Alexander Baranchikov

Nanocrystalline BaSnO3 as an Alternative Gas Sensor Material: Surface Reactivity and High Sensitivity to SO2

Nanocrystalline perovskite-type BaSnO3 was obtained via microwave-assisted hydrothermal route followed by annealing at variable temperature. The samples composition and microstructure were characterized. Particle size of 18–23 nm was unaffected by heat treatment at 275–700 °C. Materials DC-conduction was measured at variable temperature and oxygen concentration. Barium stannate exhibited n-type semiconductor behavior at 150–450 °C with activation energy being dependent on the materials annealing temperature. Predominant ionosorbed oxygen species types were estimated. They were shown to change from molecular to atomic species on increasing temperature. Comparative test of sensor response to various inorganic target gases was performed using nanocrystalline SnO2-based sensors as reference ones. Despite one order of magnitude smaller surface area, BaSnO3 displayed higher sensitivity to SO2 in comparison with SnO2. DRIFT spectroscopy revealed distinct interaction routes of the oxides surfaces with SO2. Barium-promoted sulfate formation favoring target molecules oxidation was found responsible for the increased BaSnO3 sensitivity to ppm-range concentrations of SO2 in air.

Direct monitoring of the interaction between ROS and cerium dioxide nanoparticles in living cells

A method for the direct monitoring of the interaction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CDN) in living cells is proposed based on the use of a complex of calcein and CDN. The CDN–calcein complex penetrates easily into a living cell and is decomposed readily by endogenous or exogenous ROS, releasing brightly fluorescent calcein, which can be observed using conventional fluorescent microscopy. This complex is less cytotoxic than individual cerium dioxide nanoparticles and provides effective protection from oxidative stress induced by the action of hydrogen peroxide, treatment with latex beads, or infection by the vesicular stomatitis virus.

Facile fabrication of luminescent organic dots by thermolysis of citric acid in urea melt, and their use for cell staining and polyelectrolyte microcapsule labelling

Luminescent organic dots (O-dots) were synthesized via a one-pot, solvent-free thermolysis of citric acid in urea melt. The influence of the ratio of the precursors and the duration of the process on the properties of the O-dots was established and a mechanism of their formation was hypothesized. The multicolour luminescence tunability and toxicity of synthesized O-dots were extensively studied. The possible applications of O-dots for alive/fixed cell staining and labelling of layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte microcapsules were evaluated.

Effects of Ag Additive in Low Temperature CO Detection with In2O3 Based Gas Sensors

Nanocomposites In2O3/Ag obtained by ultraviolet (UV) photoreduction and impregnation methods were studied as materials for CO sensors operating in the temperature range 25–250 °C. Nanocrystalline In2O3 and In2O3/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), single-point Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping. The active surface sites were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and thermo-programmed reduction with hydrogen (TPR-H2) method. Sensor measurements in the presence of 15 ppm CO demonstrated that UV treatment leads to a complete loss of In2O3 sensor sensitivity, while In2O3/Ag-UV nanocomposite synthesized by UV photoreduction demonstrates an increased sensor signal to CO at T < 200 °C. The observed high sensor response of the In2O3/Ag-UV nanocomposite at room temperature may be due to the realization of an additional mechanism of CO oxidation with participation of surface hydroxyl groups associated via hydrogen bonds.

Photosensitive Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials for Room Temperature Gas Sensor Applications

In this work, the hybrids based on nanocrystalline SnO2 or In2O3 semiconductor matrixes and heterocyclic Ru(II) complex are studied as materials for gas sensors operating at room temperature under photoactivation with visible light. Nanocrystalline semiconductor oxides are obtained by chemical precipitation with subsequent thermal annealing and characterized by XRD, SEM and single-point BET methods. The heterocyclic Ru(II) complex is synthesized for the first time and investigated by 1H NMR, 13C NMR APT, MALDI-MS analysis, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The HOMO and LUMO energies of the Ru(II) complex are calculated from cyclic voltammetry data. The hybrid materials are characterized by TGA-MS analysis and EDX mapping. The optical properties of hybrids are studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy in the diffuse reflection mode. The investigation of spectral dependencies of photoconductivity of hybrid samples demonstrates that the role of organic dye consists in shifting the photosensitivity range towards longer wavelengths. Sensor measurements demonstrate that hybrid materials are able to detect NO2 in the concentration range of 0.25–2 ppm without the use of thermal heating under periodic illumination with even low-energy long-wavelength (red) light.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Titanium Dioxide for Use as a Photoanode of DSSCs

Nanocrystalline TiO2 powder was synthesized using microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of titanium oxysulfate in the presence of NH4F. X-ray powder diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine phase composition and particle size of obtained titanium dioxide. The studies using methods of TEM and EDX spectroscopy have shown that synthesized TiO2 powder is a promising functional material for fabrication of photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).