended to another highly insoluble API, griseofulvin, to improve its loading in porous silica in a benchtop procedure. This work demonstrates a multi-step crystallization principle API in porous silica matrices with loadings high enough to produce final dosage forms of these poorly water-soluble APIs.

Nanocrystal Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gur, Ilan [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2006-01-01

This dissertation presents the results of a research agenda aimed at improving integration and stability in nanocrystal-based solar cells through advances in active materials and device architectures. The introduction of 3-dimensional nanocrystals illustrates the potential for improving transport and percolation in hybrid solar cells and enables novel fabrication methods for optimizing integration in these systems. Fabricating cells by sequential deposition allows for solution-based assembly of hybrid composites with controlled and well-characterized dispersion and electrode contact. Hyperbranched nanocrystals emerge as a nearly ideal building block for hybrid cells, allowing the controlled morphologies targeted by templated approaches to be achieved in an easily fabricated solution-cast device. In addition to offering practical benefits to device processing, these approaches offer fundamental insight into the operation of hybrid solar cells, shedding light on key phenomena such as the roles of electrode-contact and percolation behavior in these cells. Finally, all-inorganic nanocrystal solar cells are presented as a wholly new cell concept, illustrating that donor-acceptor charge transfer and directed carrier diffusion can be utilized in a system with no organic components, and that nanocrystals may act as building blocks for efficient, stable, and low-cost thin-film solar cells.

Synthesis and electron paramagnetic resonance study of a nitroxide free radical covalently bonded on aminopropyl-silica gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tudose, Madalina; Constantinescu, Titus; Balaban, Alexandru T.; Ionita, Petre

2008-01-01

A solid spin-labeled material was obtained starting from 2-chloro-3,5-dinitro-N-(4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl) -benzamide) and aminopropyl-silica gel. Stability tests showed that even after several months the spin-labeled material had the same properties as immediately after synthesis. EPR properties of the TEMPO-derivatized silica were studied as a function of solvent polarity and temperature. Rotational correlation times were calculated from EPR spectra and correlated with solvent characteristics and temperature. Polar solvents induce a fast motion of the spin-label, clearly seen in the EPR spectra by the apparition of the well-known TEMPO radical triplet. The solid spin-labeled (dry) sample showed a high interspin interaction, which can be disrupted not only by different (liquid) solvents, but also by absorption of different solids, like cyclodextrins, dendrimers or polyethyleneglycols. Also, changes induced by the temperature were studied in the case of toluene wet sample. From 150 to 370 K, the spectrum is changing from a slow motion spectrum type to a fast motion regime. The preparative procedures to obtain the spin-labeled silica as well as some of its parameters are described

Synthesis and electron paramagnetic resonance study of a nitroxide free radical covalently bonded on aminopropyl-silica gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tudose, Madalina; Constantinescu, Titus [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Balaban, Alexandru T. [Texas A and M University at Galveston, Marine Sciences Department, Galveston, TX 77551 (United States); Ionita, Petre [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)], E-mail: pionita@icf.ro

2008-01-30

A solid spin-labeled material was obtained starting from 2-chloro-3,5-dinitro-N-(4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl) -benzamide) and aminopropyl-silica gel. Stability tests showed that even after several months the spin-labeled material had the same properties as immediately after synthesis. EPR properties of the TEMPO-derivatized silica were studied as a function of solvent polarity and temperature. Rotational correlation times were calculated from EPR spectra and correlated with solvent characteristics and temperature. Polar solvents induce a fast motion of the spin-label, clearly seen in the EPR spectra by the apparition of the well-known TEMPO radical triplet. The solid spin-labeled (dry) sample showed a high interspin interaction, which can be disrupted not only by different (liquid) solvents, but also by absorption of different solids, like cyclodextrins, dendrimers or polyethyleneglycols. Also, changes induced by the temperature were studied in the case of toluene wet sample. From 150 to 370 K, the spectrum is changing from a slow motion spectrum type to a fast motion regime. The preparative procedures to obtain the spin-labeled silica as well as some of its parameters are described.

Sorting fluorescent nanocrystals with DNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerion, Daniele; Parak, Wolfgang J.; Williams, Shara C.; Zanchet, Daniela; Micheel, Christine M.; Alivisatos, A. Paul

2001-12-10

Semiconductor nanocrystals with narrow and tunable fluorescence are covalently linked to oligonucleotides. These biocompounds retain the properties of both nanocrystals and DNA. Therefore, different sequences of DNA can be coded with nanocrystals and still preserve their ability to hybridize to their complements. We report the case where four different sequences of DNA are linked to four nanocrystal samples having different colors of emission in the range of 530-640 nm. When the DNA-nanocrystal conjugates are mixed together, it is possible to sort each type of nanoparticle using hybridization on a defined micrometer -size surface containing the complementary oligonucleotide. Detection of sorting requires only a single excitation source and an epifluorescence microscope. The possibility of directing fluorescent nanocrystals towards specific biological targets and detecting them, combined with their superior photo-stability compared to organic dyes, opens the way to improved biolabeling experiments, such as gene mapping on a nanometer scale or multicolor microarray analysis.

Polymer-grafted cellulose nanocrystals as pH-responsive reversible flocculants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, Kevin H M; Li, Jian; Wijesekera, Kushlani; Cranston, Emily D

2013-09-09

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a sustainable nanomaterial with applications spanning composites, coatings, gels, and foams. Surface modification routes to optimize CNC interfacial compatibility and functionality are required to exploit the full potential of this material in the design of new products. In this work, CNCs have been rendered pH-responsive by surface-initiated graft polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine with the initiator ceric(IV) ammonium nitrate. The polymerization is a one-pot, water-based synthesis carried out under sonication, which ensures even dispersion of the cellulose nanocrystals during the reaction. The resultant suspensions of poly(4-vinylpyridine)-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (P4VP-g-CNCs) show reversible flocculation and sedimentation with changes in pH; the loss of colloidal stability is visible by eye even at concentrations as low as 0.004 wt %. The presence of grafted polymer and the ability to tune the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of P4VP-g-CNCs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, electrophoretic mobility, mass spectrometry, transmittance spectroscopy, contact-angle measurements, thermal analysis, and various microscopies. Atomic force microscopy showed no observable changes in the CNC dimensions or degree of aggregation after polymer grafting, and a liquid crystalline nematic phase of the modified CNCs was detected by polarized light microscopy. Controlled stability and wettability of P4VP-g-CNCs is advantageous both in composite design, where cellulose nanocrystals generally have limited dispersibility in nonpolar matrices, and as biodegradable flocculants. The responsive nature of these novel nanoparticles may offer new applications for CNCs in biomedical devices, as clarifying agents, and in industrial separation processes.

Hybrid nanocrystal/polymer solar cells based on tetrapod-shaped CdSexTe1-x nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Yi; Li Yunchao; Zhong Haizheng; Hou Jianhui; Ding Yuqin; Yang Chunhe; Li Yongfang

2006-01-01

A series of ternary tetrapodal nanocrystals of CdSe x Te 1-x with x = 0 (CdTe), 0.23, 0.53, 0.78, 1 (CdSe) were synthesized and used to fabricate hybrid nanocrystal/polymer solar cells. Herein, the nanocrystals acted as electron acceptors, and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) was used as an electron donor. It was found that the open circuit voltage (V oc ), short-circuit current (J sc ) and power conversion efficiency (η) of the devices all increased with increasing Se content in the CdSe x Te 1-x nanocrystals under identical experimental conditions. The solar cell based on the blend of tetrapodal CdSe nanocrystals and MEH-PPV (9:1 w/w) showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 1.13% under AM 1.5, 80 mW cm -2 , and the maximum incident photon to converted current efficiency (IPCE) of the device reached 47% at 510 nm. The influence of nanocrystal composition on the photovoltaic properties of the hybrid solar cells was explained by the difference of the band level positions between MEH-PPV and the nanocrystals

Bacterial surface layer proteins as a novel capillary coating material for capillary electrophoretic separations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Gordaliza, Estefanía, E-mail: emorenog@ucm.es [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands); Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040, Madrid (Spain); Stigter, Edwin C.A. [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands); Department of Molecular Cancer Research, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Wilhelmina Kinder Ziekenhuis, Lundlaan 6, 3584, EA Utrecht (Netherlands); Lindenburg, Petrus W.; Hankemeier, Thomas [Division of Analytical Biosciences, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, 2300, RA, Leiden (Netherlands)

2016-06-07

A novel concept for stable coating in capillary electrophoresis, based on recrystallization of surface layer proteins on hydrophobized fused silica capillaries, was demonstrated. Surface layer protein A (SlpA) from Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria was extracted, purified and used for coating pre-silanized glass substrates presenting different surface wettabilities (either hydrophobic or hydrophilic). Contact angle determination on SlpA-coated hydrophobic silica slides showed that the surfaces turned to hydrophilic after coating (53 ± 5°), due to a protein monolayer formation by protein-surface hydrophobic interactions. Visualization by atomic force microscopy demonstrated the presence of a SlpA layer on methylated silica slides displaying a surface roughness of 0.44 ± 0.02 nm. Additionally, a protein layer was visualized by fluorescence microscopy in methylated silica capillaries coated with SlpA and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled. The SlpA-coating showed an outstanding stability, even after treatment with 20 mM NaOH (pH 12.3). The electroosmotic flow in coated capillaries showed a partial suppression at pH 7.50 (3.8 ± 0.5 10{sup −9} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}) when compared with unmodified fused silica (5.9 ± 0.1 10{sup −8} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}). To demonstrate the potential of this novel coating, the SlpA-coated capillaries were applied for the first time for electrophoretic separation, and proved to be very suitable for the isotachophoretic separation of lipoproteins in human serum. The separations showed a high degree of repeatability (absolute migration times with 1.1–1.8% coefficient-of-variation (CV) within a day) and 2–3% CV inter-capillary reproducibility. The capillaries were stable for more than 100 runs at pH 9.40, and showed to be an exceptional alternative for challenging electrophoretic separations at long-term use. - Highlights: • New coating using recrystallized surface-layer proteins on

Sol-gel coatings: An alternative route for producing planar optical waveguides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rey-Garcia, F.; Gomez-Reino, C. [Unidad Asociada de Optica and Microoptica GRIN (CSIC-ICMA), Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Escola Universitaria de Optica e Optometria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur s/n, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Flores-Arias, M.T., E-mail: maite.flores@usc.es [Unidad Asociada de Optica and Microoptica GRIN (CSIC-ICMA), Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Escola Universitaria de Optica e Optometria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur s/n, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); De La Fuente, G.F., E-mail: xerman@unizar.es [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon (CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza), Maria de Luna 3, E-50018 Zaragoza (Spain); Duran, A. [Instituto de Ceramica y Vidrio (CSIC), Kelsen 5, E-28049, Madrid (Spain); Castro, Y., E-mail: castro@icv.csic.es [Instituto de Ceramica y Vidrio (CSIC), Kelsen 5, E-28049, Madrid (Spain)

2011-09-01

Inorganic and hybrid planar waveguides with different compositions (silica-titania, methacrylate-silica-cerium oxide, zirconia-cerium oxide and silica-zirconia) have been obtained by sol-gel synthesis followed by dip-coating. Soda-lime glass slides and conventional commercial window glass were used as substrates. The thickness and refractive index of the coatings were determined by profilometry and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. Waveguide efficiency was measured at ca. 70.8% with a He-Ne laser beam, coupled with an optical microscope objective into and out of the waveguiding layer via a double prism configuration. Thicknesses between 150 and 2000 nm, along with refractive index values ranging between 1.45 and {approx} 1.99 ({lambda} = 633 nm) were obtained depending on the sol composition and the dip-coating conditions. This wide range of values allows designing multilayered guides that can be used in a variety of applications.

Sol-gel coatings: An alternative route for producing planar optical waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rey-Garcia, F.; Gomez-Reino, C.; Flores-Arias, M.T.; De La Fuente, G.F.; Duran, A.; Castro, Y.

2011-01-01

Inorganic and hybrid planar waveguides with different compositions (silica-titania, methacrylate-silica-cerium oxide, zirconia-cerium oxide and silica-zirconia) have been obtained by sol-gel synthesis followed by dip-coating. Soda-lime glass slides and conventional commercial window glass were used as substrates. The thickness and refractive index of the coatings were determined by profilometry and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. Waveguide efficiency was measured at ca. 70.8% with a He-Ne laser beam, coupled with an optical microscope objective into and out of the waveguiding layer via a double prism configuration. Thicknesses between 150 and 2000 nm, along with refractive index values ranging between 1.45 and ∼ 1.99 (λ = 633 nm) were obtained depending on the sol composition and the dip-coating conditions. This wide range of values allows designing multilayered guides that can be used in a variety of applications.

Biomolecular Assembly of Gold Nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Micheel, Christine Marya [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2005-05-20

Over the past ten years, methods have been developed to construct discrete nanostructures using nanocrystals and biomolecules. While these frequently consist of gold nanocrystals and DNA, semiconductor nanocrystals as well as antibodies and enzymes have also been used. One example of discrete nanostructures is dimers of gold nanocrystals linked together with complementary DNA. This type of nanostructure is also known as a nanocrystal molecule. Discrete nanostructures of this kind have a number of potential applications, from highly parallel self-assembly of electronics components and rapid read-out of DNA computations to biological imaging and a variety of bioassays. My research focused in three main areas. The first area, the refinement of electrophoresis as a purification and characterization method, included application of agarose gel electrophoresis to the purification of discrete gold nanocrystal/DNA conjugates and nanocrystal molecules, as well as development of a more detailed understanding of the hydrodynamic behavior of these materials in gels. The second area, the development of methods for quantitative analysis of transmission electron microscope data, used computer programs written to find pair correlations as well as higher order correlations. With these programs, it is possible to reliably locate and measure nanocrystal molecules in TEM images. The final area of research explored the use of DNA ligase in the formation of nanocrystal molecules. Synthesis of dimers of gold particles linked with a single strand of DNA possible through the use of DNA ligase opens the possibility for amplification of nanostructures in a manner similar to polymerase chain reaction. These three areas are discussed in the context of the work in the Alivisatos group, as well as the field as a whole.

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.

Superhydrophobic, Superoleophobic and Antimicrobial Coatings for the Protection of Silk Textiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitra Aslanidou

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A method to produce multifunctional coatings for the protection of silk is developed. Aqueous dispersion, free of any organic solvent, containing alkoxy silanes, organic fluoropolymer, silane quaternary ammonium salt, and silica nanoparticles (7 nm in mean diameter is sprayed onto silk which obtains (i superhydrophobic and superoleophobic properties, as evidenced by the high contact angles (>150° of water and oil drops and (ii antimicrobial properties. Potato dextrose agar is used as culture medium for the growth of microorganisms. The protective coating hinders the microbial growth on coated silk which remains almost free of contamination after extensive exposure to the microorganisms. Furthermore, the multifunctional coating induces a moderate reduction in vapor permeability of the treated silk, it shows very good durability against abrasion and has a minor visual effect on the aesthetic appearance of silk. The distinctive roles of the silica nanoparticles and the antimicrobial agent on the aforementioned properties of the coating are investigated. Silica nanoparticles induce surface structures at the micro/nano-meter scale and are therefore responsible for the achieved extreme wetting properties that promote the antimicrobial activity. The latter is further enhanced by adding the silane quaternary ammonium salt in the composition of the protective coating.