1
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Jimenéz-Calvo P, Naciri Y, Sobolewska A, Isaacs M, Zhang Y, Leforestier A, Degrouard J, Rouzière S, Goldmann C, Vantelon D, Hettler S, Zaluzec NJ, Arenal R, Launois P, Ghazzal MN, Paineau E. Ti-Modified Imogolite Nanotubes as Promising Photocatalyst 1D Nanostructures for H 2 Production. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301369. [PMID: 38085685 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
Imogolite nanotubes (INTs) are predicted as a unique 1D material with spatial separation of conduction and valence band edges but their large band gaps have inhibited their use as photocatalysts. The first step toward using these NTs in photocatalysis and exploiting the polarization-promoted charge separation across their walls is to reduce their band gap. Here, the modification of double-walled aluminogermanate INTs by incorporation of titanium into the NT walls is explored. The precursor ratio x = [Ti]/([Ge]+[Ti]) is modulated between 0 and 1. Structural and optical properties are determined at different scales and the photocatalytic performance is evaluated for H2 production. Although the incorporation of Ti atoms into the structure remains limited, the optimal condition is found around x = 0.4 for which the resulting NTs reveal a remarkable hydrogen production of ≈1500 µmol g-1 after 5 h for a noble metal-free photocatalyst, a 65-fold increase relative to a commercial TiO2-P25. This is correlated to a lowering of the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers for the most active structures. These results confirm the theoretical predictions regarding the potential of modified INTs as photoactive nanoreactors and pave the way for investigating and exploiting their polarization properties for energy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Jimenéz-Calvo
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Yassine Naciri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Anna Sobolewska
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Mark Isaacs
- HarwellXPS, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, 0X11 0QX, UK
| | - Amélie Leforestier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Jéril Degrouard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Stéphan Rouzière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Claire Goldmann
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Delphine Vantelon
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, 91192, France
| | - Simon Hettler
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
| | - Nestor J Zaluzec
- Argonne National Laboratory / Photon Science Directorate, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Raul Arenal
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
- Araid Foundation, Zaragoza, E-50018, Spain
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Mohamed Nawfal Ghazzal
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR 8000, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, 91405, France
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Hotton C, Le Roux L, Goldmann C, Rouzière S, Launois P, Bizien T, Paineau E. Colloidal phase behavior of high aspect ratio clay nanotubes in symmetric and asymmetric electrolytes. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 664:857-867. [PMID: 38493651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Imogolite nanotubes (INTs) are unique anisometric particles with monodisperse nanometric diameters. Aluminogermanate double-walled INTs (Ge-DWINTs) are obtained with variable aspect ratios by controlling the synthesis conditions. It thus appears as an interesting model system to investigate how aspect ratio and ionic valence influence the colloidal behavior of highly anisometric rods. EXPERIMENTS The nanotubes were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment for 5 or 20 days to modify the aspect ratio while the electrostatic interactions were investigated by comparing the colloidal stability in symmetric and asymmetric electrolytes. The phase behavior and their related microstructure were determined by optical observations and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements, coupled with interparticle distance modelling. FINDINGS We revealed that colloidal suspensions of Ge-DWINTs prepared in NaCl are guided by repulsive double layer forces, undergoing different liquid crystal phase transitions before stiffen into a glass-like state. We found that the microstructure can be rationalized by taking into account the anisometric nature of the particles. By contrast, dispersions prepared with asymmetric electrolytes are governed by strong attractive forces and thus form space-filling gels containing large nanotubes aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hotton
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France.
| | - Léna Le Roux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Claire Goldmann
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Stéphan Rouzière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Thomas Bizien
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France.
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3
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Paineau E, Bourdelle F, Bhandary R, Truche L, Lorgeoux C, Bacia-Verloop M, Monet G, Rouzière S, Vantelon D, Briois V, Launois P. Nonclassical Growth Mechanism of Double-Walled Metal-Oxide Nanotubes Implying Transient Single-Walled Structures. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308665. [PMID: 38229562 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The formation of imogolite nanotubes is reported to be a kinetic process involving intermediate roof-tile nanostructures. Here, the structural evolution occurring during the synthesis of aluminogermanate double-walled imogolite nanotubes is in situ monitored, thanks to an instrumented autoclave allowing the control of the temperature, the continuous measurement of pH and pressure, and the regular sampling of gas and solution. Chemical analyses confirm the completion of the precursor's conversion with the release of CO2, ethanol, and dioxane as main side products. The combination of microscopic observations, infrared, and absorption spectroscopies with small and wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments unravel a unique growth mechanism implying transient single-walled nanotubes instead of the self-assembly of stacked proto-imogolite tiles. The growth formation of these transient nanotubes is followed at the molecular level by Quick-X-ray absoprtion specotrscopy experiments. Multivariate data analysis evidences that the near neighboring atomic environment of Ge evolves from monotonous to a more complex one as the reaction progresses. The following transformation into a double-walled nanotube takes place at a nearly constant mean radius, as demonstrated by the simulation of X-ray scattering diagrams. Overall, transient nanotubes appear to serve for the anchoring of a new wall, corresponding to a mechanism radically different from that proposed in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwan Paineau
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Franck Bourdelle
- GEC Laboratoire Géosciences & Environnement Cergy, CY Cergy Paris Université, Neuville-sur-Oise, 95000, France
| | - Rajesh Bhandary
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
- Macromolecular Chemistry, Division of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science II (Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, D-06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Laurent Truche
- CNRS, ISTerre, University Grenoble Alpes, CS 40700, Grenoble, 38058, France
| | - Catherine Lorgeoux
- GeoRessources, UMR 7359 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Campus Aiguillettes, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, 54506, France
| | - Maria Bacia-Verloop
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA, CNRS, Université de Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38027, France
| | - Geoffrey Monet
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
- Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, ENS, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - Stéphan Rouzière
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Delphine Vantelon
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, 91192, France
| | - Valérie Briois
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, 91192, France
| | - Pascale Launois
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, 91405, France
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Naciri Y, Ghazzal MN, Paineau E. Nanosized tubular clay minerals as inorganic nanoreactors for energy and environmental applications: A review to fill current knowledge gaps. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 326:103139. [PMID: 38552380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Modern society pays further and further attention to environmental protection and the promotion of sustainable energy solutions. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is widely recognized as one of the most economically viable and ecologically sound technologies to combat environmental pollution and the global energy crisis. One challenge is finding a suitable photocatalytic material for an efficient process. Inorganic nanotubes have garnered attention as potential candidates due to their optoelectronic properties, which differ from their bulk equivalents. Among them, clay nanotubes (halloysite, imogolite, and chrysotile) are attracting renewed interest for photocatalysis applications thanks to their low production costs, their unique physical and chemical properties, and the possibility to functionalize or dope their structure to enhance charge-carriers separation into their structure. In this review, we provide new insights into the potential of these inorganic nanotubes in photocatalysis. We first discuss the structural and morphological features of clay nanotubes. Applications of photocatalysts based on clay nanotubes across a range of photocatalytic reactions, including the decomposition of organic pollutants, elimination of NOx, production of hydrogen, and disinfection of bacteria, are discussed. Finally, we highlight the obstacles and outline potential avenues for advancing the current photocatalytic system based on clay nanotubes. Our aim is that this review can offer researchers new opportunities to advance further research in the field of clay nanotubes-based photocatalysis with other vital applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassine Naciri
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UMR8000, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Mohamed Nawfal Ghazzal
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UMR8000, Institut de Chimie Physique, Orsay 91405, France.
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France.
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5
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Moore JF, Paineau E, Launois P, Shaffer MSP. Wet spinning imogolite nanotube fibres: an in situ process study. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:3376-3385. [PMID: 37325537 PMCID: PMC10263001 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00013c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Imogolite nanotubes (INTs) form transparent aqueous liquid-crystalline solutions, with strong birefringence and X-ray scattering power. They provide an ideal model system for studying the assembly of one-dimensional nanomaterials into fibres, as well as offering interesting properties in their own right. Here, in situ polarised optical microscopy is used to study the wet spinning of pure INTs into fibres, illustrating the influence of process variables during extrusion, coagulation, washing and drying on both structure and mechanical properties. Tapered spinnerets were shown to be significantly more effective than thin cylindrical channels for forming homogeneous fibres; a result related to simple capillary rheology by fitting a shear thinning flow model. The washing step has a strong influence of structure and properties, combining the removal of residual counter-ions and structural relaxation to produce a less aligned, denser and more networked structure; the timescales and scaling behavior of the processes are compared quantitatively. Both strength and stiffness are higher for INT fibres with a higher packing fraction and lower degree of alignment, indicating the importance of forming a rigid jammed network to transfer stress through these porous, rigid rod assemblies. The electrostatically-stabilised, rigid rod INT solutions were successfully cross-linked using multivalent anions, providing robust gels, potentially useful in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Moore
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London Exhibition Road SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides 91405 Orsay France
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides 91405 Orsay France
| | - Milo S P Shaffer
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London Exhibition Road SW7 2AZ UK
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London 82 Wood Lane W12 0BZ UK
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6
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Poirier A, Le Griel P, Hoffmann I, Perez J, Pernot P, Fresnais J, Baccile N. Ca 2+ and Ag + orient low-molecular weight amphiphile self-assembly into "nano-fishnet" fibrillar hydrogels with unusual β-sheet-like raft domains. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:378-393. [PMID: 36562421 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01218a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Low-molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) are small molecules (Mw < ∼1 kDa), which form self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFiN) hydrogels in water when triggered by an external stimulus. A great majority of SAFiN gels involve an entangled network of self-assembled fibers, in analogy to a polymer in a good solvent. In some rare cases, a combination of attractive van der Waals and repulsive electrostatic forces drives the formation of bundles with a suprafibrillar hexagonal order. In this work, an unexpected micelle-to-fiber transition is triggered by Ca2+ or Ag+ ions added to a micellar solution of a novel glycolipid surfactant, whereas salt-induced fibrillation is not common for surfactants. The resulting SAFiN, which forms a hydrogel above 0.5 wt%, has a "nano-fishnet" structure, characterized by a fibrous network of both entangled fibers and β-sheet-like rafts, generally observed for silk fibroin, actin hydrogels or mineral imogolite nanotubes, but not known for SAFiNs. The β-sheet-like raft domains are characterized by a combination of cryo-TEM and SAXS and seem to contribute to the stability of glycolipid gels. Furthermore, glycolipid is obtained by fermentation from natural resources (glucose, rapeseed oil), thus showing that naturally engineered compounds can have unprecedented properties, when compared to the wide range of chemically derived amphiphiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Poirier
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Patrick Le Griel
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | | | - Javier Perez
- Synchrotron Soleil, L'Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP48, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Petra Pernot
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Jérôme Fresnais
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX - UMR 8234, F-75252, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Niki Baccile
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
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7
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Poirier A, Le Griel P, Bizien T, Zinn T, Pernot P, Baccile N. Shear recovery and temperature stability of Ca 2+ and Ag + glycolipid fibrillar metallogels with unusual β-sheet-like domains. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:366-377. [PMID: 36508178 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00374k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Low-molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) are small molecules (Mw < ∼1 kDa), which form self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFiN) hydrogels in water. A great majority of SAFiN gels are described by an entangled network of self-assembled fibers, in analogy to a polymer in a good solvent. Here, fibrillation of a biobased glycolipid bolaamphiphile is triggered by Ca2+ or Ag+ ions which are added to its diluted micellar phase. The resulting SAFiN, which forms a hydrogel above 0.5 wt%, has a "nano-fishnet" structure, characterized by a fibrous network of both entangled fibers and β-sheet-like rafts, generally observed for silk fibroin, actin hydrogels or mineral imogolite nanotubes, but generally not known for SAFiN. This work focuses on the strength of the SAFIN gels, their fast recovery after applying a mechanical stimulus (strain) and their unusual resistance to temperature, studied by coupling rheology to small angle X-ray scattering (rheo-SAXS) using synchrotron radiation. The Ca2+-based hydrogel maintains its properties up to 55 °C, while the Ag+-based gel shows a constant elastic modulus up to 70 °C, without the appearance of any gel-to-sol transition temperature. Furthermore, the glycolipid is obtained by fermentation from natural resources (glucose and rapeseed oil), thus showing that naturally engineered compounds can have unprecedented properties, when compared to the wide range of chemically derived amphiphiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Poirier
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Patrick Le Griel
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
| | - Thomas Bizien
- Synchrotron Soleil, L'Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, BP48, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Thomas Zinn
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Petra Pernot
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Niki Baccile
- Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, LCMCP, F-75005 Paris, France.
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8
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Rouzière S, Balédent V, Paineau E, Elkaim E, Bizien T, Nataf L, Pan Y, Launois P. Compressibility and Structural Transformations of Aluminogermanate Imogolite Nanotubes under Hydrostatic Pressure. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:957-966. [PMID: 36595652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We present in situ pressure experiments on aluminogermanate nanotubes studied by X-ray scattering and absorption spectroscopy measurements. Structural transformations under hydrostatic pressure below 10 GPa are investigated as a function of the morphology, organization, or functionalization of the nanotubes. Radial deformations, ovalization for isolated nanotubes, and hexagonalization when they are bundled are evidenced. Radial collapse of single-walled nanotubes is shown to occur, in contrast to the double-walled nanotubes. The effect of the transmitting pressure medium used on the collapse onset pressure value is demonstrated. Axial Young's moduli are determined for isolated (400 GPa) and bundled (600 GPa) single-walled nanotubes, double-walled nanotubes (440 GPa), and methylated single-walled nanotubes (200 GPa).
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rouzière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405Orsay cedex, France
| | - V Balédent
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405Orsay cedex, France
| | - E Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405Orsay cedex, France
| | - E Elkaim
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des merisiers, Saint Aubin, BP 48, 91192Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - T Bizien
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des merisiers, Saint Aubin, BP 48, 91192Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - L Nataf
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'Orme des merisiers, Saint Aubin, BP 48, 91192Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Y Pan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405Orsay cedex, France
| | - P Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405Orsay cedex, France
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9
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Martin-Gassin G, Paineau E, Launois P, Gassin PM. Water Organization around Inorganic Nanotubes in Suspension Probed by Polarization-Resolved Second Harmonic Scattering. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:6883-6888. [PMID: 35862242 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Imogolite nanotube (INT) is a fascinating one-dimensional (1D) material that can be synthesized in the liquid phase. Its behavior in solution is crucial for many applications and depends on the organization of water at the liquid-wall interface. We study here this water organization by using the nonlinear optical technique of polarization-resolved second harmonic scattering (SHS). A microscopic model is proposed to interpret the origin of the coherent SHS signal recovered in this 1D colloidal system. This work demonstrates that the SHS technique is able to probe the shell of water molecules oriented around the nanotubes. Water organization results from the electric field induced by the nanotube walls, and it is strongly dependent on the ionic strength of the suspension.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405 Orsay, France
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10
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Cavallaro G, Lazzara G, Pignon F, Chiappisi L, Paineau E. Effect of Polymer Length on the Adsorption onto Aluminogermanate Imogolite Nanotubes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:9858-9864. [PMID: 34369144 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study evidences the adsorption of model nonionic polymers onto aluminogermanate imogolite nanotubes, attractive porous nanofillers with potential molecular loading and release applications. We resolve the underlying mechanisms between nanotubes and polyethylene glycols with different molecular weights by means of nanoisothermal titration calorimetry. The analysis of the results provides a direct thermodynamic characterization, allowing us to propose a detailed description of the energetics involved in the formation of polymer/imogolite complexes. The affinity toward the nanotube surface is enthalpy-driven and strongly depends on the polymer chain length, which significantly affects the polymer configuration and the flow properties of the resulting complexes, probed by small-angle neutron scattering and rheology, respectively. These findings open new avenues for the rational design of these hybrid mixtures for advanced applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Cavallaro
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, pad. 17, Palermo 90128, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lazzara
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, pad. 17, Palermo 90128, Italy
| | - Frédéric Pignon
- Laboratoire de Rhéologie et Procédés, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP (Institut of Engineering Univ. Grenoble-Alpes), Grenoble F-38000, France
| | | | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay 91405, France
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11
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Hamon C, Beaudoin E, Launois P, Paineau E. Doping Liquid Crystals of Colloidal Inorganic Nanotubes by Additive-Free Metal Nanoparticles. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:5052-5058. [PMID: 34019414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Doping liquid-crystal phases with nanoparticles is a fast-growing field with potential breakthroughs due to the combination of the properties brought by the two components. One of the main challenges remains the long-term stability of the hybrid system, requiring complex functionalization of the nanoparticles at the expense of their self-assembly properties. Here we demonstrate the successful synthesis of additive-free noble-metal nanoparticles at the surface of charged inorganic nanotubes. Transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy confirm the stabilization of metallic nanoparticles on nanotubes. Meanwhile, the spontaneous formation of liquid-crystals phases induced by the nanotubes is observed, even after surface modification with metallic nanoparticles. Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal that the average interparticle distance in the resulting hybrids can be easily modulated by controlling electrostatic interactions. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for the preparation of homogeneous transparent hybrid films with a high degree of alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Hamon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Emmanuel Beaudoin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405, Orsay, France
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Moore J, Paineau E, Launois P, Shaffer MSP. Continuous Binder-Free Fibers of Pure Imogolite Nanotubes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:17940-17947. [PMID: 33830735 PMCID: PMC8153543 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c00971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Imogolite nanotubes (INTs) display a range of useful properties and provide an ideal material system to study the assembly of nanomaterials into macroscopic fibers. A method of wet spinning pure, binder-free imogolite fibers has been developed using double-walled germanium imogolite nanotubes. The nanotube aspect ratio can be controlled during the initial synthesis and is critical to the spinning process. Fibers made from short nanotubes (<100 nm) have very low gel strengths, while dopes with longer nanotubes (500-1000 nm) are readily spinnable. The tensile behavior of the resulting imogolite nanotube fibers is strongly influenced by relative humidity (RH), with a modulus of 30 GPa at 10% RH compared to 2.8 GPa at 85% RH, as well as a change in failure mode. This result highlights the importance of inter-nanotube interactions in such assemblies and provides a useful strategy for further exploration. Interestingly, in the absence of a matrix phase, a degree of misorientation appears to improve load transfer between the individual INTs within the porous fiber, likely due to an increase in the number of interparticle contacts. Imogolite nanotubes are an appealing analogue to other nanotube fiber systems, and it is hoped that learnings from this system can also be used to improve carbon nanotube fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph
F. Moore
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Erwan Paineau
- Université
Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Pascale Launois
- Université
Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Milo S. P. Shaffer
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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Termination Effects in Aluminosilicate and Aluminogermanate Imogolite Nanotubes: A Density Functional Theory Study. CRYSTALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst10111051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigate termination effects in aluminosilicate (AlSi) and aluminogermanate (AlGe) imogolite nanotubes (NTs) by means of semi-local and range-corrected hybrid Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations. Following screening and identification of the smallest finite model capable of accommodating full relaxation of the NT terminations around an otherwise geometrically and electrostatically unperturbed core region, we quantify and discuss the effects of physical truncation on the structure, relative energy, electrostatics and electronic properties of differently terminated, finite-size models of the NTs. In addition to composition-dependent changes in the valence (VB) and conduction band (CB) edges and resultant band gap (BG), the DFT simulations uncover longitudinal band bending and separation in the finite AlSi and AlGe models. Depending on the given termination of the NTs, such longitudinal effects manifest in conjunction with the radial band separation typical of fully periodic AlSi and AlGe NTs. The strong composition dependence of the longitudinal and radial band bending in AlSi and AlGe NTs suggests different mechanisms for the generation, relaxation and separation of photo-generated holes in AlSi and AlGe NTs, inviting further research in the untapped potential of imogolite compositional and structural flexibility for photo-catalytic applications.
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