Promising avenues of research in nanoscience: chemistry of semiconductor nanoparticles

Borosilicate glasses containing CdS/ZnS QDs: A heterostructured composite with enhanced degradation of IC dye under visible-light

The glass system SiO₂-B₂O₃-Na₂O₃-ZnO containing 2 wt% CdS and 1 wt% ZnS was synthesized by the conventional melt quench method. Glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature was determined from Differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurement to optimize heat-treatment. The amorphous structure of the glass was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. Glasses were heat-treated by optimized heat-treatment schedule to grow CdS/ZnS QDs and crystalline phases of CdS and ZnS were confirmed by the XRD measurement. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) was used to determine the size and shape of quantum dots (QDs) grown in the glass matrix. The optical band gap was calculated from the absorption spectra and found to decrease with increase in size of QDs. Electron-hole recombination rate was studied using a decay time and impedance analyzer. Prepared samples were tested as a photocatalyst under sunlight for the degradation of indigo carmine (IC) dye and photodegradation efficiency was found to be 73.6 % and 87.2 % for samples CZ1 and CZ4 respectively. No significant change is observed in degradation efficiency even for 4 cycles which confirms the stability of prepared glasses for dye degradation.

Synthesis, Structure, Reactivity and Catalytic Implications of a Cationic, Acetylide-Bridged Trigold-JohnPhos Species

The cationic complex [(JohnPhos-Au)₃ (acetylide)][SbF₆ ] (JohnPhos=(2-biphenyl)di-tert-butylphosphine, L1) has been characterised structurally and features an acetylide-trigold(I)-JohnPhos system; the trinuclear-acetylide unit, coordinated to the monodentate bulk phosphines, adopts an unprecedented μ,η¹ ,η² ,η¹ coordination mode with an additional interaction between distal phenyl rings and gold centres. Other cationic σ,π-[(gold(I)L1)₂ ] complexes have also been isolated. The reaction of trimethylsilylacetylene with various alcohols (iPrOH, nBuOH, n-HexOH) catalysed by cationic [Au^I L1][SbF₆ ] complexes in CH₂ Cl₂ at 50 °C led to the formation of acetaldehyde acetals with a high degree of chemo- and regioselectivity. The reaction mechanism was studied, and several organic and inorganic intermediates have been characterised. A comparative study with the analogous cationic [Cu^I L1][PF₆ ] complex revealed different behaviour; the copper metal is lost from the coordination sphere leading to the formation of cationic vinylphosphonium and copper nanoparticles. Additionally, a new catalytic approach for the formation of this high-value cationic vinylphosphonium has been established.

Mycofabrication of common plasmonic colloids, theoretical considerations, mechanism and potential applications

A coupling of the plasmon on the surface of metal nanoparticles with an incident photon enhances a broad range of useful optical phenomena, such as resonant light scattering (RLS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or Raman scattering. Due to these unique optical properties plasmonic nanostructures of different sizes and shapes have gained increasing popularity in areas such as cancer diagnosis, photothermal therapy as well as the imaging of living cells, detection of pathogens, biomolecules, metal ions, and the catalysis of various reactions in wet chemistry. This article reviews the current trends in the synthesis of plasmonic nanoparticles, particularly gold (AuNPs) and silver (AgNPs), using fungi as well as the proposed mechanisms for their mycofabrication. We provide an overview of the theoretical concepts of plasmonic nanoparticles which are sensitive electromagnetic responses that determine these nanoparticles applications.

Controlled synthesis of ZnS quantum dots and ZnS quantum flakes with graphene as a template

Novel ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and ZnS quantum flakes (QFs) were successfully prepared with graphene nanosheets (GNs) as a special template, and two unique heterostructures of ZnS/GNs were also obtained. Due to the structure-directing template effect of GNs, the as-synthesized ZnS with different morphologies, dots or flakes, were uniformly distributed on the surface of GNs by controlling nucleation and growth. The two different heterostructures of ZnS/GNs exhibited obvious photovoltaic response, and ZnS/GN QFs-on-sheet heterostructures show higher photovoltage than that of ZnS/GN QDs-on-sheet.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUORESCENT Cu2S NANOPARTICLES EMBEDDED IN AMORPHOUS POLYSTYRENE

Very small Cu2S nanoparticles have been generated inside an amorphous polystyrene matrix by thermal decomposition of Cu(I) mercaptide molecules dissolved in the polymer. The resulting nanocomposite material was transparent, yellow colored, and characterized by a quite strong red luminescence. In particular, the sample photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed three excitation wavelengths and a quite broad emission band resulting from the combination of band-edge and trap-state emission. However, luminescence was not stable over the time and a quenching phenomenon was observed after a time period of ca. three months.

Trivinylphosphine and trivinylphosphine chalcogenides: stereochemical trends of ³¹P-¹H spin-spin coupling constants

A combined theoretical and experimental study of the stereochemical behavior of (31)P-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants has been performed in the series of trivinylphosphine and related trivinylphosphine oxide, sulfide and selenide. Theoretical energy-based conformational analysis of the title compounds performed at the MP2/6-311G** level reveals that each of the four compounds of this series exists in the equilibrium mixture of five true-minimum conformers, namely s-cis-s-cis-s-cis, s-cis-s-cis-gauche, syn-s-cis-gauche-gauche, anti-s-cis-gauche-gauche and gauche-gauche-gauche, which were taken into account in the conformational averaging of (31)P-(1)H spin-spin couplings calculated at the second-order polarization propagator approach/aug-cc-pVTZ-J level of theory. All (31)P-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants involving phosphorus and either of the vinyl protons are found to demonstrate a marked stereochemical dependences with respect to the geometry of the coupling pathway and internal rotation of the vinyl group around the P-C bond which is of major importance in the stereochemical studies of the unsaturated phosphines and phosphine chalcogenides.

Conformational analysis and stereochemical dependences of (31)P-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants of bis(2-phenethyl)vinylphosphine and related phosphine chalcogenides

Theoretical energy-based conformational analysis of bis(2-phenethyl)vinylphosphine and related phosphine oxide, sulfide and selenide synthesized from available secondary phosphine chalcogenides and vinyl sulfoxides is performed at the MP2/6-311G** level to study stereochemical behavior of their (31)P-(1)H spin-spin coupling constants measured experimentally and calculated at different levels of theory. All four title compounds are shown to exist in the equilibrium mixture of two conformers: major planar s-cis and minor orthogonal ones, while (31)P-(1) H spin-spin coupling constants under study are found to demonstrate marked stereochemical dependences with respect to the geometry of the coupling pathways, and to the internal rotation of the vinyl group around the P(X)-C bonds (X = LP, O, S and Se), opening a new guide in the conformational studies of unsaturated phosphines and phosphine chalcogenides.

Optical Properties of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)/ZnS Nanocomposites

Nanocomposites comprised of poly(3-alkyl thiophenes)(P3ATs)/semiconductor nanoparticles exhibited excellent photoelectricity performance due to contributions from both the P3ATs and the semiconductor nanoparticles. In this study, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was synthesized and P3HT/ZnS nanocomposites were prepared using an in-situ method. The ZnS nanoparticles exhibited strong quantum effect on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of P3HT/ZnS and the nanocomposites exhibit an enhanced PL and red-shifted emission with increasing ZnS content. The PL quenched at ZnS-to-3HT ratio of 9.92 1 10-2 mol mol-1. The charge-transfer process between P3HT and ZnS particles is discussed. The P3HT/ZnS composites also exhibited excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. The third-order NLO coefficient of P3HT/ZnS ( χ(3 ) = —6.76 1 10-12 esu) is higher than that of P3HT. The P3HT/ZnS nanocomposites have potential optical applications.

Effects of organic ligands, electrostatic and magnetic interactions in formation of colloidal and interfacial inorganic nanostructures

This paper discusses effects of organic ligands, electrostatic and magnetic interactions involved in morphological control of chemically synthesized inorganic nanostructures including colloid and planar systems. The special attention was concentrated on noble metal (gold and palladium) nanoparticles and nanostructures formed at the gas-liquid interface. The analysis of experimental data showed that electrostatic and ligand-related interactions influence very strongly on the metal nanostructure morphology. The hydrophobicity of ligand, charge and binding affinity to inorganic phase are important factors influencing the morphology of inorganic nanostructures formed in a layer at the gas/liquid interface by the interfacial synthesis method. The important point of this method is the quasi two-dimensional character of reaction area and possibilities to realize ultimately thin and anisotropic dynamic monomolecular reaction system with two-dimensional diffusion and interactions of precursors, intermediates and ligands resulting in planar growth and organization of inorganic nanoparticles and nanostructures in the plain of Langmuir monolayer. The morphology of resulting inorganic nanostructures can be controlled efficiently by variations of growth conditions via changes in state and composition of interfacial planar reaction media with the same precursor, and by variations of composition of adjacent bulk phases. The extreme anisotropy and heterogeneity of two-dimensional interfacial reaction system allows creating conditions when growing inorganic particles floating on the aqueous phase surface interact selectively with hydrophobic water-insoluble ligands in interfacial monolayer or with hydrophilic bulk-phase ligands, or at the same time with ligands of different nature present in monolayer and in aqueous phase. The spatial anisotropy of interfacial reaction system and non-homogeneity of ligand binding to inorganic phase gives possibilities for growth of integrated anisotropic nanostructures with unique morphologies, in particularly those characterized by very high surface/volume ratio, high effective perimeter, and labyrinth-like structure. In a case of magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in colloids specific magnetic dipolar interactions can result in formation of chains, rings and more complex nanoparticulate structures or separated highly anisotropic nanoparticles. Theoretical considerations indicate to the importance of system dimensionality in relation to the energy balance which determines specific features of structure organization in planar charged metallic and magnetic nanostructures. For example, a requirement of Coulomb energy minimum, the possibility of free electron redistribution and strengthened attractive interactions between particles in metallic nanostructures can explain formation of very branchy systems with extremely high "effective perimeter". The obtained experimental and literature data show that system dimensionality, organic ligand nature along with electrostatic and magnetic interactions are most important factors of morphological control of chemically synthesized inorganic nanomaterials. The understanding and appropriate exploitation of these factors can be useful for further developments of efficient nanofabrication techniques based on colloidal and interfacial synthetic methods.