Jun Jiao

Alpha-alumina nanoparticles induce efficient autophagy-dependent cross-presentation and potent antitumour response

Therapeutic cancer vaccination is an attractive strategy because it induces T cells of the immune system to recognize and kill tumour cells in cancer patients. However, it remains difficult to generate large numbers of T cells that can recognize the antigens on cancer cells using conventional vaccine carrier systems. Here we show that α-Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles can act as an antigen carrier to reduce the amount of antigen required to activate T cells in vitro and in vivo. We found that α-Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles delivered antigens to autophagosomes in dendritic cells, which then presented the antigens to T cells through autophagy. Immunization of mice with α-Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles that are conjugated to either a model tumour antigen or autophagosomes derived from tumour cells resulted in tumour regression. These results suggest that α-Al(2)O(3) nanoparticles may be a promising adjuvant in the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Preparation and properties of ferromagnetic carbon‐coated Fe, Co, and Ni nanoparticles

Carbon‐coated iron, cobalt, and nickel particles were produced by an arc discharge process modified in the geometry of the anode and the flow pattern of helium gas. Field emission scanning electron microscopy shows that the resulting material consists of only carbon‐coated metal particles without any nanotubes or other unwanted carbon formations present. The diameters of iron, cobalt, and nickel particles range predominantly from 32 to 81 nm, 22 to 64 nm, and 16 to 51 nm, respectively. X‐ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the as‐made particles are carbon‐coated elements rather than metal carbides. High resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals that the as‐made cobalt and nickel particles are covered by 1–2 graphitic layers, while iron particles are surrounded by amorphous carbon. When the samples were treated by annealing or immersion into nitric acid, particles completely coated by carbon resisted both postdeposition treatments. However, further graphitization of the carbon coating by eith...

ZnO nanowires formed on tungsten substrates and their electron field emission properties

Using a vapor transport method, ZnO nanowires were selectively synthesized both on tungsten tips as electron field emitters and on tungsten plates with designed patterns. Control of the growth locations of the nanowires was accomplished by selectively positioning a thin film of Au catalyst. The angular intensity and fluctuation of the field emission current from the ZnO nanowires synthesized on tungsten tips have been demonstrated to be similar to those of carbon nanotubes. A self-destruction limit of ∼0.1 mA/sr for angular intensity was observed, and the power spectra showed a 1/f3/2 characteristic from 1 Hz to 6 kHz.

Annealing effect on photovoltaic performance of CdSe quantum-dots-sensitized TiO 2 nanorod solar cells

Large area rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays were grown on F:SnO2 (FTO) conductive glass using a hydrothermal method at low temperature. CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were deposited onto single-crystalline TiO2 nanorod arrays by a chemical bath deposition (CBD) method to make a photoelectrode. The solar cell was assembled using a CdSe-TiO2 nanostructure as the photoanode and polysulfide solution as the electrolyte. The annealing effect on optical and photovoltaic properties of CdSe quantum-dotssensitized TiO2 nanorod solar cells was studied systematically. A significant change of the morphology and a regular red shift of band gap of CdSe nanoparticles were observed after annealing treatment. At the same time, an improved photovoltaic performance was obtained for quantum-dots-sensitized solar cell using the annealed CdSe-TiO2 nanostructure electrode. The power conversion efficiency improved from 0.59% to 1.45% as a consequence of the annealing effect. This improvement can be explained by considering the changes in the morphology, the crystalline quality, and the optical properties caused by annealing treatment.

Carbon encapsulated nanoparticles of Ni, Co, Cu, and Ti

Despite intensive research on the encapsulation of metal nanoparticles into carbon clusters deposited by arc discharge, the detailed pathways of the formation of these novel forms of materials remain unclear. The growth of a rich variety of morphologies is not well understood. Studies are reported here on the growth phenomena of different metals encapsulated into carbon cages that emphasize the effect of carbon and metal supply on the size of particles. Post-deposition annealing was introduced as a process that induces structural rearrangements, and thus enables changes in morphologies. A set of carbon encapsulated Ni, Co, Cu, and Ti particles were prepared by an arc discharge process modified in the geometry of the anode and flow pattern of helium or methane gas. The samples were then annealed under flowing argon gas. Three annealing temperatures were used (600, 900, and 1100 °C). Samples were characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Particles made under the same experimental conditions are of roughly the same size. When the supply of metal in the reactor space was increased by using a larger diameter of the metal pool, the average diameter of the particles is bigger than those of produced from the smaller metal pool. The thickness of the carbon cages of Ni and Co particles increased during the annealing. The carbon cages of Cu particles, however, did not change their thickness, while some carbon coatings of Ti particles disappeared under annealing. This suggests that the addition of layers for the Ni and Co cages results from a precipitation of carbon previously dissolved in the metal, while the much lower solubility of C in Cu prevents this possibility. The Ti of high reactivity, on the other hand, may further react with the available carbon under annealing to form TiC. It is suggested that annealing provides additional thermal energy that makes structural re-arrangement possible long after the initial deposition process was terminated. This may explain the rich variety of morphologies of deposit obtained at different locations of the reaction chamber.

Dendron-controlled nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles

Passivation of the metal surface by dendrons bearing a focal 4-pyridone functionality (the second-generation dendron is shown; C: gray, N: blue, O: red) allows controlled nucleation and growth of gold nanoclusters. The particle size is a direct function of the generation number of the dendritic ligands, with higher generation dendron producing larger particles.

Nanoparticle decorated anodes for enhanced current generation in microbial electrochemical cells

The development of highly efficient anode materials is critical for enhancing the current output of microbial electrochemical cells. In this study, Au and Pd nanoparticle decorated graphite anodes were developed and evaluated in a newly designed multi-anode microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). The anodes decorated with Au nanoparticles produced current densities up to 20-fold higher than plain graphite anodes by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, while those of Pd-decorated anodes with similar morphologies produced 50-150% higher than the control. Significant positive linear regression was obtained between the current density and the particle size (average Ferets diameter and average area), while the circularity of the particles showed negative correlation with current densities. On the contrary, no significant correlation was evident between the current density and the particle density based on area fraction and particle counts. These results demonstrated that nano-decoration can greatly enhance the performance of microbial anodes, while the chemical composition, size and shape of the nanoparticles determined the extent of the enhancement.

The potential of diatom nanobiotechnology for applications in solar cells, batteries, and electroluminescent devices

The ability to produce low-cost, hierarchically-structured and nanopatterned inorganic materials could potentially revolutionize the way we fabricate photovoltaic, energy storage, and optoelectronic devices. In nature, many organisms carry out the hierarchical assembly of metal oxide materials through cellular and biochemical processes that replicate periodic micro- and nanoscale features by a bottom-up approach at ambient conditions. For example, single-celled algae called diatoms produce a nanostructured amorphous silica skeleton called a frustule. The insertion of other metal oxide materials such as titanium or germanium dioxide into the nanostructure of the diatom frustule could potentially be utilized to fabricate new dye-sensitized solar cells, nanostructured battery electrodes, and electroluminescent display devices. The exploitation of diatom nanobiotechnology for the development of novel device concepts in these areas is overviewed.

Metabolic Insertion of Nanostructured TiO2 into the Patterned Biosilica of the Diatom Pinnularia sp by a Two-Stage Bioreactor Cultivation Process

Diatoms are single-celled algae that make silica shells or frustules with intricate nanoscale features imbedded within periodic two-dimensional pore arrays. A two-stage photobioreactor cultivation process was used to metabolically insert titanium into the patterned biosilica of the diatom Pinnularia sp. In Stage I, diatom cells were grown up on dissolved silicon until silicon starvation was achieved. In Stage II, soluble titanium and silicon were continuously fed to the silicon-starved cell suspension (approximately 4 x 10(5) cells/mL) for 10 h. The feeding rate of titanium (0.85-7.3 micromol Ti L(-1) h(-1)) was designed to circumvent the precipitation of titanate in the liquid medium, and feeding rate of silicon (48 micromol Si L(-1) h(-1)) was designed to sustain one cell division. The addition of titanium to the culture had no detrimental effects on cell growth and preserved the frustule morphology. Cofeeding of Ti and Si was required for complete intracellular uptake of Ti. The maximum bulk composition of titanium in the frustule biosilica was 2.3 g of Ti/100 g of SiO(2). Intact biosilica frustules were isolated by treatment of diatom cells with SDS/EDTA and then analyzed by TEM and STEM-EDS. Titanium was preferentially deposited as a nanophase lining the base of each frustule pore, with estimated local TiO(2) content of nearly 80 wt %. Thermal annealing in air at 720 degrees C converted the biogenic titanate to anatase TiO(2) with an average crystal size of 32 nm. This is the first reported study of using a living organism to controllably fabricate semiconductor TiO(2) nanostructures by a bottom-up self-assembly process.

Filling the carbon nanocages

Twenty elements were codeposited with carbon in an arc discharge between graphite electrodes. The majority of them were evaporated from composite anodes that contained the elements or their oxides stuffed into central bores in the graphite rods. The deposits, found in the soot at the reactor walls or as slag at the cathode, were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and x‐ray diffraction. The products fall into four categories: (1) elements that can be encapsulated in the form of their carbides (B, V, Cr, Mn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo); (2) elements that are not encapsulated but tolerate the formation of graphitic carbon cages (Cu, Zn, Pd, Ag, Pt); (3) elements that form stable carbides, competing with and pre‐empting the carbon supply for the graphitic cage formation (Al, Si, Ti, W); and (4) the iron‐group metals (Fe, Co, Ni) that stimulate the formation of single‐walled tubes and strings of nanobeads in the conventional arc discharge condition, and pro...