PVP-assisted laser ablation growth of Ag nanocubes anchored on reduced graphene oxide(rGO) for efficient photocatalytic CO_2 reduction

Metallic nanoparticles loaded graphene nanocomposites have been widely studied for various scientific and technological applications. In this study, a facile method was reported to realize a straightforward growth of shape and size-controllable of metallic nanoparticles, and the subsequent hybridization with graphene in solution by strategically coupling wet-chemical route and laser ablation. By mixing graphene oxide(GO) with a tunable concentration level of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) in aqueous solution, Ag nanocubes with a face-centered cubic crystal structure were generated by pulsed laser ablation and then mounted on GO nanosheets with the assistance of PVP. The preferential adsorption of PVP to Ag(100) crystal face led to the production of Ag nanocubes with exposed(100) facet. The result showed that the morphological yield of spherical particles decreased with the increase in PVP concentration. X-ray diffraction(XRD) and UV–visible spectroscopy analyses confirmed that GO was partially reduced. In the reduction of CO_2 gas, the photocatalytic conversion rate could achieve 133.1 μmol g~(-1) h~(-1) in 6 hrs for cubic Ag-loaded reduced GO composites.     

不同制备因素对纳米金尺寸的影响

通过化学还原法制备出不同粒径的纳米金(GNPs).利用紫外-可见分光光度计(UVVis)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对GNPs的形貌及尺寸进行表征.讨论了还原剂种类、还原剂用量、保护剂等因素对GNPs形貌、粒径、稳定性和分散性的影响.结果表明:还原剂柠檬酸钠的用量直接影响GNPs的尺寸大小,但当柠檬酸钠用量超过3 mL时,制得GNPs的尺寸不再变化,以柠檬酸钠为还原剂制得GNPs粒径在13~50 nm之间,分散性好且尺寸较均匀,此时,保护剂PVP对大尺寸GNPs的制备影响不大;以硼氢化钠为还原剂,可制得GNPs粒径在2~3 nm之间,分散性好,此时保护剂PVP对于制备的影响较显著,但不影响GNPs的可控制备.     

Reductive immobilization of perrhenate in soil and groundwater using starch-stabilized ZVI nanoparticles

Perrhenate(ReO4-) was used as nonradioactive surrogate for the radionuclide pertechnetate(99TcO-4) to investigate the potential of using starch-stabilized zero valent iron(ZVI) nanoparticles for reductive immobilization of pertechnetate in soil and groundwater.Batch kinetic tests indicated that the starch-stabilized ZVI nanoparticles were able to reductively remove ～96% of perrhenate(10 mg/L) from water within 8 h.XRD analyses confirmed that ReO 2 was the reduction product.A pseudo-first-order kinetic model was able to interpret the kinetic data,which gave a pseudo first order rate constant(kobs) value of 0.43h-1 at pH 6.9 and room temperature(25℃).Increasing solution pH up to 8 progressively increased the reaction rate.However,highly alkaline pH(10) resulted in much inhibited reaction rate.Consequently,the optimal pH range was identified to be from 7 to 8.Increasing solution temperature from 15 to 45℃ increased k obs from 0.38 to 0.53 h-1.The classical Arrhenius equation was able to interpret the temperature effect,which gave a low activation energy value of 7.61 kJ/mol.When the ReO-4-loaded loess was treated with the stabilized nanoparticles suspension([Fe]=560 mg/L),the water leachable ReO-4 was reduced by 57% and nearly all eluted Re was in the form of ReO2.This finding indicates that starch-stabilized ZVI nanoparticles are promising for facilitating in situ immobilization of ReO-4 in soil and groundwater.     

Investigation on composite Au /TiO2 nanoparticles (I)

Nanometer sized Au/TiO₂, particles were synthesized by irradiation of a HAuCl₄ solution containing colloidal TiO₂ with light of wavelength (λ) > 330 nm. The absorption maximum attributed to the surface plasmon band of gold was observed at 540 nm, a red shift of about 20 nm from the position in aqueous solution. The Au clusters are situated on the surface of TiO₂ in terms of microcrystallite, which was confirmed by HRTEM, EDS and XRD. The electronic interfaction between the metal and the suport was discussed.     

Formation of highly crystalline maghemite nanoparticles from ferrihydrite in the liquid phase

Fe₅O₇(OH)·4H₂O ferrihydrite is a low-crystallinity antiferromagnetic material. γ-Fe₂O₃ (maghemite) magnetic nanoparticles were prepared from a ferrihydrite precursor, by chemically induced transformation in FeCl₂/NaOH solution. The magnetization, morphology, crystal structure and chemical composition of the products were determined by vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Ferrihydrite underwent aggregation growth and transformed into α-FeO(OH) (goethite) particles, which subsequently transformed into γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, that became coated with NaCl. The γ-Fe₂O₃ particles had a flake-like morphology, when prepared from 0.01 mol/L FeCl₂ and a FeCl₂:NaOH molar ratio of 0.4. The γ-Fe₂O₃ particles were more spherical, when prepared from a FeCl₂:NaOH molar ratio of 0.6. The Fe content of the flake-like particles was lower than that of the spherical particles. Their magnetizations were similar, and the coercivity of the flake-like particles was larger. The differences in morphology and magnetization were attributed to the surface effect, and the difference in coercivity to the shape effect.     

金纳米颗粒修饰的固定化葡萄糖氧化酶酶膜制备

分别利用柠檬酸钠和NaBH4作为还原剂、以PVP作为包覆剂制备不同类型、不同包覆情况的金纳米粒子,并用紫外可见分光光谱仪、透射电微镜等手段对制备的金纳米粒子的粒径、形貌和分散性进行表征。用金纳米粒子对葡萄糖氧化酶膜进行修饰,并在SBA生物传感分析仪上进行感应测量。研究结果表明,粒径小、分散性好的球状金纳米粒子可以极大地提高葡萄糖酶膜的灵敏度。     

Two-dimensional self-organization of 1-nonanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles

A two-dimensional (2D) ordered hexagonal close-packed structure, formed by 1-nonanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles, is reported. The structure was constructed only by dipping the gold nanoparticle colloidal solution on flat substrate. The gold nanoparticles were synthesized as follows: First, AuCl₄^-1 was transferred from aqueous solution to toluene by the phase-transfer reagent of tetraoctylammonium bromide. Then it was reduced with aqueous sodium borohydride in the presence of a given amount of 1-nonanethiol molecules which was used to control the nucleation and growth of the gold nanoparticles for the desired size. The experimental techniques, such as UV-Vis, FT-IR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were employed to characterize the obtained product. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement demonstrated the size of the gold nanoparticle and the formation of two-dimensional ordered hexagonal close-packed gold nanoparticle structure.     

Preparation of Fe3O4@Au nano-composites by self-assembly technique for immobilization of glucose oxidase

Superparamagnetism amination nanocrystals Fe₃O₄ with 3-aminopropyltriethyloxy silane (APTES) were prepared by modified co-precipitation method. Next, 4-5 nm gold nanoparticles, prepared by classical Frens procedure, were coated on the surface of the amination Fe₃O₄ by self-assembly technology. The prepared Fe₃O₄@Au nanocomposite particles were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis, infrared spectrum (FT-IR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) in order to elucidate the morphology, optics and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites. Their uniform distribution of particle size, which is about 15 nm, and good magnetic responsiveness were observed. In view of the fact that Fe₃O₄ owns superparamagnetism and that nano-gold can readily combine with biological molecules, glucose oxidase (GO _x ) was chosen as a model to penetrate the condition of immobilizing enzyme, and enzymatic properties of resultant immobilized enzyme were studied as well. By systematic optimization, we established that at 28°C, and pH (5.5) and when mole ratio of Fe₃O₄:HAuCl₄ was 0.5:1, the immobilization provided the best results. Finally, we are glad to find that the immobilized enzyme exhibits excellent thermostability in addition to its better stability than free enzyme. Thus, herein described immobilized enzyme could be used repeatedly with the assistance of an external magnetic field. Supported by the Science Foundation of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2005A033) and Science Foundation of Sichuan Agricultural University for Distinguished Young Teachers (Grant No. 007202)     

pH effect of· OH radical induced oxidation of phosphoryl- methionine in aqueous solution

Conclusion The results of pulse radiolytical research on the · OH radical-induced oxidation of NDM in aqueous solution demonstrate that pH value has a great influence on the radiolytical mechanism of NDM. At low pH value, the product is mainly stabilization of the oxidizing sulfur centre in the three-electron-bonded cation radical NDM₂ ·⁺ [S]; with the increase of pH value, NDM₂ ·⁺ [S] gradually decays to become the reducing α-amino radical which was verified by the chemical method and whose yield was also calculated. Compared with Met₂ ·⁺ [S] produced by the · OH radical-induced oxidation in aqueous solution [1], the stability of NDM₂·⁺ [S] increases and the yield of α-amino radical decreases. This suggests that the introduction of phosphoryl group has a coordinating effect on the radioprotection of methionine to biological systems, and provides the essentially theoretical foundation for the thorough clarification of the reversible phosphorylation of proteins.     

高分子稳定的水溶性铂氧化物纳米颗粒的制备

利用铂氯化物的水解反应,制备出聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)稳定的水溶性二氧化铂纳米颗粒.此法所得的产物颗粒小,粒径分布窄,稳定,室温下放置几个月无沉淀.用紫外-可见光谱检测纳米颗粒的形成过程,用X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对样品的成分、形貌、尺寸进行了表征,并考察了PVP的浓度以及体系的酸碱度对形成二氧化铂颗粒粒径的影响.     

单分散银纳米粒子的制备与表征

以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮为保护剂、水合肼为还原剂、硝酸银溶液为银源,采用化学还原法合成了粒径分布均匀的单分散的纳米银粒子.利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外分光光度计(UV-vis)、X射线衍射(XRD)、马尔文粒径分析仪等测试设备对样品进行了深入的研究与分析.结果表明:所得到的纳米银粒径较小,分布较为均匀;硝酸银浓度、PVP用量、水合肼用量等对纳米银的粒径与形貌影响较大.当硝酸银浓度为150 mg/L,PVP用量为0.2g,水合肼用量为0.1g时,所得到纳米银的粒径最小.     

Facile synthesis of monodispersed copper oxalate flaky particles in the presence of EDTA

Monodispersed copper oxalate particles with flaky morphology were prepared via a simple one-pot synthesis method. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were used to characterize particle morphology, size, phase composition, and functional groups. It was found that the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and the solution pH value had strong influence on the morphological and size evolution of the precipitated particles. On the basis of controlled release of copper ions from a Cu2+–EDTA complex and Weimarn’s law, a strategy for the controlled synthesis of monodispersed copper oxalate particles was designed by referring to the basic mode of the Stöber method. The inherent nature of crystallization to form the flaky solid in the early stage of precipitation as well as the driving force of the long-lasting low supersaturation in the growth stage was proposed to explain the size and morphological evolution of the copper oxalate precipitates. Thermodynamic equilibrium concentrations of copper(Ⅱ) species in the Cu(Ⅱ)–EDTA–oxalate–H₂O solution system were calculated to help explain the possible formation mechanism of copper oxalate precipitates.     

Synthesis and characterization of Au@Pt nanoparticles

Aucore-Ptshell （Au@Pt） nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature by reducing K2PtCl6 with hydrogen in the solution containing Au colloids and polyvinylpyrrolidone （PVP）. The particles obtained were characterized with UV-Vis, TEM and XPS techniques. UV-Vis spectra show that the surface plasmon absorption feature of Au colloids is significantly reduced with increasing the amount of reduced Pt. TEM images that the metals are found always appear as spherical nanoparticles and their sizes grow apparently due to the reduction of PtCl6^2- ions, indicating that Pt is deposited from solution onto Au particle surface and forms a Pt-layer with uniform thickness. In the XPS spectra, the signals of Au metal decrease due to the reductive deposition of Pt on the surface of the Au colloids. UV-Vis and XPS data are consistent in showing that when the amount of Pt in the AuPt colloids is increased to reach an overall atomic ratio of Pt/Au=2, the Pt deposits form a shell covering completely the surface of Au particles, demonstrating the core-shell structure of the synthesized AuPt particles.     

纳米钴粉的制备及其在乙醇中的分散性能

针对高性能硬质合金的制备基础研究,通过直流电弧等离子体蒸发法制备纳米级钴粉,利用X线衍射(XRD)、X线荧光分析(XRF)、振动磁强计(VSM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和相应的选区电子衍射(SAED)等测试手段对样品进行表征。在测定样品粉体于无水乙醇中pH-Zeta电位的基础上,研究超声时间和特定的分散剂及其加入量对分散效果的影响。研究结果表明:直流电弧等离子体蒸发法制备的纳米钴粉为立方晶体结构,纯度(质量分数)达99.923%,粒径分布窄,颗粒呈现球形。随着超声时间和分散剂浓度的增加,纳米钴粉在无水乙醇中的分散效果呈现先增大后减小的趋势;不同分散剂分散效果从优到劣的顺序为:PVP,SHMP,TEA,CTAB和STAN-80。纳米钴粉在无水乙醇中较好分散工艺为:在pH=7的情况下,PVP加入量(质量分数)为2%,超声时间为30 min,超声功率为560 W。     

Effects of Sr addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of in-situ ZrB_2 nanoparticles reinforced AlSi9Cu3 composites

The effects of Sr addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of in-situ ZrB_2 nanoparticles reinforced AlSi9Cu3 composites synthesized via direct melt reaction were systematically investigated. The addition of Sr could modify the morphology of eutectic silicon particles and refine the second dendrite arm spacing of α-Al dendrites.Alternatively, the ZrB_2 nanoparticles were also refined and distributed more homogenously, and nanoparticle agglomerations were reduced with the addition of Sr element. The results demonstrated that the addition of 0.06 wt% of Sr element can reach the optimal refinement of the second dendrite arm spacing of α-Al and the modification of eutectic Si. In this case, the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation reached 330 MPa, 226 MPa and 15.70%, respectively, which were remarkably enhancement in comparison with the base alloy.     

Preparation and characterization of LiAlxMn2-xO4 for a supercapacitor in aqueous electrolyte

LiAl_xMn_2—xO₄ (0≤x≤0.5) was synthesized by high temperature solid-state reaction. The structure and morphology of LiAl_xMn_2—xO₄ were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that all samples show spinel phase. The polyhedral particles turn to club-shaped, then change to small spherical, and finally become agglomerates with increasing Al content. The supercapacitive performances of LiAl_xMn_2—xO₄ were studied by means of galvanostatic charge-discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and alternating current (AC) impedance in 2 mol·L⁻¹ (NH₄)₂SO₄ aqueous solution. The results show that LiAl_xMn_2—xO₄ represents rectangular shape performance in the potential range of 0-1 V. The capacity and cycle performance can be improved by doping Al. The composition of x=0.1 has the maximum special capacitance of 160 F·g⁻¹, which is 1.37 times that of LiMn₂O₄ electrode. The capacitance loss of LiAl_xMn_2—xO₄ with x=0.1 is only about 14% after 100 cycles.     

从废旧DVD光盘到电化学方法可控的SERS基底

表面增强拉曼散射（SERS）光谱是一种高灵敏的检测技术，但制备高活性和低成本的SERS基底仍然是一大挑战.采用低成本的商业数字视频光盘（DVD）作为载体，用电化学技术原位合成金-银（Ag-Au）复合纳米结构作为SERS基底.通过电化学粗糙化技术，无需添加硝酸银（AgNO₃）和四氯金酸（HAuCl₄）前驱体溶液，就可以在DVD光盘上的沟槽状金银反射层表面上得到Ag-Au轨道团簇形态.经过一系列表征和优化，研究了Ag-Au复合纳米结构的SERS性能.结果表明：这种DVD衍生的SERS基底对不同的拉曼探针分子均表现出优异的增强性能、高均匀性（相对标准偏差（RSD）为7.88％）和出色的稳定性.这种简便高效的制备方法以及较高的SERS活性，使得DVD衍生的SERS基底成为开发便捷和一次性传感平台的较佳选择.     

Influence of growth conditions on the electrochemical synthesis of SnS thin films and their optical properties

Tin sulfide (SnS) thin films were prepared by electrodeposition onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates using an aqueous solution containing SnCl₂ and Na₂S₂O₃ at various deposition potentials (E) and bath concentrations. The pH value and temperature of the solution were kept constant. The deposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), photoluminescence (PL), and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The FESEM images demonstrated that changes in the deposition potential (E) and solution concentration led to marked changes in the morphology of the deposited SnS films. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) results showed that the Sn/S atomic ratio strongly depended on both the solution concentration and the deposition potential. To obtain an Sn/S atomic ratio approximately equal to 1, the optimal Sn2+/S₂O₃2- molar ratio and E parameter were 1/8 and -1.0 V, respectively. The XRD patterns showed that the synthesized SnS was obviously polycrystalline, with an orthorhombic structure. The effects of the variations of bath concentration and deposition potential on the band-gap energy (E_g) were studied using PL and UV–Vis experiments. The PL spectra of all the SnS films contained two peaks in the visible region and one peak in the infrared (IR) region. The UV–Vis spectra showed that the optical band-gap energy varies from 1.21 to 1.44 eV.     

Synthesis of γ-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Au magnetic composites for immobilization of bovine serum albumin

A method for the two-step synthesis of magnetic composites with a γ-Fe₂O₃ core, silica inner layer and numerous gold nanoparticles supported on the surface of the silica (γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂/Au) is described. First, thiol-functionalized γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ composites and gold colloids are prepared by modifying γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ composites with mercaptosilane and reduction of Au³⁺ to Au⁰ with citrate, respectively. Gold nanoparticles are then assembled on the surface of the thiol-functionalized γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ composites to form γFe₂O₃/SiO₂/Au composites. The structure of the composite particles is confirmed by transmission electronic microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. Immobilization studies with bovine serum albumin (BSA) demonstrate that the γ-Fe₂O₃/SiO₂/Au composites can be used to immobilize BSA, making them useful for biomedical and biological applications.     

Spectroscopic investigation of the interactions between gold nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin

The interactions between bovine serum albumin(BSA) and gold nanoparticles(AuNPs) ,and the conformational changes of BSA induced by this interaction,were investigated by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy,fluorescence spectroscopy,and Fourier transform infrared in combination with attenuated total reflection spectroscopy(ATR-FTIR) .The critical adsorption density for preventing AuNP aggregation in 0.1 mol/L phosphate buffered saline(pH 7.2) was 23 BSA molecules per gold particle or 3.8×1012 BSA molecules/cm2.BSA bound to the AuNPs with high affinity(binding constant Ks=7.59×108 L/mol) ,and the intrin-sic fluorescence of BSA was quenched by the AuNPs in accordance with the static quenching mechanism.Both fluorescence spectroscopy and ATR-FTIR showed that AuNPs induced conformational changes in BSA,which resulted in it becoming less compact and increased the polarity of the microenvironment around the tryptophan residue Trp-212.