Chuyang Chen

Role of Citric Acid in the Formation of Silver Nanoplates through a Synergistic Reduction Approach

This study discusses the function of citrate ions in the synthesis of silver nanoplates through a synergetic reduction approach in ambient conditions. It was found that the citrate ions can play multiple roles in the synthesis process, including a reducing agent, a stabilizer, and a complex agent, and they show some unique features under the reported conditions. The reducing ability of these citrate ions was shown to be weaker than that of sodium borohydride and/or L-ascorbic acid used in the same system. The stability in the shape/size control of silver particles is weaker than that of other surfactants tested in the present system, such as bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) and thiols. Citrate ions could form a silver complex with silver ions as [Ag(2)(+)...citrate] or [Ag(3)(C(6)H(5)O(7))(n+1)](3n-), as confirmed by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry and the kinetic analysis that the molar ratio of citric acid or sodium citrate to silver ions can greatly influence the reaction rate and, hence, the particle growth of silver nanoparticles. Such a complexing effect is further confirmed by the use of chelating ions (e.g., [Fe(CN)(6)](4-)) to form Ag(n)[Fe(CN)(6)](n-4), which can largely influence the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. These results show some formation results of generating silver nanoplates involving citrate ions, which are useful in the shape-controlled synthesis of other metallic nanoparticles with desirable functionalities.

Solvothermal synthesis of ZnO-decorated α-Fe2O3 nanorods with highly enhanced gas-sensing performance toward n-butanol

This paper reports a newly developed solvothermal strategy for the synthesis of ZnO-decorated α-Fe2O3 nanorods based on the reaction of α-Fe2O3 nanorods with zinc sulfate and urea in autoclaves at 180 °C. The resulting nanocomposites consist of porous α-Fe2O3 nanorods with diameters of 100–200 nm and a surface decorated with small ZnO nanoparticles (10–20 nm). The ZnO NPs are found to grow epitaxially on {110} planes of α-Fe2O3, forming an interfacial orientation relationship of (100)ZnO/(110)α-Fe2O3. The addition of ZnO is found to shift the Fe 2p peak position in the α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposites to higher binding energies due to the formation of the α-Fe2O3/ZnO heterojunction interface. The gas-sensing results show that the ZnO-decorated α-Fe2O3 nanorods exhibit excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and stability toward n-butanol gas at a low optimum temperature of 225 °C. In particular, they show higher sensitivity compared to pure α-Fe2O3 (4 times higher) and ZnO nanorods (2.5 times higher), respectively, along with faster response times. The significant enhancement in sensitivity may be attributed to the chemical and electronic sensitization induced by the ZnO nanoparticles deposited on the surfaces of the α-Fe2O3 nanorods. The findings reported in this study will be useful for the design and construction of surface modified-metal oxide nanostructures with enhanced gas-sensing performance.

Role of Temperature in the Growth of Silver Nanoparticles Through a Synergetic Reduction Approach

This study presents the role of reaction temperature in the formation and growth of silver nanoparticles through a synergetic reduction approach using two or three reducing agents simultaneously. By this approach, the shape-/size-controlled silver nanoparticles (plates and spheres) can be generated under mild conditions. It was found that the reaction temperature could play a key role in particle growth and shape/size control, especially for silver nanoplates. These nanoplates could exhibit an intensive surface plasmon resonance in the wavelength range of 700–1,400 nm in the UV–vis spectrum depending upon their shapes and sizes, which make them useful for optical applications, such as optical probes, ionic sensing, and biochemical sensors. A detailed analysis conducted in this study clearly shows that the reaction temperature can greatly influence reaction rate, and hence the particle characteristics. The findings would be useful for optimization of experimental parameters for shape-controlled synthesis of other metallic nanoparticles (e.g., Au, Cu, Pt, and Pd) with desirable functional properties.

A Two-Step Hydrothermal Synthesis Approach to Monodispersed Colloidal Carbon Spheres

This work reports a newly developed two-step hydrothermal method for the synthesis of monodispersed colloidal carbon spheres (CCS) under mild conditions. Using this approach, monodispersed CCS with diameters ranging from 160 to 400 nm were synthesized with a standard deviation around 8%. The monomer concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 M is in favor of generation of narrower size distribution of CCS. The particle characteristics (e.g., shape, size, and distribution) and chemical stability were then characterized by using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectrum analysis, and thermalgravity analysis (TGA). The possible nucleation and growth mechanism of colloidal carbon spheres were also discussed. The findings would be useful for the synthesis of more monodispersed nanoparticles and for the functional assembly.

Carbon-Coated Gold Nanorods: A Facile Route to Biocompatible Materials for Photothermal Applications

Gold nanorods and their core-shell nanocomposites have been widely studied because of their well-defined anisotropy and unique optical properties and applications. This study demonstrates a facile hydrothermal synthesis strategy for generating carbon coating on gold nanorods (AuNRs@C) under mild conditions (<200 °C), where the carbon shell is composed of polymerized sugar molecules (glucose). The structure and composition of the produced core-shell nanocomposites were characterized using advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The functional properties, particularly the photothermal and biocompatibility properties of the produced AuNRs@C, were quantified to assess their potential in photothermal hyperthermia. These AuNRs@C were tested in vitro (under representative treatment conditions) using near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. It was found that the AuNRs produced here exhibit exemplary heat generation capability. Temperature changes of 10.5, 9, and 8 °C for AuNRs@C were observed with carbon shell thicknesses of 10, 17, and 25 nm, respectively, at a concentration of 50 μM, after 600 s of irradiation with a laser power of 0.17 W/cm(2). In addition, the synthesized AuNRs@C also exhibit good biocompatibility toward two soft tissue sarcoma cell lines (HT1080, a fibrosarcoma; and GCT, a fibrous histiocytoma). The cell viability study shows that AuNRs@C (at a concentration of <0.1 mg/mL) core-shell particles induce significantly lower cytotoxicity on both HT1080 and GCT cell lines, as compared with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped AuNRs. Furthermore, similar to PEG-modified AuNRs, they are also safe to both HT1080 and GCT cell lines. This biocompatibility results from a surface full of -OH or -COH groups, which are suitable for linking and are nontoxic Therefore, the AuNRs@C represent a viable alternative to PEG-coated AuNRs for facile synthesis and improved photothermal conversion. Overall, these findings open up a new class of carbon-coated nanostructures that are biocompatible and could potentially be employed in a wide range of biomedical applications.

Direct Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbonaceous Silver Nanocables for Electrocatalytic Applications.

This study demonstrates a facile but efficient hydrothermal method for the direct synthesis of both carbonaceous silver (Ag@C core-shell) nanocables and carbonaceous nanotubes under mild conditions (<180 °C). The carbonaceous tubes can be formed by removal of the silver cores via an etching process under temperature control (60-140 °C). The structure and composition are characterized using various advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The pertinent variables such as temperature, reaction time, and surfactants that can affect the formation and growth of the nanocables and nanotubes are investigated and optimized. It is found that cetyltrimethylammonium bromide plays multiple roles in the formation of Ag@C nanocables and carbonaceous nanotubes including: a shape controller for metallic Ag wires and Ag@C cables, a source of Br(-) ions to form insoluble AgBr and then Ag crystals, an etching agent of silver cores to form carbonaceous tubes, and an inducer to refill silver particles into the carbonaceous tubes to form core-shell structures. The formation mechanism of carbonaceous silver nanostructures depending upon temperature is also discussed. Finally, the electrocatalytic performance of the as-prepared Ag@C nanocables is assessed for the oxidation reduction reaction and found to be very active but much less costly than the commonly used platinum catalysts. The findings should be useful for designing and constructing carbonaceous-metal nanostructures with potential applications in conductive materials, catalysts, and biosensors.

Nanoparticle-Assisted Heating Utilizing a Low-Cost White Light Source

In this experimental study, a filtered white light is used to induce heating in water-based dispersions of 20 nm diameter gold nanospheres (GNSs)—enabling a low-cost form of plasmonic photothermal heating. The resulting temperature fields were measured using an infrared (IR) camera. The effect of incident radiative flux (ranging from 0.38 to 0.77 W·cm−2) and particle concentration (ranging from 0.25–1.0 × 1013 particles per mL) on the solutions temperature were investigated. The experimental results indicate that surface heat treatments via GNSs can be achieved through complementary tuning of GNS solutions and filtered light.

Temperature Measurements of a Gold Nanosphere Solution in Response to Light-Induced Hyperthermia

Gold nanospheres (GNSs), biocompatible nanoparticles that can be designed to absorb visible and near-infrared light, have shown great potential in induced thermal treatment of cancer cells via Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy (PPTT) [3]. In this study, light induced heating of a water-based dispersion of 20 nm diameter GNSs was investigated at their plasmon resonance wavelength (λ = 520 nm). Temperature changes of the solution at the point of light irradiation were measured experimentally. A heat transfer model was used to verify the experimental data. The effect of two key parameters, light intensity and particle concentration, on the solution’s temperature was investigated. The experimental results showed a significant temperature rise of the GNS solution compared to de-ionized water. The temperature rise of GNS solution was linearly proportional to the concentration of GNS (from 0.25–1.0 C, C = 1×1013 particles per ml) and the light intensity (from 0.25 to 0.5 W cm−2). The experimental data matches the modeling results adequately. Overall, it can be concluded that the hyperthermic ablation of cancer cells via GNS can be achieved by controlled by the light intensity and GNS concentration. A novel component of this study is that a high power lamp source was used instead of a high power laser. This means that only low cost components were used in the current experimental set-up. Moreover, by using suitable filters and white light from the high power lamp source, it is possible to obtain light in many wavelength bands for the study of other nanoparticles with different plasmon wavelength ranges. The current results represtent just one example in this versatile experimental set-up developed. It should be noted, however, the plasmon resonance wavelength used in this study is not within the therapeutic window (750–1300 nm) [13]. Therefore, the GNSs used in this experiment are only applicable to the surface induced thermal treatment of cancer cells, for instance, in the skin.Copyright