Iqbal Ahmed Siddiquey

Fast and facile synthesis of silica coated silver nanoparticles by microwave irradiation.

A novel, fast and facile microwave technique has been developed for preparing monodispersed silica coated silver (Ag@SiO(2)) nanoparticles. Without using any other surface coupling agents such as 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) or polymer such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), Ag@SiO(2) nanoparticles could be easily prepared by microwave irradiation of a mixture of colloidal silver nanoparticles, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and catalyst for only 2 min. The thickness of silica shell could be conveniently controlled in the range of few nanometers (nm) to 80 nm by changing the concentration of TEOS. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible spectroscopy were employed to characterize the morphology and optical properties of the prepared Ag@SiO(2) nanoparticles, respectively. The prepared Ag@SiO(2) nanoparticles exhibited a change in surface plasmon absorption depending on the silica thickness. Compared to the conventional techniques based on Stöber method, which need 4-24 h for silica coating of Ag nanoparticles, this new technique is capable of synthesizing monodispersed, uniform and single core containing Ag@SiO(2) nanoparticles within very short reaction time. In addition, straightforward surface functionalization of the prepared Ag@SiO(2) nanoparticles with desired functional groups was performed to make the particles useful for many applications. The components of surface functionalized nanoparticles were examined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Sonochemical synthesis, photocatalytic activity and optical properties of silica coated ZnO nanoparticles

In this paper, we report the synthesis of silica coated ZnO nanoparticles by ultrasound irradiation of a mixture of dispersion of ZnO, tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and ammonia in an ethanol-water solution medium. The silica coating layer formed at the initial TEOS/ZnO loading of 0.8 for 60 min ultrasonic irradiation was uniform and extended up to 3 nm from the ZnO surface as revealed from HR-TEM images. Silica coated ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated a significant inhibition of photocatalytic activity against photodegradation of methylene blue dye in aqueous solution. The effects of silica coating on the UV blocking property of ZnO nanoparticles were also studied.

Development of highly-sensitive hydrazine sensor based on facile CoS2–CNT nanocomposites

Cobalt pyrite-decorated carbon nanotube nanocomposites (CoS2–CNT NCs) were prepared by a simple wet-chemistry method in an alkaline medium. The characterization of the resulting CoS2–CNT NCs was performed in detail by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD). A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated from the CoS2–CNT NCs and developed into a chemical sensor for hydrazine (HZ) using a simple and reliable I–V method. The poisonous chemical HZ was selected as the target analyte in a selectivity study, which demonstrated the fast response of the GCE sensor fabricated from CoS2–CNT NCs using the I–V method. It also displayed an excellent sensitivity, a very low detection limit, long-term stability, and reproducibility. In a diagnostic study, a linear calibration plot (r2 = 0.9992) was obtained for a 0.1 nM to 1.0 mM aqueous solution of HZ, with a sensitivity of 4.430 μA nM−1 m−2 and low detection limit (LOD) of 0.1 nM. The potential of CoS2–CNT NCs in terms of chemical sensing is also discussed in this report. This approach is emerging as an effective technique for developing efficient chemical sensors for the detection of environmental pollutants in a large scale.

Aggregated Pt–Pd nanoparticles on Nafion membrane for impulsive decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

Pt–Pd aggregated nanoparticles were immobilized on a Nafion-117 membrane to decompose hydrogen peroxide. The Pt or Pd particles alone decompose hydrogen peroxide at an insignificant rate. But a bimetallic Pt–Pd catalyst, having a Pt to Pd composition between 0.33 and 0.75, causes steady decomposition at an appreciable rate at room temperature. The Pd and Pt sites have been proposed to initiate and to complete, respectively, the impulsive hydrogen peroxide decomposition reaction.

Surface Modification of the ZnO Nanoparticles with γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane and Study of Their Photocatalytic Activity, Optical Properties and Antibacterial Activities

Abstract Surface modification of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) with γ-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTES) was investigated. Successful surface modification of the nanoparticles was confirmed experimentally by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effect of the surface modifier concentration on the grafting density and surface area was studied by CHN elemental analysis and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. The photocatalytic activity and UV shielding ability of the surface-modified particles prepared in water-ethanol solvent in the presence of the surface modifiers were compared to those of non-modified particles. As a case study, It was observed by methylene blue (MB) dye degradation experiment that the photocatalytic activity in the presence of modified nanoparticles was lower than that observed with non-modified ZnO nanoparticles. Dispersion stability tests visually showed that APTES grafted nanoparticles had acquired better stability than non-modified ZnO nanoparticles in aqueous solution.

Electrochemical and spectroscopic insights of interactions between alizarin red S and arsenite ions

Interferences of arsenite ions on electrocatalytic oxidation of alizarin red S (ARS) was studied using Pt and ITO electrodes. A Pt electrode can oxidize both arsenite ions and ARS molecules simultaneously. The oxidation wave of ARS exceeds that of arsenite until the [AsO2−]/[ARS] ratio surpasses 0.07. Meanwhile, an ITO electrode can oxidize only ARS molecules. It was seen that the diffusion coefficient of ARS molecules decreased from 4.3 × 10−6 cm2 s−1 to 1.68 × 10−7 cm2 s−1 in the presence of arsenite ions. The electrokinetic investigation shows that ARS oxidation was a two-electron transfer consecutive process. The EIS studies showed that charge transfer resistance was increased in the presence of arsenite ions during ARS oxidation.

Adsorption and UV-Visible Light Induced Degradation of Methylene Blue over ZnO Nano-Particles

Photocatalytic degradation of a heteropolyaromatic dye (methylene blue) in aqueous ZnO suspension was investigated under UV and visible light irradiation. Adsorption behavior was found to be well fitted with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Free energy of adsorption was found to be negative which indicates that adsorption was spontaneous. Under UV light irradiation for 6 hours, the catalytic process produced a net decolorization and mineralization (50 µM MB) of about 98% and 89% respectively. Meanwhile, under visible light irradiation (10 µM MB) for 8 hours these resulted ca. 95% and 77% decolorization and mineralization, respectively. Degradation efficiency was found to be highest at basic pH (8.6). Catalyst loading of 1.0 gl-1 was found to be optimum for the degradation of 100 µM MB solution. In all conditions the UV irradiation showed much better photo-assistance than the visible light irradiation.