Shanzhong Li

SOLVOTHERMAL PREPARATION OF CeO2 NANOCUBES AND THEIR CATALYTIC PROPERTIES

Cubic-like CeO2 nanocrystals about 11 nm long were successfully synthesized via an ethanolamine-assisted hydrothermal route using (NH4)Ce(NO3)4 as a precursor at 180°C for 24 h. The CeO2 nanocubes were modified onto the glassy carbon electrode by adsorption to fabricate the modified electrode. The reliability and stability of the CeO2 NC/GC electrode offer a good possibility for applying the technique on routine analysis of ascorbic acid (AA) in clinical use. In addition, the catalytic effect of the CeO2 nanocubes for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated by DTA and TG. The catalytic performance of CeO2 nanocubes is superior to that of commercial CeO2 powder.

Fabrication and characterisation of MnOOH and β-MnO2 nanorods with rectangular cross-sections

MnOOH nanorods with rectangular cross-sections have been successfully prepared in high yield via a hydrothermal reduction process at a low temperature. After the subsequent heat treatment of the as-prepared MnOOH nanorods at 350°C for 6 h in air, β-MnO2 nanorods with rectangular cross-section that retained the similar morphologies of MnOOH nanorods were obtained. The products were characterised by powder X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The influences of different degrees of pH on the morphology and phase of the final products under hydrothermal conditions are discussed.

Facile one-step synthesis of Fe5(PO4)4(OH)3 · 2H2O hollow octahedra and their application for DNA separation

ABSTRACT A simple one-step process has been used to synthesize novel Fe5(PO4)4(OH)3 · 2H2O hollow octahedra in a mixed solvent of diethylene glycol (DEG) and H2O. The x-1ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been provided for the characterizations of the nanostructures. The shape of the as-obtained products could be controlled by adjusting the volume ratio of DEG and H2O in the solvothermal process. The possible formation mechanism was proposed based2 on nucleation and the Ostwald ripening process as well as the soft-template function of DEG. In addition, the study herein demonstrated that the hollow octahedra exhibit excellent capability for the adsorption of salmon sperm DNA and would have great application potentials in DNA separation.