Zhirui Guo

Biological Synthesis of Gold Nanowires Using Extract of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

An environmentally friendly method using a cell‐free extract (CFE) of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata is proposed to synthesize gold nanowires with a network structure. This procedure offers control over the shapes of gold nanoparticles with the change of HAuCl4 concentration. The CFE solutions were added with different concentrations of HAuCl4, resulting in the bioreduction of gold ions and biosynthesis of morphologies of gold nanostructures. It is probable that proteins acted as the major biomolecules involved in the bioreduction and synthesis of gold nanoparticles. At a lower concentration of gold ions, exclusively spherical gold nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 10 to 20 nm were produced, whereas gold nanowires with a network structure formed at the higher concentration of gold ions in the aqueous solution. This method is expected to be applicable to the synthesis of other metallic nanowires such as silver and platinum, and even other anisotropic metal nanostructures are expected using the biosynthetic methods.

Surface-bound nanoparticles for initiating metal deposition

An alternative activation method was developed via binding electroless catalysts onto silicon substrates with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Atomic force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the laden of tin-free Pd(II)-based nanoparticles on silicon surfaces. The results indicate that the formation of coordination bonds between Pd ions and nitrogen atoms of APTS SAMs serves the important binding mechanism. Electroless copper deposition was successfully initiated by the catalyzed substrates and high quality Cu deposition was obtained. Owing to the chemically bound catalyst, this approach has advantages over the conventional Sn–Pd combined activation process, including reduced steps and improved longevity of initiator and enhanced adhesion of the deposition to the substrates. 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetically Mediated Vortexlike Assembly of Gold Nanoshells

Gold nanoshells currently attract increasing research interests due to the important role in many subjects. For practical applications, random arrangement of the nanoparticles is often unfavored so that the assembly of gold nanoshells is becoming a central issue. We here proposed to utilize time-variant magnetic field to direct the assembly of gold nanoshells. It was discovered that the alternating magnetic field can mediate the vortex-like assembly of gold nanoshells. The mechanism was explored and thought to be relative with the electric field of induction which caused the thermal gradient on the substrate and the electric force. The vortexlike structure as well as the assembly mechanism will play an important role in research and application of gold nanomaterials.