Showing papers in "Nanotechnology in 2006"

A review on electrospinning design and nanofibre assemblies.

Abstract: Although there are many methods of fabricating nanofibres, electrospinning is perhaps the most versatile process. Materials such as polymer, composites, ceramic and metal nanofibres have been fabricated using electrospinning directly or through post-spinning processes. However, what makes electrospinning different from other nanofibre fabrication processes is its ability to form various fibre assemblies. This will certainly enhance the performance of products made from nanofibres and allow application specific modifications. It is therefore vital for us to understand the various parameters and processes that allow us to fabricate the desired fibre assemblies. Fibre assemblies that can be fabricated include nonwoven fibre mesh, aligned fibre mesh, patterned fibre mesh, random three-dimensional structures and sub-micron spring and convoluted fibres. Nevertheless, more studies are required to understand and precisely control the actual mechanics in the formation of various electrospun fibrous assemblies.

Hydrothermally grown oriented ZnO nanorod arrays for gas sensing applications

Abstract: C-axis vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were synthesized on a ZnO thin film through a simple hydrothermal route. The nanorods have a diameter of 30–100 nm and a length of about several hundred nanometres. The gas sensor fabricated from ZnO nanorod arrays showed a high sensitivity to H2 from room temperature to a maximum sensitivity at 250 °C and a detection limit of 20 ppm. In addition, the ZnO gas sensor also exhibited excellent responses to NH3 and CO exposure. Our results demonstrate that the hydrothermally grown vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays are very promising for the fabrication of cost effective and high performance gas sensors.

Luminescent nanomaterials for biological labelling

Abstract: The use of labelling or staining agents has greatly assisted the study of complex biological interactions in the field of biology. In particular, fluorescent labelling of biomolecules has been demonstrated as an indispensable tool in many biological studies. Types of fluorescent labelling agents that are commonly used include conventional classes of organic fluorophores such as fluorescein and cyanine dyes, as well as newer types of inorganic nanoparticles such as QDs, and novel fluorescent latex/silica nanobeads. The newer classes of fluorescent labels are gaining increasing popularity in place of their predecessors due to their better optical properties such as possessing an enhanced photostability and a larger Stokes shift over conventional organic fluorophores, for example. This paper gives an overview of the recent advances on these luminescent nanomaterials with emphases on their optical characteristics that are crucial in fluorescence microscopy, both advantages and limitations in their usage as well as challenges they face, and puts forward the future direction of fluorescent labels in the area of biolabelling.

Functional finishing of cotton fabrics using zinc oxide–soluble starch nanocomposites

Abstract: Zinc oxide–soluble starch nanocomposites (nano-ZnO) synthesized using water as a solvent and soluble starch as a stabilizer is impregnated onto cotton fabrics to impart antibacterial and UV-protection functions. Nano-ZnO synthesized by reacting zinc nitrate with sodium hydroxide in the presence of soluble starch absorbed strongly at 361 nm due to the quantum confinement effect. The average size of ZnO nanoparticles is estimated to be 38 ± 3 nm using a transmission electron microscope (TEM); this was confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis and the effective mass approximation method. The starch content in synthesized nano-ZnO was estimated to be 37.57% using thermo-gravimetric analysis. The nano-ZnO impregnated cotton fabrics showed excellent antibacterial activity against two representative bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram negative). Also, nano-ZnO impregnation enhanced the protection of cotton fabrics against UV radiation in comparison with the untreated cotton fabrics.

Effects of micro- and nano-structures on the self-cleaning behaviour of lotus leaves

Abstract: When rain falls on lotus leaves water beads up with a high contact angle. The water drops promptly roll off the leaves, collecting dirt along the way. This self-cleaning ability or lotus effect has, in recent years, stimulated much research effort worldwide for a variety of applications ranging from self-cleaning window glasses, paints, and fabrics to low friction surfaces. What are the mechanisms giving rise to the lotus effect? Although chemical composition and surface structure are believed important, a systematic experimental investigation of their effects is still lacking. By altering the surface structure of the leaves while keeping their chemical composition approximately the same, we report in this study the influence of micro- and nano-scale structures on the wetting behaviour of lotus leaves. The findings of this work may help design self-cleaning surfaces and improve our understanding of wetting mechanisms.

Contact angle, adhesion and friction properties of micro-and nanopatterned polymers for superhydrophobicity

Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces have considerable technological potential for various applications due to their extreme water-repellent properties. A number of studies have been carried out to produce artificial biomimetic roughness-induced hydrophobic surfaces. It is not clear whether microstructures or nanostructures or their certain combination on the surface, are required for superhydrophobicity. A variety of micro- and nanopatterned surfaces of two different polymers, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS), were fabricated. We show how static contact angles vary with micro- and nanopatterns on the polymer surfaces. Based on the experimental data and a numerical model, the trends are explained. Tribological properties play an important role in many applications requiring water-repellent properties. Therefore, it is important to study the adhesion and friction properties of these surfaces that mimic nature. An atomic/friction force microscope (AFM/FFM) was used for surface characterization and adhesion and friction measurements. To further examine the effect of meniscus force and real area of contact, scale dependence is considered with the use of AFM tips of various radii. The effect of relative humidity is also investigated to study the environmental effects on adhesion and friction.

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanowires and their integration into dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract: ZnO nanowires, grown on transparent conducting oxide substrates from aqueous solutions of methenamine and Zn(NO3)2, were integrated as the wide band gap semiconductor into dye-sensitized solar cells. ZnO nanowires and their growth mechanisms were studied using electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence measurements. The solution growth method forms dense arrays of long nanowires oriented normal to the substrate surface because nanowires growing at off-normal angles are prevented from growing further when they run into neighbouring wires. Dye-sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanowires were assembled and characterized using optical and electrical measurements. Short circuit current densities of 1.3?mA?cm?2, and overall power conversion efficiencies of 0.3% were achieved with 8??m long nanowires. Photocurrent and efficiency increase with increasing nanowire length and improved light harvesting. Low surface area and a shunt that appears under light illumination limit the solar cell performance. Internal quantum efficiencies were similar for nanowires of all lengths, indicating that electron transport is not limited by the nanowire dimensions for aspect ratios less than 70.

Unprecedented ultra-high hydrogen gas sensitivity in undoped titania nanotubes

Abstract: A highly ordered array of micron-length undoped titania nanotubes exhibits an unprecedented variation in electrical resistance of about 8.7 orders of magnitude (50 000 000 000%), at room temperature, when exposed to alternating atmospheres of nitrogen containing 1000 ppm hydrogen and air. This represents the largest known change in electrical properties of any material, to any gas, at any temperature. The nanotube arrays were fabricated using anodic oxidation of titanium foil in a pH 4.0 electrolyte containing potassium fluoride, sodium hydrogen sulfate monohydrate and sodium citrate tribasic dihydrate. The dramatic change in resistance is believed to be due to the highly active surface states on the nanoscale walls of the tubes, high surface area of the nanotube architecture, and the well-ordered geometry allowing for hydrogen-sensitive tube-to-tube electrical connections.

Optical amplification of photothermal therapy with gold nanoparticles and nanoclusters

Abstract: Recently, several groups (Anderson, Halas, Zharov, and their co-workers, 2003; El-Sayed and co-workers, 2006) demonstrated, through pioneering results, the great potential of photothermal (PT) therapy for the selective treatment of cancer cells, bacteria, viruses, and DNA targeted with gold nanospheres, nanoshells, nanorods, and nanosphere clusters. However, the current understanding of the relationship between the nanoparticle/cluster parameters (size, shape, particle/cluster structure, etc) and the efficiency of PT therapy is limited. Here, we report theoretical simulations aimed at finding the optimal single-particle and cluster structures to achieve its maximal absorption, which is crucial for PT therapeutic effects. To characterize the optical amplification in laser-induced thermal effects, we introduce relevant parameters such as the ratio of the absorption cross section to the gold mass of a single-particle structure and absorption amplification, defined as the ratio of cluster absorption to the total absorption of non-interacting particles. We consider the absorption efficiency of single nanoparticles (gold spheres, rods, and silica/gold nanoshells), linear chains, 2D lattice arrays, 3D random volume clusters, and the random aggregated N-particle ensembles on the outer surface of a larger dielectric sphere, which mimic aggregation of nanosphere bioconjugates on or within cancer cells. The cluster particles are bare or biopolymer-coated gold nanospheres. The light absorption of cluster structures is studied by using the generalized multiparticle Mie solution and the T-matrix method. The gold nanoshells with (silica core diameter)/(gold shell thickness) parameters of (50–100)/(3–8) nm and nanorods with minor/major sizes of (15–20)/(50–70) nm are shown to be more efficient PT labels and sensitizers than the equivolume solid single gold spheres. In the case of nanosphere clusters, the interparticle separations and the short linear-chain fragments are the main structural parameters determining the absorption efficiency and its spectral shifting to the red. Although we have not found a noticeable dependence of absorption amplification on the cluster sphere size, 20–40 nm particles are found to be most effective, in accordance with our experimental observations. The long-wavelength absorption efficiency of random clusters increases with the cluster particle number N at small N and reveals a saturation behaviour at N>20.

Drug-loaded electrospun mats of poly(vinyl alcohol) fibres and their release characteristics of four model drugs

Abstract: Mats of PVA nanofibres were successfully prepared by the electrospinning process and were developed as carriers of drugs for a transdermal drug delivery system. Four types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with varying water solubility property, i.e. sodium salicylate (freely soluble in water), diclofenac sodium (sparingly soluble in water), naproxen (NAP), and indomethacin (IND) (both insoluble in water), were selected as model drugs. The morphological appearance of the drug-loaded electrospun PVA mats depended on the nature of the model drugs. The 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance results confirmed that the electrospinning process did not affect the chemical integrity of the drugs. Thermal properties of the drug-loaded electrospun PVA mats were analysed by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The molecular weight of the model drugs played a major role on both the rate and the total amount of drugs released from the as-prepared drug-loaded electrospun PVA mats, with the rate and the total amount of the drugs released decreasing with increasing molecular weight of the drugs. Lastly, the drug-loaded electrospun PVA mats exhibited much better release characteristics of the model drugs than drug-loaded as-cast films.

High power density supercapacitor electrodes of carbon nanotube films by electrophoretic deposition

Abstract: Carbon nanotube thin films have been successfully fabricated by the electrophoretic deposition technique. The supercapacitors built from such thin film electrodes have a very small equivalent series resistance, and a high specific power density over 20 kW kg−1 was thus obtained. More importantly, the supercapacitors showed superior frequency response. Our study also demonstrated that these carbon nanotube thin films can serve as coating layers over ordinary current collectors to drastically enhance the electrode performance, indicating a huge potential in supercapacitor and battery manufacturing.

Equilibrium configuration and continuum elastic properties of finite sized graphene

Abstract: This paper presents a continuum mechanics approach to modelling the elastic deformation of finite graphene sheets based on Brenner's potential. The potential energy of the graphene sheet is minimized for determining the equilibrium configuration. The four edges of the initially rectangular graphene sheet become curved at the equilibrium configuration. The curving of the sides is attributed to smaller coordination number for the atoms at the edges compared to that of the interior atoms. Considering two graphene models, with only two or all four edges constrained to be straight, the continuum Young's moduli of graphene are computed applying the Cauchy–Born rule. The computed elastic constants of the graphene sheet are found to conform to orthotropic material behaviour. The computed constants differ considerably depending on whether a minimized or unminimized configuration is used for computation.

Structural and magnetic properties of uniform magnetite nanoparticles prepared by high temperature decomposition of organic precursors

Abstract: Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) of three different sizes below the limit for single domain magnetic behaviour have been obtained by thermal decomposition of an iron precursor in an organic medium in the presence of a surfactant. Good agreement between mean particle size obtained by TEM, crystal size calculated from x-ray diffraction and magnetic diameter calculated from magnetization curves measured at room temperature shows that the samples consist of uniform, crystalline and isolated magnetite nanoparticles with sizes between 5 and 11 nm. High saturation magnetization and high initial susceptibility values have been found, the latter decreasing as the particle size decreases. The main contribution to the anisotropy is magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropy, since surface anisotropy is suppressed by the oleic acid molecules which are covalently bonded to the nanoparticle surface.

Micro- and nanoscale characterization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic leaf surfaces

Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces as well as low adhesion and friction are desirable for various industrial applications. Certain plant leaves are known to be hydrophobic in nature due to their roughness and the presence of a thin wax film on the surface of the leaf. The purpose of this study is to fully characterize the leaf surfaces on the micro- and nanoscale while separating out the effects of the micro- and the nanobumps of hydrophobic leaves on the hydrophobicity. Hydrophilic leaves were also studied to better understand the role of wax and roughness. Furthermore, the adhesion and friction properties of hydrophobic and hydrophilic leaves were studied. Using an optical profiler and an atomic/friction force microscope (AFM/FFM), measurements were made to fully characterize the leaf surfaces. It is shown that the nanobumps play a more important role than the microbumps in the hydrophobic nature as well as friction of the leaf. This study will be useful in developing superhydrophobic surfaces.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using the polyol process and the influence of precursor injection.

Abstract: Spherical silver nanoparticles with various sizes and standard deviations were synthesized by the polyol process Two different synthesis methods were compared in order to investigate the influence of reaction parameters on the resulting particle size and its distribution In the precursor heating method, wherein a solution containing silver nitrate was heated to the reaction temperature, the ramping rate was determined to be a critical parameter affecting the particle size In contrast, in the precursor injection method, in which a silver nitrate aqueous solution was injected into hot ethylene glycol, because of rapid nucleation, the injection rate and the reaction temperature were important factors in terms of reducing the particle size and attaining monodispersity Silver nanoparticles with a size of 17 ? 2?nm were obtained at an injection rate of 25?ml?s?1 and a reaction temperature of 100??C

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties of CuO nanocrystals with various shapes

Abstract: CuO nanocrystals with different shapes, i.e.?irregular nanoparticles, nanobelts and nanoplatelets, have been synthesized by controlling a few critical synthesis parameters to explore their catalytic properties. It was found that the rate of CO oxidation on the nanoplatelets is over six times higher than that on the nanoparticles and about three times higher than that on the nanobelts at 110??C. Based on combined characterizations, such as BET, XRD, TEM, HRTEM and CO temperature-programmed reduction, the relationship between the catalytic reactivity and the shape as well as the predominantly exposed crystal planes of the CuO nanocrystals has been discussed.

Development of novel carbon nanotube reinforced magnesium nanocomposites using the powder metallurgy technique

Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced magnesium was synthesized using the powder metallurgy technique followed by hot extrusion. Up to 0.3 wt% of CNTs were added as reinforcements. The effects of the carbon nanotubes on the physical and mechanical properties of Mg were investigated. The thermo-mechanical property results show an increase in thermal stability with increasing amount of CNTs in the Mg nanocomposites. Mechanical property characterizations reveal an improvement of yield strength, ductility and work of fracture with higher weight percentages of CNTs incorporated. An attempt is made to correlate the physical and mechanical properties with the increasing weight fractions of carbon nanotubes in the pure Mg matrix.

Fabrication of nanopillars by nanosphere lithography

Abstract: A low cost nanosphere lithography method for patterning and generation of semiconductor nanostructures provides a potential alternative to the conventional top-down fabrication techniques. Forests of silicon pillars of sub-500 nm diameter and with an aspect ratio up to 10 were fabricated using a combination of the nanosphere lithography and deep reactive ion etching techniques. The nanosphere etch mask coated silicon substrates were etched using oxygen plasma and a time-multiplexed 'Bosch' process to produce nanopillars of different length, diameter and separation. Scanning electron microscopy data indicate that the silicon etch rates with the nanoscale etch masks decrease linearly with increasing aspect ratio of the resulting etch structures.

Large-scale production of carbon-coated copper nanoparticles for sensor applications.

Abstract: Copper nanoparticles with a mean carbon coating of about 1 nm were continuously produced at up to 10 g h−1 using a modified flame spray synthesis unit under highly reducing conditions. Raman spectroscopy and solid state 13C magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that the thin carbon layer consisted of a sp2-hybridized carbon modification in the form of graphene stacks. The carbon layer protected the copper nanoparticles from oxidation in air. Bulk pills of pressed carbon/copper nanoparticles displayed a highly pressure- and temperature-dependent electrical conductivity with sensitivity at least comparable to commercial materials. These properties suggest the use of thin carbon/copper nanocomposites as novel, low-cost sensor materials and offer a metal-based alternative to the currently used brittle oxidic spinels or perovskites.

Rapid synthesis of ZnO nano-rods by one-step, room-temperature, solid-state reaction and their gas-sensing properties

Abstract: ZnO nano-rods are prepared by one-step solid-state reaction of zinc acetate dihydrate, sodium hydroxide and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at room temperature. The samples are characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The gas-sensing properties of the prepared material have been investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared ZnO nano-rods are uniform with diameters of 10?30?nm and lengths of about 150?250?nm. The relatively high sensor signal and stability of sensors made from ZnO nano-rods demonstrate the potential for developing a new class of sensitive sensors.

Synthesis of polyethylenimine/NaYF4 nanoparticles with upconversion fluorescence

Abstract: Upconverting materials, which can be efficiently excited by near infrared light and emit strong visible light through a process termed 'upconversion fluorescence', have shown great potential for use in biological labelling and imaging. Some upconverting nanoparticles such as NaYF4 doped with lanthanide ions have been synthesized; however, these nanoparticles are not soluble in water, not biocompatible and do not have functional chemical groups for conjugation of biomolecules, and as a result their bioapplications are very limited unless some surface modifications are performed. Here we report a method for one-pot synthesis of polyethylenimine/NaYF4 nanoparticles doped with lanthanide ions, which are water soluble and biocompatible. The amino groups of polyethylenimine existing on the nanoparticles can be used for attachment of biomolecules. The nanoparticles showed a spherical shape with an average size of about 50 nm. Different lanthanide ions (Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+) were doped into the nanoparticles, which showed strong upconversion fluorescence of different colours in aqueous solutions under excitation at 980 nm.

Electrospinning of polymer nanofibres from multiple jets on a porous tubular surface

Abstract: A novel method for the electrospinning of multiple polymer jets into nanofibres is presented. In this work, 20 wt% nylon 6 solution was electrified and pushed by air pressure through the walls of a porous polyethylene tube. Multiple jets formed on the porous surface and electrospun into nanoscale fibres. The length weighted fibre diameters have a similar mean diameter to those from a single jet but broader in distribution. The mass production rate from the porous tube is 250 times greater than from a typical single jet.

Backside illuminated dye-sensitized solar cells based on titania nanotube array electrodes

Abstract: Backside illuminated solar cells based on 6 µm long highly-ordered nanotube-array films sensitized by a self-assembled monolayer of bis(tetrabutylammonium)-cis-(dithiocyanato)- N,N'-bis(4-carboxylato-4'-carboxylic acid-2, 2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (commonly called 'N719') show a short-circuit current density of 8.79 mA cm−2, 841 mV open circuit potential and a 0.57 fill factor yielding a power conversion efficiency of 4.24% under AM 1.5 sun. The solvent used to infiltrate the dye into the nanotube arrays, made by potentiostatic anodization of a titanium foil, was found to significantly influence the electrical characteristics of the resulting solar cell. A superior photoresponse was obtained with acetonitrile as the dye solvent. This is attributed to the improved wetting characteristics of the dye solution in acetonitrile enabling self-assembled monolayers with higher surface coverage to be formed inside the nanotubes. In comparison to nanocrystalline films, the nanotube-array films consistently exhibit larger open circuit photovoltage values; the origins of this enhancement are discussed.

Electrospun polymer nanofibres with small diameters.

Abstract: Nylon-4,6 nanofibres with diameters ranging from about 1 µm down to 1 nm were prepared by electrospinning. The fibre diameter was varied by adjusting the concentration of the polymer solution. Electrospinning of a concentrated solution of as high as 20% nylon-4,6 by weight in formic acid produced a ribbon-like electrospun fibre with a ribbon width of about 850 nm. A semi-dilute concentration of 2% nylon-4,6 by weight produced the thinnest nylon-4,6 nanofibres with diameters of 1.6 nm or less. A small amount of pyridine was added to the electrospinning solution to avoid the formation of beaded nanofibres in the course of electrospinning at low concentrations. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the size of the nanofibres. An ultra-thin nylon-4,6 nanofibre of 1.2 nm diameter might contain six or seven nylon-4,6 molecules in a typical cross-section of the fibre.

Effective amino-functionalization of carbon nanotubes for reinforcing epoxy polymer composites

Abstract: An effective functionalization method was investigated to take full advantage of the exceptional performance of both carbon nanotubes and epoxy polymer for composite application. Epoxy polymer curing agent, EPI-W, was grafted to the single-walled carbon nanotubes through diazotization. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamical mechanical analysis and thermo-gravimetric analysis were performed to characterize the functionalization effect. The degree of functionalization was estimated to be 1 in 50 carbons in the nanotube framework. The elastic modulus of the nanocomposite was enhanced 24.6% with only 0.5 wt% loading of functionalized carbon nanotubes, in contrast to the 3.2% increase of un-functionalized carbon nanotube reinforced composite. This significant improvement suggested an effective way to realize an industrial application of nanotubes reinforcing epoxy composite.

Morphological evolution of Au nanowires controlled by Rayleigh instability

Abstract: A sound knowledge and understanding of the thermal stability of nanowires is a prerequisite for the reliable implementation of nanowire-based devices. We investigate the morphology of Au nanowires annealed isothermally at different temperatures. During the processes, triggered by heating, the wires undergo various configurational changes to finally break up into chains of nanospheres at much lower than bulk melting temperatures due to capillary or so-called Rayleigh instability. The role of three parameters, namely, wire diameter, temperature, and annealing time, on the final morphology is investigated. Both the average sphere diameter and the mean spacing between adjacent spheres are larger than the values predicted for materials with isotropic surface energy. Possible reasons are discussed in the paper.

Making silicon hydrophobic: wettability control by two-lengthscale simultaneous patterning with femtosecond laser irradiation

Abstract: We report on the wettability properties of silicon surfaces, simultaneously structured on the micrometre-scale and the nanometre-scale by femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation to render silicon hydrophobic. By varying the laser fluence, it was possible to control the wetting properties of a silicon surface through a systematic and reproducible variation of the surface roughness. In particular, the silicon–water contact angle could be increased from 66° to more than 130°. Such behaviour is described by incomplete liquid penetration within the silicon features, still leaving partially trapped air inside. We also show how controllable design and tailoring of the surface microstructures by wettability gradients can drive the motion of the drop's centre of mass towards a desired direction (even upwards).

Analysis of the inter- and extracellular formation of platinum nanoparticles by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici using response surface methodology.

Abstract: Fusarium oxysporum fungal strain was screened and found to be successful for the inter- and extracellular production of platinum nanoparticles. Nanoparticle formation was visually observed, over time, by the colour of the extracellular solution and/or the fungal biomass turning from yellow to dark brown, and their concentration was determined from the amount of residual hexachloroplatinic acid measured from a standard curve at 456 nm. The extracellular nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Nanoparticles of varying size (10–100 nm) and shape (hexagons, pentagons, circles, squares, rectangles) were produced at both extracellular and intercellular levels by the Fusarium oxysporum. The particles precipitate out of solution and bioaccumulate by nucleation either intercellularly, on the cell wall/membrane, or extracellularly in the surrounding medium. The importance of pH, temperature and hexachloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) concentration in nanoparticle formation was examined through the use of a statistical response surface methodology. Only the extracellular production of nanoparticles proved to be statistically significant, with a concentration yield of 4.85 mg l−1 estimated by a first-order regression model. From a second-order polynomial regression, the predicted yield of nanoparticles increased to 5.66 mg l−1 and, after a backward step, regression gave a final model with a yield of 6.59 mg l−1.

Metallic NEMS components fabricated from nanocomposite Al–Mo films

Abstract: We have fabricated fully released nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) cantilevers of various geometries from metallic alloy nanocomposite films. At thicknesses of 4.3 and 20.0 nm, these are the thinnest released metal cantilevers reported in the literature to date. Such device dimensions are very difficult to achieve using conventional metal films. We were able to overcome this limitation by using room-temperature co-sputtering to synthesize nanocomposite alloy films of Al–Mo. A systematic investigation of microstructure and properties as a function of Mo content resulted in an optimum film composition of Al–32 at.%Mo with a unique microstructure comprising a dense distribution of nano-scale Mo crystallites dispersed in an amorphous Al-rich matrix. These films were found to exhibit unusually high nanoindentation hardness and a very significant reduction in roughness compared with pure Al, while maintaining resistivity in the metallic range. A single-anchored cantilever 5 µm long, 800 nm wide and 20 nm thick showed a resonance frequency of 608 kHz, yielding a Young's modulus of 112 GPa, in good agreement with a reduced modulus of 138 GPa measured by nanoindentation.

Synthesis and low-temperature photoluminescence properties of SnO2 nanowires and nanobelts.

Abstract: Ultra-long rutile tin dioxide nanowires and nanobelts are synthesized by thermal oxidation of tin powder using gold film as the catalyst. Nanowire or nanobelts can be selectively produced by tuning the reaction temperature. The vapour-liquid-solid growth mechanism is proposed. The band gaps of the nanowires and nanobelts are 3.74 and 3.81 eV respectively, determined from UV/visible absorption spectral results. The SnO2 nanowires show stable photoluminescence with two emission peaks centred at around 470 and 560 nm. Their wavelengths stay almost fixed while their intensities depend sensitively on the temperatures within the examination ranges from 10 to 300 K. The SnO2 nanobelts show similar photoluminescence behaviours and the origin of the luminescence is discussed.