Although gold is the subject of one of the most ancient themes of investigation in science, its renaissance now leads to an exponentially increasing number of publications, especially in the context of emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology with nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). We will limit the present review to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), also called gold colloids. AuNPs are the most stable metal nanoparticles, and they present fascinating aspects such as their assembly of multiple types involving materials science, the behavior of the individual particles, size-related electronic, magnetic and optical properties (quantum size effect), and their applications to catalysis and biology. Their promises are in these fields as well as in the bottom-up approach of nanotechnology, and they will be key materials and building block in the 21st century. Whereas the extraction of gold started in the 5th millennium B.C. near Varna (Bulgaria) and reached 10 tons per year in Egypt around 1200-1300 B.C. when the marvelous statue of Touthankamon was constructed, it is probable that “soluble” gold appeared around the 5th or 4th century B.C. in Egypt and China. In antiquity, materials were used in an ecological sense for both aesthetic and curative purposes. Colloidal gold was used to make ruby glass 293 Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 293−346

Gold nanoparticles: assembly, supramolecular chemistry, quantum-size-related properties, and applications toward biology, catalysis, and nanotechnology.

Polydopamine and Its Derivative Materials: Synthesis and Promising Applications in Energy, Environmental, and Biomedical Fields

Approaches, Derivatives and Applications Vasilios Georgakilas,† Michal Otyepka,‡ Athanasios B. Bourlinos,‡ Vimlesh Chandra, Namdong Kim, K. Christian Kemp, Pavel Hobza,‡,§,⊥ Radek Zboril,*,‡ and Kwang S. Kim* †Institute of Materials Science, NCSR “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi Attikis, 15310 Athens, Greece ‡Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic Center for Superfunctional Materials, Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyojadong, Namgu, Pohang 790-784, Korea Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Flemingovo naḿ. 2, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic

Functionalization of Graphene: Covalent and Non-Covalent Approaches, Derivatives and Applications

Graphene has attracted tremendous research interest in recent years, owing to its exceptional properties. The scaled-up and reliable production of graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), offers a wide range of possibilities to synthesize graphene-based functional materials for various applications. This critical review presents and discusses the current development of graphene-based composites. After introduction of the synthesis methods for graphene and its derivatives as well as their properties, we focus on the description of various methods to synthesize graphene-based composites, especially those with functional polymers and inorganic nanostructures. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for the optimization of composite properties. Lastly, the advantages of graphene-based composites in applications such as the Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, photovoltaic devices, photocatalysis, as well as Raman enhancement are described (279 references).

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Graphene-based composites

We review the present state of polymer nanocomposites research in which the fillers are single-wall or multiwall carbon nanotubes. By way of background we provide a brief synopsis about carbon nanotube materials and their suspensions. We summarize and critique various nanotube/polymer composite fabrication methods including solution mixing, melt mixing, and in situ polymerization with a particular emphasis on evaluating the dispersion state of the nanotubes. We discuss mechanical, electrical, rheological, thermal, and flammability properties separately and how these physical properties depend on the size, aspect ratio, loading, dispersion state, and alignment of nanotubes within polymer nanocomposites. Finally, we summarize the current challenges to and opportunities for efficiently translating the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes to polymer matrices in hopes of facilitating progress in this emerging area.

Polymer Nanocomposites Containing Carbon Nanotubes

Dual-brush-type amphiphilic triblock copolymer with intact epoxide functional groups from consecutive RAFT polymerizations and ATRP

Silica@polymer core−shell hybrid nanospheres and air@polymer hollow nanospheres with surface-grafted binary polymer brushes were synthesized by a combination of sol−gel reaction, distillation−precipitation polymerization, and dual “click” reactions (alkyne−azide and thiol−ene “click” chemistry). Initially, 179 nm silica@poly(methacrylic acid-co-propargyl methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) (SiO2@P(MAA-co-PMA-co-DVB)) core−shell hybrid nanospheres were prepared by distillation−precipitation copolymerization of MAA, PMA, and DVB in acetonitrile, using the 151 nm silica nanospheres from sol−gel reaction as templates. The propargyl groups from PMA and residual C═C double bonds from DVB on the SiO2@P(MAA-co-PMA-co-DVB) core−shell hybrid nanospheres provided dual clickable functionalities for the respective alkyne−azide and thiol−ene reactions with the azido-terminated hydrophobic polystyrene (PS-N3, Mn = 2550 g/mol) and thiol-terminated hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-SH, Mn = 5000 g/mol). Finally, hairy ho...

Binary Polymer Brushes on Silica@Polymer Hybrid Nanospheres and Hollow Polymer Nanospheres by Combined Alkyne−Azide and Thiol−Ene Surface Click Reactions

Plasma protein adsorption and thrombus formation on surface functionalized polypyrrole with and without electrical stimulation.

Narrowly Dispersed Double-Walled Concentric Hollow Polymeric Microspheres with Independent pH and Temperature Sensitivity

Bulk modification of polypyrrole (PPY) with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was carried out by the electropolymerization of pyrrole in the presence of PVA in the reaction solution, with tetraethylammonium perchlorate (TEAP) as the electrolyte. The surface morphology of the as-synthesized PPY-TEAP-PVA film was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, and the film was further characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrical conductivity, the water contact angle, and BET surface area measurements. The PPY-TEAP-PVA composite is electrically conductive, hydrophilic, and microporous with a high surface area. Its potential as a biomaterial was investigated with respect to its blood compatibility and function as a substrate for biosensor fabrication and cell culture. The presence of PVA in the film attenuates blood protein adsorption, and the porous nature of the PPY-TEAP-PVA film results in a 10-fold increase in the amount of glucose oxidase covalently immobilized on the film over that on a nonporous PPY film. PC12 cell attachment and growth on the PPY-TEAP-PVA film was also shown to be enhanced compared with that on tissue culture polystyrene. The attached cells proliferated and formed a monolayer on the film surface after 48 h of seeding.

En-Tang Kang

Papers

Dual-brush-type amphiphilic triblock copolymer with intact epoxide functional groups from consecutive RAFT polymerizations and ATRP

Binary Polymer Brushes on Silica@Polymer Hybrid Nanospheres and Hollow Polymer Nanospheres by Combined Alkyne−Azide and Thiol−Ene Surface Click Reactions

Plasma protein adsorption and thrombus formation on surface functionalized polypyrrole with and without electrical stimulation.

Narrowly Dispersed Double-Walled Concentric Hollow Polymeric Microspheres with Independent pH and Temperature Sensitivity

Porous and electrically conductive polypyrrole−poly(vinyl alcohol) composite and its applications as a biomaterial