Ultrathin Gold Nanowires Can Be Obtained by Reducing Polymeric Strands of Oleylamine−AuCl Complexes Formed via Aurophilic Interaction

Synthesis and modelling of the mechanical properties of Ag, Au and Cu nanowires

The recent interest to nanotechnology aims not only at device miniaturisation, but also at understanding the effects of quantised structure in materials of reduced dimensions, which exhibit different properties from their bulk counterparts. In particular, quantised metal nanowires made of silver, gold or copper have attracted much attention owing to their unique intrinsic and extrinsic length-dependent mechanical properties. Here we review the current state of art and developments in these nanowires from synthesis to mechanical properties, which make them leading contenders for next-generation nanoelectromechanical systems. We also present theories of interatomic interaction in metallic nanowires, as well as challenges in their synthesis and simulation.

Isovalent bismuth ion-induced growth of highly-disperse Sb2S3 nanorods and their composite with p-CuSCN for self-powered photodetectors

Trace amounts of Bi ions are able to cause the growth of highly-disperse, thin Sb₂S₃ nanorods, which exhibit potential in UV-visible self-powered photodetectors when coupled with p-CuSCN crystal clusters.

Size and shape-controlled synthesis of Ru nanocrystals

Mastery over the size/shape of nanocrystals (NCs) enables control of their properties and enhancement of their usefulness for a given application. Within the past decades, the development of wet-chemistry methods leads to the blossom of research in noble metal nanomaterials with tunable sizes and shapes. We herein would prefer to devote this chapter to introduce the solution-based methods for size and shape-controlled synthesis of ruthenium (Ru) NCs, which can be summarized into five categories: (i) Synthesis of spherical Ru NCs; (ii) synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) Ru NCs, e.g. wires and rods; (iii) synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) Ru NCs, e.g. nanoplates; (iv) synthesis of Ru NCs with hollow interiors and (v) synthesis of Ru NCs with other morphologies, e.g. chains, dendrites and branches. We aim at highlighting the synthetic approaches and growth mechanisms of these types of Ru NCs. We also introduce the detailed characterization tools for analysis of Ru NCs with different sizes/shapes. With respect to the creation of great opportunities and tremendous challenges due to the accumulation in noble metal nanomaterials, we briefly make some perspectives for the future development of Ru NCs so as to provide the readers a systematic and coherent picture of this promising field. We hope this reviewing effort can provide for technical bases for effectively designing and producing Ru NCs with enhanced physical/chemical properties.

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Ultrathin Gold Nanowires with the Polytetrahedral Structure of Bulk Manganese

Despite the intensive interest in thin gold nanowires for a variety of technologically important applications, key details of the mechanism of their formation and atomic-scale structure remain unknown. Here we synthesize highly uniform, very long, and ultrathin gold nanowires in a liquid-phase environment and study their nucleation and growth using in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. By controlling the type of solvents, reducing agents, and gold precursor concentration, it is shown that the nucleation and growth of gold nanowires involve the emergence and self-assembly of transient linear gold complexes, respectively. In sharp contrast with the face-centered-cubic bulk gold, the evolved nanowires are found to possess a tetrahedrally close packed structure incorporating distorted icosahedra and larger size coordination polyhedra of the type observed with the room-temperature phase of bulk manganese. We relate the complexes to synergistic effects between the selected precursor and reducing agents that become appreciable over a narrow range of their molar ratios. We attribute the unusual structural state of gold nanowires to geometrical frustration effects arising from the conflicting tendencies of assemblies of metal atoms to evolve toward attaining high atomic packing density while keeping the atomic-level stresses low, ultimately favoring the growth of cylindrical nanowires with a well-defined diameter and atomically smooth surface. Our work provides a roadmap for comprehensive characterization and, hence, better understanding of 1D metallic nanostructures with an unusual atomic arrangement and may have important implications for their synthesis and performance in practical applications.

Self-assembled gold nanorime mesh conductors for invisible stretchable supercapacitors

Thin, skin-conformal, transparent and stretchable energy devices are ideal for powering future wearable and implantable electronics. However, it is difficult to achieve such "unfeelable" and "invisible" devices with traditional materials and design methodologies because of the challenge of simultaneously achieving high optical transparency, high electrical conductivity and high mechanical stretchability. Here, we report a two-step nanowire growth approach for fabricating gold nanorime mesh conductors, enabling skin-thin, transparent and stretchable supercapacitors. Solution-state oleylamine-capped 2 nm-thin gold nanowires self-assemble into highly transparent nanomeshes, which then serve as templates for growing highly conductive vertically aligned nanowires. This two-step solution-plus-surface nanowire growth strategy leads to elastic gold nanorime mesh conductors with an optical transparency up to 90.3% at 550 nm, a low sheet resistance as low as 1.7 ± 0.8 Ω sq-1, and a stretchability of over 100% strain. Such elastic conductors are successfully used to construct symmetrical supercapacitors that can simultaneously achieve high areal capacitance and high stretchability, demonstrating the potential to power future bio-integratable electronics.

Twisting Ultrathin Au Nanowires into Double Helices

Previously, double helix nanowire was reported by coating Pd/Pt/Au onto Au-Ag alloy nanowire. Here, straight oleylamine-stabilized ultrathin Au nanowires with single crystalline fcc lattice are surprisingly converted into double helix helices upon reacting with Ag in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The obtained Au-Ag helical nanowires contain lattice distinctively different from the fcc lattice and are different in many aspects with the previous system. The discovery may expand the scope of nanoscale double helix formation and the understanding of lattice transformation among ultrafine nanostructures.

Synthesis of Substrate-Bound Au Nanowires Via an Active Surface Growth Mechanism

Advancing synthetic capabilities is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The synthesis of nanowires has always been a challenge, as it requires asymmetric growth of symmetric crystals. Here, we report a distinctive synthesis of substrate-bound Au nanowires. This template-free synthesis employs thiolated ligands and substrate adsorption to achieve the continuous asymmetric deposition of Au in solution at ambient conditions. The thiolated ligand prevented the Au deposition on the exposed surface of the seeds, so the Au deposition only occurs at the interface between the Au seeds and the substrate. The side of the newly deposited Au nanowires is immediately covered with the thiolated ligand, while the bottom facing the substrate remains ligand-free and active for the next round of Au deposition. We further demonstrate that this Au nanowire growth can be induced on various substrates, and different thiolated ligands can be used to regulate the surface chemistry of the nanowires. The diameter of the nanowires can also be controlled with mixed ligands, in which another "bad" ligand could turn on the lateral growth. With the understanding of the mechanism, Au nanowire-based nanostructures can be designed and synthesized.

Gold Ultrathin Nanorods with Controlled Aspect Ratios and Surface Modifications: Formation Mechanism and Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance

We synthesized gold ultrathin nanorods (AuUNRs) by slow reductions of gold(I) in the presence of oleylamine (OA) as a surfactant. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the lengths of AuUNRs were tuned in the range of 5-20 nm while keeping the diameter constant (∼2 nm) by changing the relative concentration of OA and Au(I). It is proposed on the basis of time-resolved optical spectroscopy that AuUNRs are formed via the formation of small (<2 nm) Au spherical clusters followed by their one-dimensional attachment in OA micelles. The surfactant OA on AuUNRs was successfully replaced with glutathionate or dodecanethiolate by the ligand exchange approach. Optical extinction spectroscopy on a series of AuUNRs with different aspect ratios (ARs) revealed a single intense extinction band in the near-IR (NIR) region due to the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), the peak position of which is red-shifted with the AR. The NIR bands of AuUNRs with AR < 5 were blue-shifted upon the ligand exchange from OA to thiolates, in sharp contrast to the red shift observed in the conventional Au nanorods and nanospheres (diameter >10 nm). This behavior suggests that the NIR bands of thiolate-protected AuUNRs with AR < 5 are not plasmonic in nature, but are associated with a single-electron excitation between quantized states. The LSPR band was attenuated by thiolate passivation that can be explained by the direct decay of plasmons into an interfacial charge transfer state (chemical interface damping). The LSPR wavelengths of AuUNRs are remarkably longer than those of the conventional AuNRs with the same AR, demonstrating that the miniaturization of the diameter to below ∼2 nm significantly affects the optical response. The red shift of the LSPR band can be ascribed to the increase in the effective mass of electrons in AuUNRs.

Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Au Nanostructures Using EDTA Tetrasodium Salt and Their Photothermal Therapy Applications

Tuning the optical properties of Au nanostructures is of paramount importance for scientific interest and has a wide variety of applications. Since the surface plasmon resonance properties of Au nanostructures can be readily adjusted by changing their shape, many approaches for preparing Au nanostructures with various shapes have been reported to date. However, complicated steps or the addition of several reagents would be required to achieve shape control of Au nanostructures. The present work describes a facile and effective shape-controlled synthesis of Au nanostructures and their photothermal therapy applications. The preparation procedure involved the reaction of HAuCl₄ and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tetrasodium salt, which acted as a reducing agent and ligand, at room temperature without the need for any toxic reagent or additives. The morphology control from spheres to branched forms and nanowire networks was easily achieved by varying the EDTA concentration. Detailed investigations revealed that the four carboxylic groups of the EDTA tetrasodium salt are essential for effective growth and stabilization. The produced Au nanowire networks exhibited a broad absorption band in the near-infrared (NIR) region, thereby showing efficient cancer therapeutic performance by inducing the selective photothermal destruction of cancerous glioblastoma cells (U87MG) under NIR irradiation.

Linear self-assembly and grafting of gold nanorods into arrayed micrometer-long nanowires on a silicon wafer via a combined top-down/bottom-up approach

Macroscopically long wire-like arrangements of gold nanoparticles were obtained by controlled evaporation and partial coalescence of an aqueous colloidal solution of capped CTAB-Au nanorods onto a functionalised 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) silicon substrate, using a removable, silicon wafer with a hydrophobic surface that serves as a "handrail" for the initial nanorods' linear self-assembly. The wire-like structures display a quasi-continuous pattern by thermal annealing of the gold nanorods when the solvent (i.e. water) is evaporated at temperatures rising from 20°C to 140°C. Formation of both single and self-replicating parallel 1D-superstructures consisting of two or even three wires is observed and explained under such conditions.

Emerging Novel Metal Electrodes for Photovoltaic Applications

Emerging novel metal electrodes not only serve as the collector of free charge carriers, but also function as light trapping designs in photovoltaics. As a potential alternative to commercial indium tin oxide, transparent electrodes composed of metal nanowire, metal mesh, and ultrathin metal film are intensively investigated and developed for achieving high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity. Moreover, light trapping designs via patterning of the back thick metal electrode into different nanostructures, which can deliver a considerable efficiency improvement of photovoltaic devices, contribute by the plasmon-enhanced light-mattering interactions. Therefore, here the recent works of metal-based transparent electrodes and patterned back electrodes in photovoltaics are reviewed, which may push the future development of this exciting field.

Oleylamine-Mediated Hydrothermal Growth of Millimeter-Long Cu Nanowires and Their Electrocatalytic Activity for Reduction of Nitrate

While high-aspect-ratio metal nanowires are essential for producing nanowire-based electrodes of good performance used in electronics and electrocatalysis, the synthesis of millimeter-long Cu nanowires remains a challenge. This work demonstrates an oleylamine-mediated hydrothermal method for synthesis of Cu nanowires with an average diameter of ~80 nm and a length up to several millimeters. An investigation on the role of oleylamine in nanowire formation by mass spectroscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveals that oleylamine serves as a mild reducing agent for slow reduction of Cu(II) to Cu, a complexing agent to form Cu(II)-oleylamine complex for guiding the nanowire growth, as well as a surfactant to generate lamellar phase structure for the formation of nanowire bundles. The growth mechanism of these millimeter-long Cu nanowire bundles is proposed based on the experimental observations. Electrochemical measurements by linear sweep voltammetry indicate that the self-supported nanowire electrode prepared from as-formed Cu nanowire bundles shows high catalytic activity for electroreduction of nitrate in water.

Adaptable surfactant-mediated method for the preparation of anisotropic metal chalcogenide nanomaterials

The hot injection synthesis of nanomaterials is a highly diverse and fundamental field of chemical research, which has shown much success in the bottom up approach to nanomaterial design. Here we report a synthetic strategy for the production of anisotropic metal chalcogenide nanomaterials of different compositions and shapes, using an optimised hot injection approach. Its unique advantage compared to other hot injection routes is that it employs one chemical to act as many agents: high boiling point, viscous solvent, reducing agent, and surface coordinating ligand. It has been employed to produce a range of nanomaterials, such as CuS, Bi2S3, Cu2-xSe, FeSe2, and Bi4Se3, among others, with various structures including nanoplates and nanosheets. Overall, this article will highlight the excellent versatility of the method, which can be tuned to produce many different materials and shapes. In addition, due to the nature of the synthesis, 2D nanomaterial products are produced as monolayers without the need for exfoliation; a significant achievement towards future development of these materials.

Effect of Thiolated Ligands in Au Nanowire Synthesis

Thiolated ligands are seldom used as morphology-directing reagent in the synthesis of Au nanostructures due to their low selectivity toward the different facets. Recently, we developed a thiolated ligands-induced synthesis of nanowires where the selective Au deposition only occurs at the ligand-deficient Au-substrate interface. Herein, the structural effect of thiolated ligands in this active surface growth is systematically investigated. It is revealed that their ability of rendering surface is closely related to the molecular structure. Ligands with aromatic backbones are capable of inducing nanowire formation, whereas those with aliphatic backbones cannot, likely because the former can pack better at short time scale of the rapid growth. The substituents of the ligands are critical for the colloidal stability of the final structure. It is further demonstrated that aromatic and aliphatic ligands could be mixed to turn on the continual lateral growth, leading to nanowires with tapered ends. The ligand generality in this growth mode also allows the creation of superhydrophobic surface, with the nanowire forest providing the nanoscale surface roughness and the hydrophobic ligand offering the surface property. These applications of the thiolated ligands in the nanosynthesis open a new approach for controlled synthesis of Au-based nanostructures with various morphologies and properties.

A general method for ultrathin 1D oxide nanomaterials

By utilizing the interaction between inorganic species and organic surfactants, the ordered layered mesostructures were generated for the synthesis of the one-dimensional oxide nanomaterials. The oxide nanomaterial products which evolved from the above layered structures were demonstrated as ultrathin (less than 2 nm) one-dimensional structures with superior catalytic performance. The synthetic method based on layered structures can be extended to prepare other one-dimensional oxide nanomaterials with the same ultrathin structures.

Surface-Engineering of Ultrathin Gold Nanowires: Tailored Self-Assembly and Enhanced Stability

Gold nanowires with a mean diameter of 1.7 nm were synthesized by reduction of HAuCl₄ in a solution of oleylamine (OY) in hexane. A bilayer of oleylammonium chloride/oleylamine at the surface of the raw nanowires was evidenced by NMR and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments. After washing a monolayer of oleylammonium chloride remained at the surface of the nanowires. The oleylammonium chloride layer could be progressively replaced by a phosphine shell as evidenced with NMR and DOSY experiments, which are in good agreement with the adsorption energies given by density functional theory calculations. The nanowires crystallize into hexagonal superlattices with a lattice parameter that can be tailored depending on the ligand shell. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed the following lattice parameters: Au@OY⁺Cl^-(OY) (a = 7.2 nm) > Au@TOPO/OY (a = 6.6 nm) > Au@ OY⁺Cl^- (a = 4.1 nm) > Au@TOP (a = 3.75 nm). This is one of a few examples of surface modification of ultrathin nanowires that does not alter their morphology. Moreover, the nanowires coated with phosphines exhibited long time stability (at the opposite of other ligands like thiols) opening the way to more complex functionalization.

Phase-Transfer Ligand Exchange of Lead Chalcogenide Quantum Dots for Direct Deposition of Thick, Highly Conductive Films

The use of semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) in optoelectronic devices typically requires postsynthetic chemical surface treatments to enhance electronic coupling between QDs and allow for efficient charge transport in QD films. Despite their importance in solar cells and infrared (IR) light-emitting diodes and photodetectors, advances in these chemical treatments for lead chalcogenide (PbE; E = S, Se, Te) QDs have lagged behind those of, for instance, II-VI semiconductor QDs. Here, we introduce a method for fast and effective ligand exchange for PbE QDs in solution, resulting in QDs completely passivated by a wide range of small anionic ligands. Due to electrostatic stabilization, these QDs are readily dispersible in polar solvents, in which they form highly concentrated solutions that remain stable for months. QDs of all three Pb chalcogenides retain their photoluminescence, allowing for a detailed study of the effect of the surface ionic double layer on electronic passivation of QD surfaces, which we find can be explained using the hard/soft acid-base theory. Importantly, we prepare highly conductive films of PbS, PbSe, and PbTe QDs by directly casting from solution without further chemical treatment, as determined by field-effect transistor measurements. This method allows for precise control over the surface chemistry, and therefore the transport properties of deposited films. It also permits single-step deposition of films of unprecedented thickness via continuous processing techniques, as we demonstrate by preparing a dense, smooth, 5.3-μm-thick PbSe QD film via doctor-blading. As such, it offers important advantages over laborious layer-by-layer methods for solar cells and photodetectors, while opening the door to new possibilities in ionizing-radiation detectors.

Highly Stable Silica-Coated Gold Nanoflowers Supported on Alumina

Shape-controlled nanocrystals, such as nanowires and nanoflowers, are attractive because of their potential novel optical and catalytic properties. However, the dispersion and morphological stabilities of shape-controlled nanocrystals are easily destroyed by changing the dispersion solvent and temperature. Methods of support and the silica coating are known to improve the dispersion and morphological stabilities of metal nanocrystals. The silica-coating method often causes morphological changes in shape-controlled nanocrystals because the silica coating is formed in mixed solutions of water and organic solvents such as ethanol, and this results in aggregation due to changes in the dispersion solvent. Furthermore, ligand exchange, designed to improve the dispersion stability in the solvent, often causes morphological changes. This article introduces a method for the preparation of highly stable silica-coated Au nanoflowers (AuNFs) supported on Al₂O₃. The method of support prevents the aggregation and precipitation of AuNFs when the solvent is changed from water to water/ethanol. Through stability improvement, silica coating of AuNFs/Al₂O₃ was conducted in water/ethanol without ligand exchange that causes morphological changes. Furthermore, silica-coated AuNFs/Al₂O₃ exhibit high morphological stability under high-temperature conditions compared to uncoated AuNFs/Al₂O₃. These results are very useful when preparing highly morphologically stable, silica-coated, shape-controlled nanocrystals without ligand exchange.

Nanowire-based transparent conductors for flexible electronics and optoelectronics

As the necessary components for various modern electronic and optoelectronic devices, novel transparent electrodes (TEs) with the low cost, abundance features, and comparable performance of indium tin oxide (ITO) are inquired materials. Metal nanowires (NWs) with the excellent photoelectric properties as next-generation TE candidates have widely applications in smart optoelectronic devices such as electronic skins, wearable electronics, robotic skins, flexible and stretchable displays. This review describes the synthetic strategies for the preparation of metal NWs, the assemble process for metal NW films, and the practical aspects of metal NW films with the desired properties in various low-cost, flexible, and solution-based photoelectric devices.

Well-defined linear Au n (n = 2-4) chains encapsulated in SWCNTs: a DFT study

One-dimensional (1D) gold nanostructures have been extensively studied due to their potential applications in nanoelectronic devices. Using first-principles calculations, composites consisting of a well-defined linear Au _n (n = 2-4) chain encapsulated in a (9,0) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) were studied. The translational energy barrier of a single Au atom in a (9,0) SWCNT was found to be 0.03 eV. This low barrier guaranteed the formation of Au _n @ (9,0) SWCNT (n = 1-4) composites. Bond lengths, differential charge densities, and electronic band structures of the composites were studied. The average Au-Au bond lengths in the composites were found to be almost the same as those in the corresponding free-standing linear Au _n . The average bond length increased as the number of Au atoms increased. Charge transfer in all of these composites was slight, although a few valence electrons were transferred from the (9,0) SWCNT and the Au chains to intercalations. The conductivities of the encapsulated linear Au _n (n = 2-4) chains were enhanced to some extent by encapsulating them in the SWCNT.

Optically active histidin-2-ylidene stabilised gold nanoparticles

The synthesis of histidine-derived NHC-stabilised chiroptical gold nanoparticles.

Polymer-mediated metallophilic interactions for gram-scale production, high-yield (∼90%) synthesis of ultrathin bismuth nanowires

High-yields (∼90%) of ultrathin (<4 nm) bismuth nanowires (Bi UNWs) were obtained by reducing the polymeric strands of oleylamine-bismuth 2-ethylhexanoate complexes formed via metallophilic interactions with the mediation of a copolymer (PVP–HDE).

Coupled, Simultaneous Displacement and Dealloying Reactions into Fe-Ni-Co Nanowires for Thinning Nanowire Segments

A new methodology is reported to shape template-assisted electrodeposition of Fe-rich, Fe-Ni-Co nanowires to have a thin nanowire segment using a coupled displacement reaction with a more noble elemental ion, Cu(II), and at the same time dealloying predominantly Fe from Fe-Ni-Co by the reduction of protons (H⁺), followed by a subsequent etching step. The displacement/dealloyed layer was sandwiched between two trilayers of Fe-Ni-Co to facilitate the characterization of the reaction front, or penetration length. The penetration length region was found to be a function of the ratio of proton and Cu(II) concentration, and a ratio of 0.5 was found to provide the largest penetration rate, and hence the larger thinned length of the nanowire. Altering the etching time affected the diameter of the thinned region. This methodology presents a new way to thin nanowire segments connected to larger nanowire sections and also introduces a way to study the propagation of a reaction front into a nanowire.

Ultrathin Colloidal Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Nanowires

Highly uniform single crystal ultrathin CsPbBr₃ nanowires (NWs) with diameter of 2.2 ± 0.2 nm and length up to several microns were successfully synthesized and purified using a catalyst-free colloidal synthesis method followed by a stepwise purification strategy. The NWs have bright photoluminescence (PL) with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of about 30% after surface treatment. Large blue-shifted UV-vis absorption and PL spectra have been observed due to strong two-dimensional quantum confinement effects. A small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) pattern shows the periodic packing of the ultrathin NWs along the radial direction, demonstrates the narrow radial distribution of the wires, and emphasizes the deep intercalation of the surfactants. Despite the extreme aspect ratios of the ultrathin NWs, their composition and the resulting optical properties can be readily tuned by an anion-exchange reaction with good morphology preservation. These bright ultrathin NWs may be used as a model system to study strong quantum confinement effects in a one-dimensional halide perovskite system.

Symmetry breaking in semiconductor nanocrystals via kinetic-controlled surface diffusion: a strategy for manipulating the junction structure

The synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals is usually limited to high-level symmetry, as constrained by the inherent, for example, face-centered cubic or hexagonal close-packed lattices of the crystals. Herein, we report a robust approach for breaking the symmetry of the CdS lattice and obtaining high-quality CdS ultrathin monopods, bipods, tripods, and tetrapods. The success relies on manipulating reaction kinetics by dropwise addition of a precursor solution, which permits deterministic control over the number of CdS monomers in the reaction solution. With rapid monomer supply by fast precursor injection, growth was restricted to only one {111} facet of the nascent CdS tetrahedron to produce an asymmetric ultrathin monopod (a zinc-blende tip with a wurtzite arm). Otherwise, growth monomers could access adjacent {111} facets through surface diffusion and thus lead to the switch of the growth pattern from asymmetric to symmetric to generate an ultrathin multipod (a zinc-blende tip/core with multi-wurtzite arms). These symmetry-controlled photocatalysts were characterized by a fine-tuned zinc blende-wurtzite intergrowth type-II homojunction. After evaluating their structure-dependent solar-hydrogen-production properties, the CdS ultrathin monopod with an appropriate length for controllable charge transportation showed the highest photocatalytic activity.

Comparative study of proteasome inhibitory, synergistic antibacterial, synergistic anticandidal, and antioxidant activities of gold nanoparticles biosynthesized using fruit waste materials

The aim of this study was to compare the biological synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) generated using the aqueous extracts of outer oriental melon peel (OMP) and peach. The synthesized OMP-AuNPs and peach extract (PE)-AuNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The surface plasmon resonance spectra were obtained at 545 nm and 540 nm for OMP-AuNPs and PE-AuNPs, respectively. The estimated absolute crystallite size of the synthesized AuNPs was calculated to be 78.11 nm for OMP-AuNPs and 39.90 nm for PE-AuNPs based on the Scherer equation of the X-ray powder diffraction peaks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed the involvement of bioactive compounds present in OMP and peach extracts in the synthesis and stabilization of synthesized AuNPs. Both the OMP-AuNPs and PE-AuNPs showed a strong antibacterial synergistic activity when combined with kanamycin (9.38–20.45 mm inhibition zones) and rifampicin (9.52–25.23 mm inhibition zones), and they also exerted a strong synergistic anticandidal activity (10.09–15.47 mm inhibition zones) when combined with amphotericin B against five pathogenic Candida species. Both the OMP-AuNPs and PE-AuNPs exhibited a strong antioxidant potential in terms of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydraxyl radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging, and a reducing power, along with a strong proteasome inhibitory potential that could be useful in cancer drug delivery and cancer treatments. The PE-AuNPs showed comparatively higher activity than OMP-AuNPs, which could be attributed to the presence of rich bioactive compounds in the PE that acted as reducing and capping agents in the synthesis of PE-AuNPs. Overall, the results of the current investigation highlighted a novel green technology for the synthesis of AuNPs using food waste materials and their potential applications in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Continuous Production of Carbon-Supported Cubic and Octahedral Platinum-Based Catalysts Using Conveyor Transport System

A conveyor transport system is developed for the continuous production of carbon-supported uniform Pt nanocubes, and Pt₃ Ni nanocubes and octahedra in a single-reaction system under hot carbon monoxide environment. Oleylamine is critical for the high loading and even the dispersion of Pt nanocubes on a carbon support. The metal catalyst shows high performance in electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol.

Coiling ultrathin tellurium nanowires into nanorings by Pickering emulsion

Well-defined hydrophilic ultrathin tellurium nanowires (TeNWs) can be coiled into nanorings by Pickering emulsion at room temperature.

Atomic Structure of Ultrathin Gold Nanowires

Understanding of the atomic structure and stability of nanowires (NWs) is critical for their applications in nanotechnology, especially when the diameter of NWs reduces to ultrathin scale (1-2 nm). Here, using aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (AC-HRTEM), we report a detailed atomic structure study of the ultrathin Au NWs, which are synthesized using a silane-mediated approach. The NWs contain large amounts of generalized stacking fault defects. These defects evolve upon sustained electron exposure, and simultaneously the NWs undergo necking and breaking. Quantitative strain analysis reveals the key role of strain in the breakdown process. Besides, ligand-like morphology is observed at the surface of the NWs, indicating the possibility of using AC-HRTEM for surface ligand imaging. Moreover, the coalescence dynamic of ultrathin Au NWs is demonstrated by in situ observations. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the structure of ultrathin metal NWs at atomic-scale and could have important implications for their applications.

Synthesis of vinyl-terminated Au nanoprisms and nanooctahedra mediated by 3-butenoic acid: direct Au@pNIPAM fabrication with improved SERS capabilities

Here we describe the first seedless synthesis of vinyl-terminated Au nanotriangular prisms (AuNTPs) and nanooctahedra (AuNOC) in aqueous media. This synthesis is performed by chemical reduction of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) with 3-butenoic acid (3BA) in the presence of benzyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC). The principal novelties of the presented method are the use of a mixture of 3BA and BDAC, the synthesis of gold prisms and octahedra with controllable size, and the presence of terminal double bonds on the metal surface. Initially this method produces a mixture of triangular gold nanoprisms and octahedra; however, both morphologies are successfully separated by surfactant micelle induced depletion interaction, reaching percentages up to ∼90%. Moreover, the alkene moieties present on the gold surface are exploited for the fabrication of hybrid core@shell particles. Gold octahedra and triangular prisms are easily encapsulated by free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). Finally, in order to obtain a gold core with the most number of tips, AuNTP@pNIPAM microgels were subjected to gold core overgrowth, thus resulting in star-shaped nanoparticles (AuSTs@pNIPAM). We use 4-amino-benzenethiol as the model analyte for SERS investigations. As expected, gold cores with tips and high curvature sites produced the highest plasmonic responses.

Organic devices based on nickel nanowires transparent electrode

Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach to synthesize long nickel nanowires and discuss its suitability to replace our commonly used transparent electrode, indium-tin-oxide (ITO), by a hydrazine hydrate reduction method where nickel ions are reduced to nickel atoms in an alkaline solution. The highly purified nickel nanowires show high transparency within the visible region, although the sheet resistance is slightly larger compared to that of our frequently used transparent electrode, ITO. A comparison study on organic light emitting diodes and organic solar cells, using commercially available ITO, silver nanowires, and nickel nanowires, are also discussed.

Unconventional synthesis of Cu–Au dendritic nanowires with enhanced electrochemical activity

Cu–Au dendritic nanowires were obtained in high yield with enhanced electrochemical activity and potential application in glucose detection.

Dendritic gold nanowires supported on SiO2 nanoparticles fabricated by a seed growth method

SiO₂ supported Au dendritic nanowires were prepared using a novel seed growth method and showed high morphological and dispersion stabilities.

Surface clean gold nanoflower obtained by complete removal of capping agents: an active catalyst for alcohol oxidation

Morphological stability and catalytic activity of Au nanoflowers (NFs) were improved by using γ-Al₂O₃ support and water extraction procedure. Formation rate of acetophenone on Au NFs/γ-Al₂O₃ was ten-fold higher than that on spherical Au NPs/γ-Al₂O₃.