Volume 232, Issue 9-11 - Special Issue: Dedicated to Alexander Eychmüller on the occasion of his 60th birthday / Guest Editors: Nadja C. Bigall and Nikolai Gaponik

In this review, we highlight the role of halogenated compounds in the colloidal synthesis of nanostructured semiconductors. Halogen-containing metallic salts used as precursors and halogenated hydrocarbons used as ligands allow stabilizing different shapes and crystal phases, and enable the formation of colloidal systems with different dimensionality. We summarize recent reports on the tremendous influence of these compounds on the physical properties of nanocrystals, like field-effect mobility and solar cell performance and outline main analytical methods for the nanocrystal surface control.

We present a simple experimental procedure to obtain CdSe quantum dots from aqueous solution with a controllable size. Double-hydrophilic block copolymers consisting of a poly(ethylene glycol) block and a block of either poly(ethylene imine) or polylysine are used as stabilizers. UV/VIS absorption spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation and transmission electron microscopy are used to examine the resulting quantum dots. The particle size can be simply controlled by adjusting the polymer concentration during synthesis for both block copolymers.

Highly crystalline vertically aligned Ag 2 S/CdS heterostructured nanosheets with lateral sizes of several micrometers and thicknesses of a few nanometers are prepared directly on silver surfaces by a two-step process. Firstly, Ag 2 S sheets were prepared by direct reaction of partially dissolved elementary sulfur in methanol with a solid silver surface in methanol at room temperature. The second step involves a self-limited cation exchange of Ag + vs. Cd 2+ to achieve the formation of large-area Ag 2 S/CdS heteronanosheets on the solid substrate. The cation exchange was proven and investigated over time via several analytical methods, e.g. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and three-dimensional photoluminescence mapping.

Colloidal nano- and micro-particles can introduce new properties and functionalities to existing materials and thus are a valuable building block for the construction of novel materials. This is discussed for the case of ion-selective ligands, hence molecules that can bind specifically ions of one type. First, in case ion-selective fluorescent ligands are attached to the surface of particles, these fluorophores sense the local ion concentration at the particle surface and not the bulk ion concentration. Thus, the ion-response of the ligands can be tuned by attaching them to the surface of particles. Second, in case ligands specific for particular ions are bound to the surface of particles, these ions can provide contrast and thus the particles can be imaged. This involves for example Gd-ions, which provide contrast for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 111 In-ions, which provide contrast for imaging of radioactivity. By attaching the ligands to the surface of particles, their physicochemical properties (as for example size and solubility) are changed, which affects their interaction with cells and, consequently, biodistribution. Attachment of ion-chelators for imaging to particles thus allows for tuning their biodistribution. Third, ion-specific ligands can be also attached to the surface of magnetic particles. In this case ions bound to the ligands can be extracted with magnetic field gradients and magnetic separation becomes possible. Therefore, magnetic particles provide a handle to the ligands, which enables the extraction of ions from solution. These examples demonstrate how the attachment of different types of colloidal particles to one existing class of molecules, ion-selective ligands, can open new fields of applications of these molecules.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer is among one of the widely used surfactants to prepare nano-materials with desired particle shape and particle size. The critical challenge is to remove PVP polymer from the metal surface without loss of the surface arrangement and particle agglomeration. Here, we developed a strategy to remove the surfactant PVP which prefers to form a multi-layer shell and thus blocks the catalytically active surface of the Pt nanocubes (6–7 nm). Since PVP is partially soluble in polar solvents, we studied four different solvent mixtures (volume ratio), (i) methanol/ethanol (3:1), (ii) acetone/water (3:1), (iii) ethanol/chloroform (3:1), and (iv) aqueous 0.1 M acetic acid by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Only, the washing process with methanol/ethanol and acetone/water generates Pt nanocubes with almost clean particle surface. Based on our FTIR results, a shift of the carbonyl band in IR spectrum was observed for methanol/ethanol-washed Pt nanocubes, indicating the coordination of the carbonyl oxygen of the PVP to platinum. The electrochemical experiments showed that the surface area of the methanol/ethanol-washed Pt nanocubes was increased by a factor of 14 compared to the unwashed, while an improvement of 11 times was achieved by washing in acetone/water. However, the CV profile still signifies the presence of strongly adsorbed PVP on the Pt surface. To remove the chemisorbed PVP, an electrochemical cleaning including 200 potential cycles between 0.06 and 1.00 V vs. RHE at 200 mV s −1 was applied. The potential cycling reveals the potential-controlled ad/desorption behavior of the PVP at the Pt surface. Altogether, we designed a cleaning procedure for surfactant-capped metal nanoparticles and provide insights into the interactions between the PVP and Pt surface.

In this work we present a technique of incorporation of semiconductor CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) into metal oxide matrices prepared by inorganic sol-gel method. As the matrices, we chose alumina and aluminum tin oxide, which are optically transparent in the visible region. Among them the first is electrically insulating, while the second is conductive and thus can be used in optoelectronic devices. We found optimal synthetic parameters allowing us to maintain optical properties of the NCs in both matrices even after heating up to 150°C in air. Therefore, in our approach we overcame a common problem of degradation of the optical properties of semiconductor NCs in oxide matrices as a result of the incorporation and subsequent interaction with the matrix. The resulting materials were characterized in detail from the point of view of their optical and structural properties. Based on the results obtained, we suggest the formation mechanism of these materials. Semiconductor NCs embedded in robust and optically transparent metal oxides offer promising applications in optical switching, optical filtering, waveguides, light emitting diodes, and solar concentrators.

Biosynthesis by diatoms provides a green approach for nanoparticle (NP) production. However, reproducible and homogeneous shapes are essential for their application. To improve these characteristics during biosynthesis, the underlying synthesis mechanisms as well as involved substances need to be understood. The first essential step for suitable analyses is the purification of Au-silica-nanocomposites from organic biomass. Succesfully cleaned nanocomposites could, for example, be useful as catalysts. In combination with the biosynthesized NPs, this material presents a “green” catalyst and could contribute to the currently thriving green nanochemistry. In this work, we compare different purification agents with respect to their ability to purify cells of the diatom Stephanopyxis turris without separating the biosynthesized Au-silica-nanocomposites from the diatom cell walls. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) are used to localize and identify Au-silica-nanocomposites around the cells. The amount of remaining organic compounds on the purified cell is detected by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) is used to track the “gold path” during cell growth and the different purifications steps.

We use derivatives of the photochromic molecule 1,2-bis(5′-carboxy-2′-methylthien-3′-yl)-cyclopentene in combination with semiconducting PbS nanocrystals to probe the feasibility of solid-state optical switching in hybrid nanostructured thin films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to differentiate between the different constituents in the blends, while field-effect transistor measurements in the dark reveal the effect of prior illumination with visible or ultra-violet light on the transport properties. By analyzing the response of the electric conductivity, the carrier concentration and mobility separately, we are able to distinguish between the effect of additional photo-excited charge carriers and photo-induced changes of the electronic structure of the semiconducting film. Our results suggest that coupling between the nanocrystals and the photochromic molecule is weak but also provide evidence that photochromism of the molecules may be partially preserved.

Layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly produces nanocomposites with distinctively high volume fractions of nanomaterials and nanometer scale controlled uniformity. Although deposition of one nanometer scale layer at a time leads to high performance composites, this deposition mode is also associated with the slow multilayer build-up. Exponential LBL, spin coating, turbo-LBL and other methods tremendously accelerate the multilayer build-up but often yield lower, strength, toughness, conductivity, etc. Here, we introduce gelation assisted layer-by-layer (gaLBL) deposition taking advantage of a repeating cycle of hydrogel formation and subsequent polymer infiltration demonstrated using aramid nanofiber (ANF) and epoxy resin (EPX) as deposition partners. Utilization of ANF gels increases the thickness of each deposited layer from 1–10 nm to 30–300 nm while retaining fine control of thickness in each layer, high volume fraction, and uniformity. While increasing the speed of the deposition, the high density of interfaces associated with nanofiber gels helps retain high mechanical properties. The ANF/EPX multilayer composites revealed a rare combination of properties that was unavailable in traditional aramid-based and other composites, namely, high ultimate strength of 505±47 MPa, high toughness of 50.1±9.8 MJ/m 3 , and high transparency. Interestingly, the composite also displayed close-to-zero thermal expansion. The constellation of these materials properties is unique both for quasi-anisotropic composites and unidirectional materials with nanofiber alignment. gaLBL demonstrates the capability to resolve the fundamental challenge between high-performance and scalability. The gelation-assisted layered deposition can be extended to other functional components including nanoparticle gels.

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have potential for several applications, e.g. as novel light sources; as photoluminescent probes; and for solar energy conversion devices, but their sensitivity towards their environmental surroundings, and the presence of surface defects may still degrade their emission properties. Herein, we present a post-synthetic treatment of CdTe QDs stabilized by mixed thiol ligands using chloride and bicarbonate ions to achieve near-complete surface passivation, resulting in a two-fold increase of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) and significant suppression of non-radiative recombination. Time-resolved PL measurements reveal fluorescence lifetime and PL QY trends did not both track identically; in the most favorable cases a suppression of non-radiative recombination and a slight increase in the radiative recombination rates after the salt treatment took place. The optimized conditions demonstrated here are proven to work for different sizes of CdTe QDs, and also show a dependence on the composition of the mixed ligand systems used.

The photoluminescence quenching of CdTe QDs in the presence of three different Co (III)-complexes is studied to elucidate the role of interactions between functional groups of positively charged cysteamine capped CdTe QDs and negatively charged Co (III) complexes bearing carboxylic groups. The steady state and time resolved spectroscopy has been used to investigate the mechanism of quenching. After detailed analysis, it is concluded that quenching is contributed by both static as well as dynamic processes. The static contribution has been assigned to the electrostatic assembly formation via ionic interactions between the amine functional groups of positively charged cysteamine capped CdTe QDs and carboxylic acid groups of negatively charged complexes. The electrostatic interactions were confirmed by zeta potential measurement as well as from effect of salt addition. These studies have implications in designing donor/acceptor pairs having complementary functional groups for efficient optoelectronic devices or photocatalytic systems.

Fluorescence enhancement by metal nanostructures which is sensitive to refractive index n of an ambient medium is suggested as an operation principle of a novel refractive index sensor for liquids. Calculations are made for spherical and spheroidal Ag particles, and potential feasibility of sensitivity of the order of Δ n =10 −4 is demonstrated. Sensors of this type can be made fully colloidal with metal bodies deposited on a substrate or comprising a metal layer covering colloidal assembly of dielectric particles to serve as a test strip as well as placed on a fiber tip end to get local probing of refractive index in the tip-enhanced refractometry mode. Colloidal core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals may become the best candidates for this type of sensors whereas molecular probes may be affected by chemical properties of tested liquids.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are of enormous interest in the scientific and engineering fields. During the past few decades, significant efforts have been conducted in investigating Cd- and Pb-based CQDs, resulting in excellent photoluminescence (PL) properties and impressive performance in various applications. But the high toxicity of Cd and Pb elements pushed the scientific community to explore low-toxic CQDs excluding poisonous heavy metals. Several semiconductor materials with lower toxicity than Cd and Pb species have been proposed. This article presents a short overview of recent efforts involving low-toxic CQDs, focusing especially on IV–VI and III–V semiconductors which are active in the near- and short-wave-infrared (IR) regimes. Recent achievements pertinent to Sn- and In-based CQDs are highlighted as representative examples. Finally, limitations and future challenges are discussed in the review.

Nanocrystals (NCs) offer great opportunities for developing novel light-emitting devices possessing superior properties such as high quality indoor lighting, efficient outdoor lighting, and display backlighting with increased color definition. The narrow-band emission spectra of these materials also offer opportunities to protect the human daily biological rhythm against the adverse effects of display backlighting. For this purpose, here we address this problem using color converting NCs and analyzed the effect of the NC integrated color converting light-emitting diode (NC LED) backlight spectra on the human circadian rhythm. We employed the three existing models including the circadian light, the melanopic sensitivity function, and the circadian effect factor by simultaneously satisfying the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) requirements. The results show that NC LED backlighting exhibits (i) 33% less disruption on the circadian cycle if the same color gamut of the commercially available YAG:Ce LED is targeted and (ii) 34% wider color gamut while causing 4.1% weaker disruption on the circadian rhythm compared to YAG:Ce LED backlight if the NTSC color gamut is fully reproduced. Furthermore, we found out that blue and green emission peaks have to be located at 465 with 30 nm bandwidth and at 535 nm with 20 nm bandwidth, respectively, for a circadian rhythm friendly design while the red component offers flexibility around the peak emission wavelength at 636 nm as opposed to the requirements of quality indoor lighting. These design considerations introduced as a new design perspective for the displays of future will help avoiding the disruption of the human circadian rhythm.

Being part of the development of environmentally clean and safe sustainable technologies photocatalysis is attracting increasing attention. During the last decade, great attention has been paid to the synthesis of different photocatalysts possessing high photocatalytic activity, whereas fundamental studies concerning the underlying photocatalytic processes have rarely been executed. The knowledge of these processes is, however, of utmost importance for the understanding of the reaction mechanism and thus for a better design of photocatalytic systems. The transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) is one widely used method to study such fundamental processes. The present review paper focuses on the application of TAS in the UV-Vis-IR regions to investigate the charge carrier dynamics in ultrafast and nano-to-millisecond time regime. Hereby, the photo induced processes occurring in different materials will be discussed. Moreover, further attention is also paid to nanocomposite-based systems, in which different materials are used concomitantly to promote more efficient photocatalytic processes.

Semiconductor doped glasses had been used by the research and engineering communities as color filters or saturable absorbers well before it was realized that their optical properties were defined by tiny specs of semiconductor matter known presently as quantum dots (QDs). Nowadays, the preferred type of QD samples are colloidal particles typically fabricated via organometallic chemical routines that allow for exquisite control of QD morphology, composition and surface properties. However, there is still a number of applications that would benefit from the availability of high-quality glass-based QD samples. These prospective applications include fiber optics, optically pumped lasers and amplifiers and luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). In addition to being perfect optical materials, glass matrices could help enhance stability of QDs by isolating them from the environment and improving heat exchange with the outside medium. Here we conduct optical studies of a new type of all-inorganic CsPbBr 3 perovskite QDs fabricated directly in glasses by high-temperature precipitation. These samples are virtually scattering free and exhibit excellent waveguiding properties which makes them well suited for applications in, for example, fiber optics and LSCs. However, the presently existing problem is their fairly low room-temperature emission quantum yields of only ca. 1%–2%. Here we investigate the reasons underlying the limited emissivity of these samples by conducting transient photoluminescence (PL) and absorption measurements across a range of temperatures from 20 to 300K. We observe that the low-temperature PL quantum yield of these samples can be as high as ~25%. However, it quickly drops (in a nearly linear fashion) with increasing temperature. Interestingly, contrary to traditional thermal quenching models, experimental observations cannot be explained in terms of a thermally activated nonradiative rate but rather suggest the existence of two distinct QD sub-ensembles of “emissive” and completely “nonemissive” particles. The temperature-induced variation in the PL efficiency is likely due to a structural transformation of the QD surfaces or interior leading to formation of extremely fast trapping sites or nonemissive phases resulting in conversion of emissive QDs into nonemissive. Thus, future efforts on improving emissivity of glass-based perovskite QD samples might focus on approaches for extending the range of stability of the low-temperature highly emissive structure/phase of the QDs up to room temperature.

An understanding of the mechanisms of energy transfer and conversion on the nanoscale is one of the key requirements for an implementation of highly efficient photonic nanodevices based on hybrid organic/inorganic nanomaterials. In this work we conduct steady-state and time resolved optical studies of the emission properties of an ensembles and single semiconductor quantum dots and attached organic dye molecules. We revealed that the luminescence intensity of a hybrid structure does not follow the blinking behavior of quantum dots. We also demonstrated an efficient single photon generation from single hybrid nanostructures which involves an energy transfer from donor to acceptor as main excitation source.

Bottom-up strategies for fabricating SEIRA substrates are presented. For this purpose, wet-chemically prepared gold nanoparticles are coated with a polystyrene shell and subsequently self-assembled into different nanostructures such as quasi-hexagonally ordered gold nanoparticle monolayers, double layers, and honeycomb structures. Furthermore elongated gold nanostructures are obtained by sintering of gold nanoparticle double layers. The optical properties of these different gold nanostructures are directly connected to their morphology and geometrical arrangement – leading to surface plasmon resonances from the visible to the infrared wavelength range. Finally, SEIRA enhancement factors are determined. Gold nanoparticle double layers show the best performance as SEIRA substrates.

In the present study, we present nanostructured bimetallic Cu/CuCl/Cu 2 S/Au(Ag) supports that exhibit plasmonic electromagnetic field enhancement and peroxidase-like catalytic activity. The Cu 2 S component acts as the peroxidase-like catalyst, while the Au or Ag component provides the necessary light enhancement for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) studies of surface bound molecular reactants. As a test reaction the catalytic oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in presence of H 2 O 2 was investigated. The comparison of product evolution in solution measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy and on the surface measured via SERS is able to give more insight into the different steps involved in the overall catalysis.

Here, we report the enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of surface modified hematite thin films with n-type copper oxide nanostructures (Cu 2 O/Fe 2 O 3 ) obtained through simple electrochemical deposition method. The thickness and amount of cuprous oxide layer were varied by simply changing the number of electrodeposition cycles (viz. 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100) in order to understand its thermodynamic and kinetic influence on the photoelectrochemical activity of the resultant nano-heterostructures. Structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained Cu 2 O/Fe 2 O 3 films have been studied by absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Electrochemical investigations such as linear sweep voltammetry, Mott–Schottky analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy suggested the formation of n-type Cu 2 O layers over the hematite films with varying charge-carrier densities, ranging from 0.56×10 19 to 3.94×10 19 cm −3 , that varies with the number of cycles of electrochemical deposition. Besides, the thickness of deposited cuprous oxide layer is noted to alter the net electrochemical and photo-electrochemical response of the base material. An interesting, peak event was recorded for a particular thickness of the cuprous oxide layer (obtained after 25 cycles of electrochemical deposition) below and above which the efficiency of catalyst was impaired. The heterojunction obtained thus, followed well known Z-scheme and gave appreciable increment in the photocurrent response.

The application of photoelectrochemical methods presents the researcher with a powerful set of versatile tools by which photoactive materials, such as semiconductor quantum dots, at conductive interfaces may be interrogated. While the range of photoelectrochemical techniques available is quite large, it is surprising that very few have found their way into common usage within the nanoparticle community. Here a number of photoelectrochemical techniques and the principles upon which they are based are introduced. A short discussion on the criticality of ensuring the nanoparticles are reliably anchored to the substrate is followed by an introduction to the basic set of equipment required in order to enable the investigator to undertake such experiments. Subsequently the four techniques of transient photocurrent response to square wave illumination, photocurrent spectroscopy, intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy and intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy are introduced. Finally, the information that can be acquired using such techniques is provided with emphasis being placed on a number of case studies exemplifying the application of photoelectrochemical techniques to nanoparticles at interfaces, in particular optically transparent electrodes.

A gold/water interface has been investigated with the DFT-based self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) method using a cluster model. Born–Oppenheimer molecular-dynamics simulations for mono-, bi-, and trilayers of water on the surface of a Au 55 cluster have been computed. We have demonstrated the applicability of this method to the study of the structural and dynamical properties of the gold/water-multilayer interface. The results of the simulations clearly show the charge-dependent orientation and the corresponding polarization of the water sphere around the gold cluster. However, it was also shown that this polarization is restricted almost only to the first solvation shell. This illustrates the rather short-range screening behavior of water. The present study builds the basis for further investigations of metal/electrolyte interfaces on a reliable atomistic level, avoiding the problems of spurious artifacts in models using periodic boundary conditions.

We present a fluorescent emitter (rhodamine B) coupled to a dielectric or metallic interface as well as a metallic cavity to study their radiative decay processes. Supported by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, we correlate the non-radiative and radiative decay rates with the absorption and scattering cross section efficiencies, respectively. On a single particle level, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scattering spectroscopy, fluorescence life time imaging (FLIM) and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) to evaluate the enhanced fluorescence decay at the same location. With this study, we show a colloidal gain material, which can be integrated into lattices using existing directed self-assembled methods to study their coherent energy transfer.

The assembly of metal nanocrystals offers a flexible method for creating new materials with tunable, size-dependent optical properties. Here we study the lateral assembly of gold nanorods into arrays, which leads to strong colour changes due to surface plasmon coupling. We also demonstrate the first example of gap modes in colloid systems, an optical mode in which light waves propagate in the channels between the gold rods. Such modes resonate at wavelengths which strongly depend on the gap width and length.

Atomically flat colloidal nanoplatelets with strong one-dimensional confinement represent the most recently discovered type of quantum-confined cadmium chalcogenide nanocrystals. In almost a decade a great progress has been achieved in the colloidal synthesis of nanoplatelets and understanding of their basic optical and electronic properties. However, up until recently methods of their controlled spatial orientation were quite scarce, what in turn hindered obtaining reliable information on their anisotropic structural and optical properties arising from their shape. In this paper we provide a mini-review of recent advances in this field of study.

The electroless (chemical) deposition of cobalt on palladium-sensitized oxidized silicon wafers produces nanowires and chains made up by nanoparticles. We demonstrate that the application of moderate magnetic fields, provided by permanent magnets, during the growth produces highly oriented cobalt nanowires and nanoparticle chains. By adjusting the magnetic field direction in plane, parallel and crossed cobalt chain patterns are readily accessible. Perpendicular orientation of the field results in rod-like, standing-up chains of nanoparticles. We explain the observed structures with magnetostatic arguments.

Functionalized graphene aerogels (GAs) not only own the advantages of the original ones like large specific surface area, three-dimensional porous structures, high specific capacitance and excellent cyclic stability, but also realize the function expansion due to the collective properties endowed via different methods. These characteristics make them advantageous in some promising applications. In this minireview, we focus on the various functionalization methods of GAs and especially their use in the applications of energy storage and conversion like batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells, etc.

Aerogels can bridge the nanoscopic to the macroscopic world. One physical phenomenon typically limited to the nanoscopic world is the occurrence of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs), which are observed in conductive nanoparticles. Once brought into close contact, assemblies or superstructures of these nanoparticles often lose their plasmonic properties in the transition stage towards the bulk material. Therefore, LSPRs are typically not observed in macroscopic objects. The present work aims at voluminous nanoparticle-based aerogels with optical properties close to that of the initial colloidal solution and the possibility to manipulate the final plasmonic properties by bringing the particles into defined distances. In detail, Ag nanocrystals with silica shells ranging from 0 to 12 nm are employed as building blocks, which are assembled from their solution into macroscopic three-dimensional superstructures by freezing and subsequent lyophilization. These cryogelated aerogels are synthesized as monoliths and thin films in which the Ag nanocrystals are arranged in defined distances according to their silica shell. The resulting aerogels exhibit plasmonic properties ranging from a behavior similar to that of the building blocks for the thickest shell to a heavily distorted behavior for bare Ag nanocrystals.

An aqueous-based metal ion crosslinking approach for assembly of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles (NPs) into robust gels is reported. Short chalcogenide ligands (S 2− ) undergo crosslinking with metal salts (Sn 4+ ) to form a gel [NP/S 2− /Sn 4+ ] n (NP=PbTe, PbS, CdS, CdSe). The corresponding aerogel networks retain the crystallinity and quantum confinement effects of the native building blocks while achieving excellent porosity [Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of 160–238 m 2 /g]. Treatment of sulfide-capped PbTe nanoparticles with an excess of Sn 4+ leads to ion exchange and formation of an amorphous “SnTe” gel.

Electrically conductive cellulose-based hydrogels are prepared by a facile and environmentally friendly method, of which the electrical and mechanical properties can be easily controlled by varying the graphene loading. With an ultralow initial addition of graphene oxide (GO, 0.2 wt% versus the mass of cellulose), the resulting cellulose/reduced graphene oxide (CG 0.2 ) hydrogel shows a significantly enhanced compressive modulus of 332.01 kPa, 54.8% higher than that of pure cellulose hydrogel. Further increasing the addition of GO to 2 wt% (versus the mass of cellulose), the electrical conductivity of the resultant CG 2.0 hydrogel is as high as 7.3×10 −3 S/m, 10,000-fold higher than that of pure cellulose hydrogel, and of which the mechanical properties are also enhanced. These cellulose-based hydrogels with controllable electrical and mechanical properties have a great potential for application in drug delivery and artificial muscle.

The effciency of organic solar cells is not only determined by their absorber system, but also strongly dependent on the performance of numerous interlayers and charge transport layers. In order to establish new custom-made materials, the study of structure-properties relationships is of great importance. This publication examines a series of naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide molecules (NTCDI) with varying side-chain length intended for the use as n-dopable electron transport materials in organic solar cells. While all compounds basically share very similar absorption spectra and energy level positions in the desired range, the introduction of alkyl chains has a large impact on thin film growth and charge transport properties: both crystallization and the increase of conductivity by molecular doping are suppressed. This has a direct influence on the series resistance of corresponding solar cells comprising an NTCDI derivative as electron transport material (ETM) as it lowers the power conversion efficiency to ≪1%. In contrast, using the side-chain free compound it is possible to achive an efficiency of 6.5%, which is higher than the efficiency of a comparable device comprising n-doped C 60 as standard ETM.

The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) is locked in the mesoporous silica nanoparticle by coating Fe III -TA polymer, and its burst release can be achieved under acidic environment, along with the decreased longitudinal relaxivity. This nanoplatform shows great potential to monitoring the drug delivery process and the fate of the nanocarrier.

Food grade (K 2 CO 3 wt.%>99.0%, GB/T 25588-2010) potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) has been extracted from low concentration [K + ] solutions of K 2 CO 3 -Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O, which refers to a subsystem of brine water in the Lop Nor Lake in West China. Procedures of the isothermal evaporation, crystallization, CO 2 acidification, filtration, and calcination were employed to prepare the K 2 CO 3 . This research focuses on the phase study of metastable equilibria between K 2 CO 3 -Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O and KHCO 3 -NaHCO 3 -H 2 O. The solubility, density, conductivity, and pH values were determined. Phase diagrams were plotted at temperatures of 298.2 and 313.2 K. At 298.2 K the ternary system of K 2 CO 3 -Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O was found to have double salts in form of solid solutions Na 2 CO 3 ·K 2 CO 3 ·(6–12)H 2 O, which would hinder the process of getting pure K 2 CO 3 by the means of isothermal evaporation. In this protocol the high-pressure CO 2 was charged to the ternary carbonate solution, and the K 2 CO 3 -Na 2 CO 3 -H 2 O was moved to bicarbonate system KHCO 3 -NaHCO 3 -H 2 O. This quaternary system is of a simple co-saturation type of diagram, in which a solid solution (KHCO 3 ·NaHCO 3 ) was found to be greatly affected by temperatures. This finding affords efficient separation of KHCO 3 from the KHCO 3 -NaHCO 3 -H 2 O solutions.