Shuijin Lei

CTAB-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Ag/C nanostructures

Ag/C nanostructures (core–shell nanoparticles and nanocables) were obtained through the reduction of Ag+ with ascorbic acid in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) under hydrothermal conditions. It was found that the final morphology of the product was determined by the CTAB concentration. The formation process of both nanostructures included two evolution stages: (1) the synthesis of the Ag nanoparticles in the restriction of CTAB, (2) the carbonization of ascorbic acid and the formation of an amorphous carbon layer on Ag nanoparticles surface. The present study offers a possible new route to prepare new nanostructures.

Synthesis of MnWO4 nanofibres by a surfactant-assisted complexation–precipitation approach and control of morphology

Single-crystal MnWO(4) nanofibres with diameters as small as 3-4 nm and length up to 800-1000 nm have been successfully synthesized by a novel surfactant-assisted complexation-precipitation method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electron diffraction (ED) were employed to study the crystal structure and morphologies of the products. Experiments show that the complexation and the surfactant are the crucial factors affecting the morphology of the products. The possible formation process and growth mechanism have been proposed.